Existence and classification of three-dimensional Lorentzian manifolds with prescribed distinct Ricci eigenvalues (Q898643)

The problem of ``how many'' local isometry classes (or, more exactly, how many isometry classes of germs) of Riemannian metrics exist for three prescribed constant Ricci eigenvalues was solved first by Spiro and Tricerri. In the present paper the authors deal with this problem in the Lorentzian situation where the prescribed Ricci eigenvalues are here not constants but arbitrary real analytic functions. The first result states that it is possible to choose local coordinates which adopt diagonal forms. A next result establishes that the local moduli space of (local) Lorentzian metrics with the prescribed principal Ricci curvatures can be parametrized by three arbitrary functions of two variables. We note that the computations are carried out with help of a convenient software.