Gromov Rigidity of Bi-Invariant Metrics on Lie Groups and Homogeneous Spaces

Gromov asked if the bi-invariant metrics on a compact Lie group are extremal compared to any other metrics. In this note, we prove that the bi-invariant metrics on a compact connected semi-simple Lie group 𝐺 are extremal (in fact, rigid) in the sense of Gromov when compared to the left-invariant met...

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Dai, Xianzhe
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Dai, Xianzhe
citation_txt Gromov Rigidity of Bi-Invariant Metrics on Lie Groups and Homogeneous Spaces. Yukai Sun and Xianzhe Dai. SIGMA 16 (2020), 068, 6 pages
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description Gromov asked if the bi-invariant metrics on a compact Lie group are extremal compared to any other metrics. In this note, we prove that the bi-invariant metrics on a compact connected semi-simple Lie group 𝐺 are extremal (in fact, rigid) in the sense of Gromov when compared to the left-invariant metrics. In fact, the same result holds for a compact connected homogeneous manifold 𝐺/𝘏 with 𝐺 compact connect and semi-simple.
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fulltext Symmetry, Integrability and Geometry: Methods and Applications SIGMA 16 (2020), 068, 6 pages Gromov Rigidity of Bi-Invariant Metrics on Lie Groups and Homogeneous Spaces Yukai SUN † and Xianzhe DAI ‡ † School of Mathematical Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, P.R. of China E-mail: 52195500003@stu.ecnu.edu.cn ‡ Department of Mathematics, UCSB, Santa Barbara CA 93106, USA E-mail: dai@math.ucsb.edu Received May 04, 2020, in final form July 22, 2020; Published online July 25, 2020 https://doi.org/10.3842/SIGMA.2020.068 Abstract. Gromov asked if the bi-invariant metrics on a compact Lie group are extremal compared to any other metrics. In this note, we prove that the bi-invariant metrics on a compact connected semi-simple Lie group G are extremal (in fact rigid) in the sense of Gromov when compared to the left-invariant metrics. In fact the same result holds for a compact connected homogeneous manifold G/H with G compact connect and semi-simple. Key words: extremal/rigid metrics; Lie groups; homogeneous spaces; scalar curvature 2020 Mathematics Subject Classification: 53C20; 53C24; 53C30 1 Introduction In [6], Gromov asks: are bi-invariant metrics on compact Lie groups extremal? (This is already problematic for SO(5).) Here a Riemannian metric g on a differentiable manifold M is extremal in the sense of Gromov (not to be confused with Calabi’s extremal metrics in Kähler geometry) if any metric g′ on M with g′ ≥ g and Rg′ ≥ Rg must have Rg′ = Rg, where Rg, Rg′ denote the scalar curvature of g, g′ respectively. The metric g is rigid in the sense of Gromov if in fact g′ = g from the conditions above. The first result of this type is [10] in which Llarull showed that the standard metric on Sn is rigid. The work gives a positive answer to an earlier question of Gromov, which is motivated by Gromov–Lawson’s famous work on the non-existence of positive scalar curvature metrics on the torus [7], later extended to more general class of manifolds, namely the enlargeable manifolds. In the same spirit, Llarull in fact proved that a metric on a compact manifold admitting a ( 1,Λ2 ) -contracting map to Sn is rigid. Min-Oo discussed the extremality/rigidity of hermitian symmetric spaces of compact type in [12]. The extremality/rigidity of complex and quaternionic projective spaces was established by Kramer [8]. Later, Goette and Semmel- mann [4] proved that compact symmetric spaces of type G/K with rk(G) − rk(K) ≤ 1 are extremal (see also [3]). Then Listing improves Goette–Semmelmann’s result in [9], by weakening the extremality condition. Note that a Lie group with a bi-invariant metric is a symmetric space, but not of the types considered above. In this short note, we present a partial positive answer to Gromov’s question. Namely, we show that the bi-invariant metrics on a compact connected semi-simple Lie group G are rigid among the left-invariant metrics. More generally, we show that the normal metrics This paper is a contribution to the Special Issue on Scalar and Ricci Curvature in honor of Misha Gromov on his 75th Birthday. The full collection is available at https://www.emis.de/journals/SIGMA/Gromov.html mailto:52195500003@stu.ecnu.edu.cn mailto:dai@math.ucsb.edu https://doi.org/10.3842/SIGMA.2020.068 https://www.emis.de/journals/SIGMA/Gromov.html 2 Y. Sun and X. Dai on any compact connected homogeneous space G/H without torus factor are rigid among G- invariant metrics on G/H. Theorem 1. Let M = G/H be a compact homogeneous space, with G a compact connected semi- simple Lie group. Then any bi-invariant metric (also known as normal homogeneous metric) g0 on G/H is rigid among the G-invariant metrics. In other words, if g is a G-invariant metric on G/H such that g ≥ g0 and Rg ≥ Rg0, then g = g0. As an immediate consequence, we have Corollary 2. Any bi-invariant metric on a compact connected semi-simple Lie group is rigid among the left-invariant metrics. According to [11], if a connected Lie group admits a bi-invariant metric, it is isomorphic to the product of a compact Lie group with an abelian one. The semi-simple condition rules out the abelian factor. On the other hand, we have the famous result of Gromov–Lawson [7] and Schoen–Yau [13, 14] which implies that the only metrics of nonnegative scalar curvatures on the torus are the flat ones. Remark 3. The extremal/rigid metrics discussed here have positive scalar curvature. On the other hand, we would like to point out a related but different scalar curvature (local) extremality for Kähler–Einstein metrics with negative scalar curvature [2]. It is an immediate consequence of Theorem 1.5 in [2] that for a Kähler–Einstein metric g0 with negative scalar curvature on a compact complex manifold with integrable infinitesimal complex deformations, any metric g sufficiently close to g0 satisfying Rg ≥ Rg0 and Vol(g) ≤ Vol(g0) must have Rg = Rg0 (and g is also Kähler–Einstein). 2 Preliminaries Given a Riemannian manifold (M, g), we denote by Rg the scalar curvature of g. We recall Gromov’s notion of extremal/rigid metrics. Definition 4. A metric g0 on M is extremal (in the sense of Gromov), if any metric g on M satisfying g ≥ g0 and Rg ≥ Rg0 must have identical scalar curvature, Rg = Rg0 ; g0 is said to be rigid (in the sense of Gromov) if the conditions above imply that g = g0. For a Lie group G, we denote by Ad(a) (a ∈ G) the adjoint action of G on its Lie algebra g, and by ad(X) (X ∈ g) the induced adjoint action of g on itself. In particular, ad(X)Y = [X,Y ], X, Y ∈ g. A Lie group G is semi-simple if its Lie algebra g is semi-simple, i.e., its Killing form K(X,Y ) = Tr(ad(X) ad(Y )), X, Y ∈ g is nondegenerate. Clearly, if g is semi-simple, it has a trivial center. For a compact Lie group, the semi-simple condition is equivalent to its Lie algebra having trivial center. If a metric on G is both left-invariant and right-invariant, then it is called bi-invariant. When G is compact, bi-invariant metrics always exist. Left-invariant metrics on G are in one- to-one correspondence with inner products on its Lie algebra g. The following well known result plays a crucial role in the proof of our main result. Theorem 5 ([11, Lemma 7.2]). In the case of a connected group G, a left-invariant metric is actually bi-invariant if and only if the linear transformation ad(X) is skew-adjoint with respect to the corresponding inner product, for every X in the Lie algebra g of G. Gromov Rigidity of Bi-Invariant Metrics on Lie Groups and Homogeneous Spaces 3 Now let M = G/H be a compact connected homogeneous space, where G is a compact connected Lie group, H a closed subgroup, and the action of G on G/H is effective. Let h ⊂ g be the Lie algebra of H. Denote by AdG the adjoint action of G on g and AdH = AdG |H its restriction to H. Since AdH preserves h, it induces an action on g/h, which is equivalent to the isotropy representation of H. A metric g on M = G/H is called G-invariant if it is invariant under the left action of G. G-invariant metrics on G/H are naturally identified with inner products on g/h which are invariant under the AdH action, see Proposition 3.16 in [1]. In particular, a bi-invariant metric on G gives rise to a G-invariant metric on G/H. The corresponding metric on G/H, usually referred as a normal homogeneous metric on G/H in the literature, will still be called bi-invariant here. 3 Proof of the theorem Our proof relies crucially on a simple elegant formula for the scalar curvature for G-invariant metrics, as well as another lemma, in [15]. We first recall this formula and the setup. Let g0 be a bi-invariant metric on G; still denote by g0 the induced metric on G/H. Let g = h + m be an AdH invariant decomposition orthogonal with respect to g0. Then G-invariant metrics on G/H are identified with AdH -invariant inner products on m. Let 〈·, ·〉0 be the AdH -invariant inner product on m corresponding to g0. Let 〈·, ·〉 be an AdH -invariant inner product on m inducing a G-invariant metric g on G/H. Then, there is a positive self-adjoint operator S on (m, 〈X,Y 〉0) commuting with the AdH -action such that 〈X,Y 〉 = 〈S(X), Y 〉0 for all X,Y ∈ m. Since any eigenspace of S is AdH -invariant, there are AdH -invariant subspaces m1, . . . ,ms of m such that m = m1 ⊕ · · · ⊕ms (1) in orthogonal decomposition with respect to 〈·, ·〉0; the action of AdH on each mi is irreducible, and S(X) = λiX for all X ∈ mi, for some λ1, . . . , λs > 0. Consequently, 〈X,Y 〉 = λ1〈X1, Y1〉0 + · · ·+ λs〈Xs, Ys〉0, for X = X1 + · · ·+Xs, Y = Y1 + · · ·+ Ys ∈ m decomposed with respect to (1). The metric g is called diagonal with respect to the decomposition in (1). For such metrics, there is a simple elegant formula for the scalar curvature; we refer the reader to [15] for a more general discussion. Before we state this formula, let us point out the simplified situation when M = G. Each mi in (1) is spanned by a basis vector whenever one chooses an orthonormal basis of m = g consisting of eigenvectors of S. (Thus, such decompositions are by no means unique.) Let {Eα} be an orthonormal basis of (m, 〈 , 〉0) adapted to the decomposition (1). We write [Eα, Eβ]m = ∑ γ C γ αβEγ for some real numbers { Cγαβ } that we call structural constants. Here [ , ]m is the m-component of [ , ]. Set Akij = ∑ α,β,γ ( Cγαβ )2 , where the summation runs over Eα ∈ mi, Eβ ∈ mj , Eγ ∈ mk. Let di = dimmi. Let B be the negative of the Killing form: B(X,Y ) = −K(X,Y ). Then B(X,X) ≥ 0, with equality if and only if X is central. We define the real number bi by B(X,Y ) = bi〈X,Y 〉0 for all X,Y ∈ mi. Note that bi = 0 if and only if mi is included in the center of g. The following formula is equation (1.3) in [15]. 4 Y. Sun and X. Dai Lemma 6 ([15, equation (1.3)]). Let g be a G-invariant metric on G/H with a corresponding decomposition (1) as described above. Then the scalar curvature of g is Rg = 1 2 s∑ i=1 bidi λi − 1 4 s∑ i,j,k=1 Akij λk λiλj . The following lemma from [15] relates bidi to the structural constants. Let Cmi,g0|h = − h∑ i=1 ad(Zi) ◦ ad(Zi) be the Casimir operator of the representation of h on mi, where {Z1, . . . , Zh} is an orthonormal basis of (h, g0|h) and ad(Zi) should be interpreted as its restriction on mi. Since mi is AdH - irreducible, Cmi,g0|h = ci Id for some constant ci ≥ 0. Moreover, ci = 0 if and only if AdH acts trivially on mi. Lemma 7 ([3, Lemma 1.5]). One has, for i = 1, . . . , s, s∑ j,k=1 Akij = bidi − 2cidi. Remark 8. Again let us look at the situation when M = G. In this case we choose an orthonormal basis {Ei}ni=1 of g consisting of eigenvectors of S. Then [Ei, Ej ] = n∑ k=1 CkijEk via the structure constants Ckij . The decomposition (1) is given by mi = Span{Ei}, hence Akij = ( Ckij )2 . Moreover ci = 0 for all i. Therefore, the two lemmas above yield Rg = 1 4 n∑ i,j,k=1 ( Ckij )2 [ 2 λi − λk λiλj ] . (2) This formula can also be deduced from Koszul’s formula via a direct computation. Proof of Theorem 1. Since {Eα} is an orthonormal basis for (m, 〈·, ·〉0), and 〈·, ·〉0 is bi- invariant, Cγαβ = 〈[Eα, Eβ], Eγ〉0 is skew-symmetric in all three indices by Theorem 5. Hence Akij is symmetric in all three indices. Now the extremal conditions 〈X,Y 〉 ≥ 〈X,Y 〉0 and Rg ≥ Rg0 yield λi ≥ 1 (i = 1, . . . , s) as well as Rg −Rg0 ≥ 0. Lemmas 6 and 7 give 0 ≤ Rg −Rg0 = 1 2 ∑ i bidi λi (1− λi)− 1 4 ∑ i,j,k Akij ( λk λiλj − 1 ) = ∑ i cidi λi (1− λi)− 1 4 ∑ i,j,k Akij [ λk λiλj + 1− 2 λi ] . Since ci ≥ 0 and di > 0, each term in the first summation is less than or equal to zero, with equality if and only if either ci = 0 or λi = 1. For the second summation, we use the symmetry to rewrite it as − 1 12 ∑ i,j,k Akij [ λk λiλj + λi λjλk + λj λkλi − 2 λj − 2 λi − 2 λk + 3 ] = − 1 12 ∑ i,j,k Akij λ2i + λ2j + λ2k − 2λiλj − 2λiλk − 2λkλj + 3λiλjλk λiλjλk . Gromov Rigidity of Bi-Invariant Metrics on Lie Groups and Homogeneous Spaces 5 For a fixed triple i, j, k, we consider the order of λi, λj , λk. Without loss of generality we can assume that λk ≥ λj ≥ λi ≥ 1. Then the summand in the sum above can be re-organized as λ2i + λ2j + λ2k − 2λiλj − 2λiλk − 2λkλj + 3λiλjλk = (λi − λj)2 + (λk − λj)2 + λjλk(λi − 1) + λj(λk − λj) + 2λiλk(λj − 1) ≥ 0 with equality if and only if λk = λj = λi = 1. But then all the inequalities become equalities. Hence, either ci = 0 or λi = 1 for each i, and, at the same time, either Akij = 0 or λk = λj = λi = 1 for each (i, j, k). If λi > 1 for some i, then ci = 0, and Akij = 0 for all j, k. Thus bi = 0 by Lemma 7. Therefore mi is in the center of g, which contradicts the hypotheses. We conclude that λi = 1 for all i, and the result follows. � We end with a couple of remarks. Remark 9. From the proof, we see that if a bi-invariant metric g0 on G/H is not rigid among the G-invariant metrics, then G/H must have a torus factor. Indeed, let z ⊂ g be the center. If for some i, λi > 1, then mi ⊂ z. Decompose g = z + g′ and z = mi + k. Then h ⊂ k + g′. It follows that G/H = T di × (K ×G′)/H. Remark 10. It is interesting to note that the extremal conditions g ≥ g0 and Rg ≥ Rg0 can not be changed to the opposite inequalities. In fact, there exist G-invariant metrics g such that g < g0 and Rg < Rg0 . We illustrate the situation for M = G = SU(2). The basis E1 = √ −1σ1, E2 = √ −1σ2, E3 = √ −1σ3 of g in terms of the Pauli spin matrices σ1, σ2, σ3 satisfies [E1, E2] = 2E3 as well as its cyclic permutations. We take g0 so that 〈X,Y 〉0 = 1 8B(X,Y ), with respect to which {E1, E2, E3} is orthonormal. Following the notations in Remark 8, we choose g so that E1, E2, E3 are the eigenvectors with eigenvalues λ1 = λ2 = λ < 1, and λ3 = 1/2, respectively. Then g < g0. On the other hand, by (2), Rg −Rg0 = 1 4 3∑ i,j,k=1 ( Ckij )2 [ 2 λi − λk λiλj − 1 ] = − 1 λ2 +O ( 1 λ ) , as λ→ 0+. Thus, for λ sufficiently small, we have Rg < Rg0 . Note that this represents the opposite rescaling of the standard sphere as compared to the example of Berger’s sphere mentioned in [5, p. 34]. Acknowledgements We are deeply grateful to Wolfgang Ziller for suggesting the more general result for the homoge- neous space as well as bringing the work [15] to our attention, which considerably simplifies our previous computation as well as generalizes to the more general case of homogeneous spaces. We thank Wolfgang for many helpful discussions. Thanks are also due to Professor Yurii Nikonorov for similar remarks and useful comments. Finally we thank the referee for the careful reading of the multiple versions of the paper and for many constructive suggestions which have helped improve the exposition. This research is partially supported by NSFC (Y.S.) and the Simons Foundation (X.D.). References [1] Cheeger J., Ebin D.G., Comparison theorems in Riemannian geometry, AMS Chelsea Publishing, Provi- dence, RI, 2008. [2] Dai X., Wang X., Wei G., On the variational stability of Kähler–Einstein metrics, Comm. Anal. Geom. 15 (2007), 669–693. https://doi.org/10.1090/chel/365 https://dx.doi.org/10.4310/CAG.2007.v15.n4.a1 6 Y. Sun and X. Dai [3] Goette S., Scalar curvature estimates by parallel alternating torsion, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 363 (2011), 165–183, arXiv:0709.4586. [4] Goette S., Semmelmann U., Scalar curvature estimates for compact symmetric spaces, Differential Geom. Appl. 16 (2002), 65–78, arXiv:math.DG/0010199. [5] Gromov M., Positive curvature, macroscopic dimension, spectral gaps and higher signatures, in Func- tional Analysis on the Eve of the 21st Century, Vol. II (New Brunswick, NJ, 1993),Progr. Math., Vol. 132, Birkhäuser Boston, Boston, MA, 1996, 1–213. [6] Gromov M., Four lectures on scalar curvature, arXiv:1908.10612. [7] Gromov M., Lawson Jr. H.B., Spin and scalar curvature in the presence of a fundamental group. I, Ann. of Math. 111 (1980), 209–230. [8] Kramer W., The scalar curvature on totally geodesic fiberings, Ann. Global Anal. Geom. 18 (2000), 589–600. [9] Listing M., Scalar curvature on compact symmetric spaces, arXiv:1007.1832. [10] Llarull M., Sharp estimates and the Dirac operator, Math. Ann. 310 (1998), 55–71. [11] Milnor J., Curvatures of left invariant metrics on Lie groups, Adv. Math. 21 (1976), 293–329. [12] Min-Oo M., Scalar curvature rigidity of certain symmetric spaces, in Geometry, Topology, and Dynamics (Montreal, PQ, 1995), CRM Proc. Lecture Notes, Vol. 15, Amer. Math. Soc., Providence, RI, 1998, 127–136. [13] Schoen R., Yau S.T., Existence of incompressible minimal surfaces and the topology of three-dimensional manifolds with nonnegative scalar curvature, Ann. of Math. 110 (1979), 127–142. [14] Schoen R., Yau S.T., On the structure of manifolds with positive scalar curvature, Manuscripta Math. 28 (1979), 159–183. [15] Wang M.Y., Ziller W., Existence and nonexistence of homogeneous Einstein metrics, Invent. Math. 84 (1986), 177–194. https://doi.org/10.1090/S0002-9947-2010-04878-0 https://arxiv.org/abs/0709.4586 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0926-2245(01)00068-7 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0926-2245(01)00068-7 https://arxiv.org/abs/math.DG/0010199 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4098-3_1 https://arxiv.org/abs/1908.10612 https://doi.org/10.2307/1971198 https://doi.org/10.2307/1971198 https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006644823883 https://arxiv.org/abs/1007.1832 https://doi.org/10.1007/s002080050136 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0001-8708(76)80002-3 https://doi.org/10.2307/1971247 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01647970 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01388738 1 Introduction 2 Preliminaries 3 Proof of the theorem References
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institution Digital Library of Periodicals of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
issn 1815-0659
language English
last_indexed 2026-03-12T21:46:51Z
publishDate 2020
publisher Інститут математики НАН України
record_format dspace
spelling Sun, Yukai
Dai, Xianzhe
2025-12-17T14:37:50Z
2020
Gromov Rigidity of Bi-Invariant Metrics on Lie Groups and Homogeneous Spaces. Yukai Sun and Xianzhe Dai. SIGMA 16 (2020), 068, 6 pages
1815-0659
2020 Mathematics Subject Classification: 53C20; 53C24; 53C30
arXiv:2005.00161
https://nasplib.isofts.kiev.ua/handle/123456789/210780
https://doi.org/10.3842/SIGMA.2020.068
Gromov asked if the bi-invariant metrics on a compact Lie group are extremal compared to any other metrics. In this note, we prove that the bi-invariant metrics on a compact connected semi-simple Lie group 𝐺 are extremal (in fact, rigid) in the sense of Gromov when compared to the left-invariant metrics. In fact, the same result holds for a compact connected homogeneous manifold 𝐺/𝘏 with 𝐺 compact connect and semi-simple.
We are deeply grateful to Wolfgang Ziller for suggesting the more general result for the homogeneous space as well as bringing the work [15] to our attention, which considerably simplifies our previous computation as well as generalizes to the more general case of homogeneous spaces. We thank Wolfgang for many helpful discussions. Thanks are also due to Professor Yurii Nikonorov for similar remarks and useful comments. Finally, we thank the referee for the careful reading of the multiple versions of the paper and for many constructive suggestions, which have helped improve the exposition. This research is partially supported by NSFC (Y.S.) and the Simons Foundation (X.D.).
en
Інститут математики НАН України
Symmetry, Integrability and Geometry: Methods and Applications
Gromov Rigidity of Bi-Invariant Metrics on Lie Groups and Homogeneous Spaces
Article
published earlier
spellingShingle Gromov Rigidity of Bi-Invariant Metrics on Lie Groups and Homogeneous Spaces
Sun, Yukai
Dai, Xianzhe
title Gromov Rigidity of Bi-Invariant Metrics on Lie Groups and Homogeneous Spaces
title_full Gromov Rigidity of Bi-Invariant Metrics on Lie Groups and Homogeneous Spaces
title_fullStr Gromov Rigidity of Bi-Invariant Metrics on Lie Groups and Homogeneous Spaces
title_full_unstemmed Gromov Rigidity of Bi-Invariant Metrics on Lie Groups and Homogeneous Spaces
title_short Gromov Rigidity of Bi-Invariant Metrics on Lie Groups and Homogeneous Spaces
title_sort gromov rigidity of bi-invariant metrics on lie groups and homogeneous spaces
url https://nasplib.isofts.kiev.ua/handle/123456789/210780
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AT daixianzhe gromovrigidityofbiinvariantmetricsonliegroupsandhomogeneousspaces