A note on the volume flux group of four-manifolds

Geometric group theory (20F65) Differential topological aspects of diffeomorphisms (57R50) Topological properties of groups of homeomorphisms or diffeomorphisms (57S05) Groups of diffeomorphisms and homeomorphisms as manifolds (58D05)

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Let \(M\) be a closed smooth manifold and \(\mu\) a volume form on \(M\). Let Diff\((M)\) be the group of diffeomorphisms of \(M\) and denote by Diff\(^\mu(M)\) the subgroup of \(\mu\)-preserving diffeomorphisms. It is a consequence of \textit{J. Moser}'s theorem [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 120, 286--294 (1965; Zbl 0141.19407)] that Diff\(^\mu(M)\) is a deformation retract of Diff\((M)\). The connected component of the identity in Diff\(^\mu(M)\), which is denoted by Diff\(_0^\mu(M)\), consists of volume preserving diffeomorphisms which are isotopic to identity (through volume preserving diffeomorphisms). Let \(XC\) be a vector field on \(M\) and \(i_X\) the usual anti-derivation of degree \(-1\), which associates to the \(n\)-form \(\mu\) the \((n-1)\)-form \(i_X\mu\) defined by \(i_X\mu(Y_1,\dots,Y_{n-1})=\mu(X,Y_1,\dots,Y_{n-1})\). Given a loop \(\varphi_t\) in Diff\(^\mu\) based at identity, denote \(\dot{\varphi}_t=\partial/\partial t(\varphi_t(x))\). Then \(i_{\dot{\varphi}_t}\mu\) is a closed form and \(\int_0^1[i_{\dot{\varphi}_t}\mu]dt\) gives an \((n-1)\)-cohomology class which only depends on the homotopy class of the loop. It therefore defines a group homomorphisms Flux\(_\mu:\pi_1\)(Diff\(_0^\mu\))\(\rightarrow H^{n-1}(M;\mathbb{R})\) called the \(\mu\)-\textsl{flux homomorphism} and whose image is called the \textsl{volume flux group} \(\Gamma_\mu\subset H^{n-1}(M;\mathbb{R})\). A \textsl{word metric} on a group \(G\) is a way to measure distance between two elements of \(G\). A choice of a set \(S\) which generates \(G\) induces a distance function \(d_S(g,h)\) between elements \(g\) and \(h\) in \(G\), defined as the minimum number of elements of \(S\cup S^{-1}\) needed to express \(g^{-1}h\). The growth function of a group \(G\) with respect to a symmetric generating set \(S\) describes the size of balls in \(G\), that is, it counts the number of elements of \(G\) that can be written as a product of \(n\) elements of \(S\). Let \(B_n(G,S):=\{x\in G|d_S(x,e)\leq n\}\) be the ball of radius \(n\). The growth function of \(G\) is defined as \(\beta(n):=|B_n(G,S)|\). If \(\beta(n)\leq C(n^k+1)\) for a constant \(C\) and \(k<\infty\), is said \(G\) has polynomial growth rate. If \(\beta(n)\geq a^n\) for some \(a>1\), is said \(G\) has exponential growth rate. Otherwise it is said that \(G\) has subexponential growth type. The type of growth rate of the group \(G\) is independent of the choice of spanning set \(S\). With these ingredients the authors prove the following interesting theorems. Theorem 1. Let \(X\) be a closed orientable smooth four-manifold with non-trivial volume flux group and whose fundamental group has subexponential growth type. Then \(X\) is finitely covered by a manifold homeomorphic to \(S^3\times S^1\), \(S^2\times T^2\) or a nil-manifold. Theorem 2. Compact complex surfaces with non-trivial volume flux group have zero minimal volume.

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