Mabuchi geometry of big cohomology classes (Q6042650)

Let \((X,\omega)\) be a compact Kähler manifold, and \(\mathcal{H} (X, \omega)\) be the space of smooth Kähler potentials with respect to the reference metric \(\omega\). The Finsler metric \(d_p\) on \(\mathcal{H} (X, \omega)\), introduced by \textit{T. Darvas} [Adv. Math. 285, 182--219 (2015; Zbl 1327.53093)], is defined in terms of a \(C^{1,1}\)-solution of a homogeneous complex Monge-Ampère equation, and extends by continuity to the completion \(\mathcal{E}^p (X, \omega )\) of \(\mathcal{H}(X,\omega)\). This metric, particularly when \(p=1\), plays a fundamentally important role in the study of canonical Kähler metrics. The paper gives a new alternative definition for the \(d_p\)-metric, in terms of length segments. This new definition does not rely on the solution of the homogeneous Monge-Ampère equation, and can be extended to the case when the Kähler class \([ \omega ]\) is merely big. The \(d_p\)-metric for the big cohomology class thus constructed is shown to be complete if \([ \omega ]\) is further assumed to be nef or when \(p=1\). Moreover, this definition is birationally invariant. The \(d_p\)-metrics for big cohomology classes were studied some earlier papers: the case \(p=1\) was done by \textit{T. Darvas} et al. [Ann. Inst. Fourier 68, No. 7, 3053--3086 (2018; Zbl 1505.53081)], the case when \([ \omega ]\) is big and nef was done by \textit{E. Di Nezza} and \textit{C. H. Lu} [Acta Math. Vietnam. 45, No. 1, 53--69 (2020; Zbl 1436.53050)], and \textit{A. Trusiani} [J. Geom. Anal. 32, No. 2, Paper No. 37, 37 p. (2022; Zbl 1487.32179)] also proved results that are closely related. The author proves that his definition generalises all these previous ones. An envelope construction plays an important role in defining the \(d_p\)-metric in this paper. The author finds that its key properties can be abstracted axiomatically as an algebraic structure which he calls a rooftop structure, which is discussed in details in section 3 of the paper. He proves that \(\mathcal{E}^p (X, \omega )\) is a \(p\)-strict locally complete rooftop metric space, whose precise meaning is also explained in Section 3.