Calabi flow, geodesic rays, and uniqueness of constant scalar curvature Kähler metrics (Q742905)

In this article, the authors prove a uniqueness theorem for constant scalar curvature Kähler metrics (cscK for short) adjacent to a fixed Kähler class. Consider a compact Kähler manifold \((M,\omega,J)\). Denote by \(\mathcal{G}\) the group of Hamiltonian diffeomorphisms of \((M,\omega)\), which acts on \(\mathcal{J}\), the space of almost-complex structures on \(M\) that are \(\omega\)-compatible. Following work of \textit{S. Donaldson} [``Remarks on gauge theory, complex geometry and 4-manifold topology'', World Sci. Ser. 20th Century Math. 5, 384--403 (1997)] and \textit{A. Fujiki} [Sugaku Expo. 5, No. 2, 173--191 (1992); translation from Sugaku 42, No. 3, 231--243 (1990; Zbl 0796.32009)], the scalar curvature appears as a moment map for the \(\mathcal{G}\)-action on \(\mathcal{J}\) endowed with a natural Kähler structure. It is possible to make sense of complexified \(\mathcal{G}\)-orbits by complexifying the infinitesimal action of \(\mathcal{G}\). If \(\mathcal{J}\) and \(\mathcal{G}\) were finite-dimensional and compact, by the Kempf-Ness theorem, a \(\mathcal{G}^\mathbb{C}\)-orbit would admit a metric of constant scalar curvature if and only if it were poly-stable. This is the content of the Yau-Tian-Donaldson conjecture. Moreover, such cscK metrics should form a unique \(\mathcal{G}\)-orbit. This uniqueness result was proved in [\textit{S. K. Donaldson}, J. Differ. Geom. 59, No. 3, 479--522 (2001; Zbl 1052.32017) ] under some restrictions, and in [\textit{X. Chen} and \textit{G. Tian}, Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 107, 1--107 (2008; Zbl 1182.32009)] and [\textit{B. Berndtsson} and \textit{R. Berman}, ``Convexity of the K-energy on the space of Kähler metrics and uniqueness of extremal metrics, Preprint, \url{arXiv:1405.0401}] in full generality. Last, a \(\mathcal{G}^\mathbb{C}\)-orbit should be semi-stable if and only if its closure contains a constant scalar curvature Kähler metric. Again, such a poly-stable orbit should be unique, and this is the main result of this article. More precisely, if there are two cscK structures \(J_1\) and \(J_2\) in the closure of the \(\mathcal{G}^\mathbb{C}\)-orbit of \(J\), then there exists a symplectic diffeomorphism \(\phi\) such that \(\phi^*J_1=J_2\). In more algebraic terms, this result implies uniqueness for smooth cscK central fibers for test configurations of a given polarized compact complex manifold. The proof relies on several new ideas and the main technical tool is the Calabi flow. Initially defined on the space of Kähler potentials in a given Kähler class, the authors consider this flow on the whole space \(\mathcal{J}\). A Łojasiewicz type inequality is proved for the scalar curvature fonctional on \(\mathcal{J}\) which is used to obtain a stability result for the Calabi flow, and to detect adjacent cscK structures. The lack of compactness is then bypassed by mean of geodesic rays. Performing a local study of the \(\mathcal{G}\)-action and of the moment map setting, the authors show that in their situation, the Calabi flow is asymptotic to a smooth geodesic ray. Then, results of \textit{X. Chen} [J. Differ. Geom. 56, No. 2, 189--234 (2000; Zbl 1041.58003)] and \textit{X. X. Chen} and \textit{W. Y. He} [Am. J. Math. 130, No. 2, 539--570 (2008; Zbl 1204.53050)] on the space of Kähler potentials and its geodesics enable to conclude \(\mathcal{C}^0\)-estimates and the proof of the main result.