Ricci curvature, minimal volumes, and Seiberg-Witten theory (Q5944959)

Let \(M\) be a smooth compact \(n\) dimensional manifold. If \(g\) is a Riemannian metric on \(M\), let \(s\) be the scalar curvature, \(\text{Ric}_g\) the Ricci tensor, and \(d\operatorname {vol}_g\) the Riemannian measure. Let \[ I_r(M):=\inf_g\int_M|\text{Ric}_g|^{n/2} d\text{ vol}_g. \] The author computes this invariant for complex surfaces (\(n=4\)) showing that if \(X\) is the minimal model of \(M\) in the sense of Kodaira that \[ I_r(M)=8\pi^2\{c_1^2(X)+k\} \] where \(M\) is obtained from \(X\) by blowing up \(k\) points. The author obtains some new curvature estimates by studying the self-dual Weyl curvature in dimension \(4\) estimating: \[ \int_M\{(2/3) s-2\sqrt{2/3}|W_+|\}^2 d\text{ vol}_g\geq 32\pi^2(c_1^+)^2 \] where \(c_1^+\) is the self-dual part of the first Chern class of the spin-\(c\) structure. Information about the Ricci curvature is then extracted using the index formula \[ 2\chi+3\tau=(4\pi^2)^{-1}\int_M\{2|W_+|^2+(1/24)s^2-|\dot r|^2/2\} d\text{ vol}_g \] where \(\chi\) is the Euler characteristic and \(\tau\) the signature. These estimates also give new obstructions to the existence of Einstein metrics.