On harmonic and asymptotically harmonic homogeneous spaces (Q2509105)

One completes the classification of Riemannian harmonic spaces in the homogeneous case. One proves that any simply connected homogeneous harmonic space is flat, or rank-one symmetric, or a nonsymmetric Damek-Ricci space. The structure of the proof is based on three steps. First, one gives a simply connected homogeneous space \(M\) which is asymptotically harmonic, one shows that \(M\) admits a simply transitive solvable Lie group of isometries \(S\). Hence, \(M\) is isometric to \(S\), endowed with a suitable left-invariant metric. Secondly it is proved that \(S\) is a semidirect product of the normal nilpotent subgroup \(N=[S,S]\) and a 1-dimensional complement \(A\). Finally, one proves that any semidirect product \(S=A.N\) as above, endowed with an asymptotically harmonic Einstein metric, has constant curvature, or is a Damek-Ricci space. Independently, Y. Nicilayevsky has obtained the latter classification under the additional assumption of non-positive sectional curvatures.