arXiv subjects

Wolfgang Globke

Publications and source records attributed to Wolfgang Globke.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2021

Compact pseudo-Riemannian homogeneous Einstein manifolds of low dimension

Let $M$ be pseudo-Riemannian homogeneous Einstein manifold of finite volume, and suppose a connected Lie group $G$ acts transitively and isometrically on $M$. In this situation, the metric on $M$ induces a bilinear form $\langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle$ on the Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$ of $G$ which is nil-invariant, a property closely related to invariance. We study such spaces $M$ in three important cases. First, we assume $\langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle$ is invariant, in which case the Einstein property requires that $G$ is either solvable or semisimple. Next, we investigate the case where $G$ is solvable. Here, $M$ is compact and $M=G/Γ$ for a lattice $Γ$ in $G$. We show that in dimensions less or equal to $7$, compact quotients $M=G/Γ$ exist only for nilpotent groups $G$. We conjecture that this is true for any dimension. In fact, this holds if Schanuel's Conjecture on transcendental numbers is true. Finally, we consider semisimple Lie groups $G$, and find that $M$ is covered by a pseudo-Riemannian product of Einstein manifolds corresponding to the compact and the non-compact factors of $G$.

math.DG↗

arXiv2021

A note on étale representations from nilpotent orbits

A linear étale representation of a complex algebraic group $G$ is given by a complex algebraic $G$-module $V$ such that $G$ has a Zariski-open orbit on $V$ and $\dim G=\dim V$. A current line of research investigates which étale representations can occur for reductive algebraic groups. Since a complete classification seems out of reach, it is of interest to find new examples of étale representations for such groups. The aim of this note is to describe two classical constructions of Vinberg and of Bala & Carter for nilpotent orbit classifications in semisimple Lie algebras, and to determine which reductive groups and étale representations arise in these constructions. We also explain in detail the relation between these two~constructions.

math.RT↗

arXiv2020

Rigidity of pseudo-Hermitian homogeneous spaces of finite volume

Let $M$ be a pseudo-Hermitian homogeneous space of finite volume. We show that $M$ is compact and the identity component $G$ of the group of holomorphic isometries of $M$ is compact. If $M$ is simply connected, then even the full group of holomorphic isometries is compact. These results stem from a careful analysis of the Tits fibration of $M$, which is shown to have a torus as its fiber. The proof builds on foundational results on the automorphisms groups of compact almost pseudo-Hermitian homogeneous spaces. It is known that a compact homogeneous pseudo-Kähler manifold splits as a product of a complex torus and a rational homogeneous variety, according to the Levi decomposition of $G$. Examples show that compact homogeneous pseudo-Hermitian manifolds in general do not split in this way.

math.DG↗

arXiv2019

Isometry Lie algebras of indefinite homogeneous spaces of finite volume

Let $\mathfrak{g}$ be a real finite-dimensional Lie algebra equipped with a symmetric bilinear form $\langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle$. We assume that $\langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle $ is nil-invariant. This means that every nilpotent operator in the smallest algebraic Lie subalgebra of endomomorphims containing the adjoint representation of $\mathfrak{g}$ is an infinitesimal isometry for $\langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle $. Among these Lie algebras are the isometry Lie algebras of pseudo-Riemannian manifolds of finite volume. We prove a strong invariance property for nil-invariant symmetric bilinear forms, which states that the adjoint representations of the solvable radical and all simple subalgebras of non-compact type of $\mathfrak{g} $ act by infinitesimal isometries for $\langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle $. Moreover, we study properties of the kernel of $\langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle $ and the totally isotropic ideals in $\mathfrak{g} $ in relation to the index of $\langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle $. Based on this, we derive a structure theorem and a classification for the isometry algebras of indefinite homogeneous spaces of finite volume with metric index at most two. Examples show that the theory becomes significantly more complicated for index greater than two.

math.DG↗

arXiv2019

On compact homogeneous $\mathrm{G}_{2(2)}$-manifolds

We prove that among all compact homogeneous spaces for an effective transitive action of a Lie group whose Levi subgroup has no compact simple factors, the seven-dimensional flat torus is the only one that admits an invariant torsion-free $\mathrm{G}_{2(2)}$-structure.

math.DG↗

arXiv2019

Information geometry and asymptotic geodesics on the space of normal distributions

The family $\mathcal{N}$ of $n$-variate normal distributions is parameterized by the cone of positive definite symmetric $n\times n$-matrices and the $n$-dimensional real vector space. Equipped with the Fisher information metric, $\mathcal{N}$ becomes a Riemannian manifold. As such, it is diffeomorphic, but not isometric, to the Riemannian symmetric space $Pos_1(n+1,\mathbb{R})$ of unimodular positive definite symmetric $(n+1)\times(n+1)$-matrices. As the computation of distances in the Fisher metric for $n>1$ presents some difficulties, Lovrič et al.~(2000) proposed to use the Killing metric on $Pos_1(n+1,\mathbb{R})$ as an alternative metric in which distances are easier to compute. In this work, we survey the geometric properties of the space $\mathcal{N}$ and provide a quantitative analysis of the defect of certain geodesics for the Killing metric to be geodesics for the Fisher metric. We find that for these geodesics the use of the Killing metric as an approximation for the Fisher metric is indeed justified for long distances.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2018

Simply connected indefinite homogeneous spaces of finite volume

Let $M$ be a simply connected pseudo-Riemannian homogeneous space of finite volume with isometry group $G$. We show that $M$ is compact and that the solvable radical of $G$ is abelian and the Levi factor is a compact semisimple Lie group acting transitively on $M$. For metric index less than three, we find that the isometry group of $M$ is compact itself. Examples demonstrate that $G$ is not necessarily compact for higher indices. To prepare these results, we study Lie algebras with abelian solvable radical and a nil-invariant symmetric bilinear form. For these, we derive an orthogonal decomposition into three distinct types of metric Lie algebras.

math.DG↗

arXiv2018

Etale representations for reductive algebraic groups with factors $Sp_n$ or $SO_n$

A complex vector space $V$ is an étale $G$-module if $G$ acts rationally on $V$ with a Zariski-open orbit and $\dim G=\dim V$. Such a module is called super-étale if the stabilizer of a point in the open orbit is trivial. Popov proved that reductive algebraic groups admitting super-étale modules are special algebraic groups. He further conjectured that a reductive group admitting a super-étale module is always isomorphic to a product of general linear groups. In light of previously available examples, one can conjecture more generally that in such a group all simple factors are either $SL_n$ for some $n$ or $Sp_2$. We show that this is not the case by constructing a family of super-étale modules for groups with a factor $Sp_n$ for arbitrary $n\geq1$. A similar construction provides a family of étale modules for groups with a factor $SO_n$, which shows that groups with étale modules with non-trivial stabilizer are not necessarily special. Both families of examples are somewhat surprising in light of the previously known examples of étale and super-étale modules for reductive groups. Finally, we show that the exceptional groups $F_4$ and $E_8$ cannot appear as simple factors in the maximal semisimple subgroup of an arbitrary Lie group with a linear étale representation.

math.RT↗

arXiv2017

Etale representations for reductive algebraic groups with one-dimensional center

A complex vector space $V$ is a prehomogeneous $G$-module if $G$ acts rationally on $V$ with a Zariski-open orbit. The module is called etale if $\dim V=\dim G$. We study etale modules for reductive algebraic groups $G$ with one-dimensional center. For such $G$, even though every etale module is a regular prehomogeneous module, its irreducible submodules have to be non-regular. For these non-regular prehomogeneous modules, we determine some strong constraints on the ranks of their simple factors. This allows us to show that there do not exist etale modules for $G=\mathrm{GL}_1\times S\times\cdots\times S$, with $S$ simple.

math.DG↗

arXiv2016

Tables of prehomogeneous modules and étale modules of reductive algebraic groups

This document contains tables with the classification of prehomogeneous modules for reductive algebraic groups with up to two simple factors due to Sato, Kimura and many others, as well as corresponding tables of the étale modules appearing in this list, determined by the author. It is intended as a convenient reference for examples of étale module for reductive algebraic group.

math.DG↗

arXiv2015

Rigidity of compact pseudo-Riemannian homogeneous spaces for solvable Lie groups

Let $M$ be a compact connected pseudo-Riemannian manifold on which a solvable connected Lie group $G$ of isometries acts transitively. We show that $G$ acts almost freely on $M$ and that the metric on $M$ is induced by a bi-invariant pseudo-Riemannian metric on $G$. Furthermore, we show that the identity component of the isometry group of $M$ coincides with $G$.

math.DG↗

arXiv2015

A Supplement to the Classification of Flat Homogeneous Spaces of Signature (m,2)

Duncan and Ihrig (1993) gave a classification of the flat homogeneous spaces of metric signature (m,2), provided that a certain condition on the development image of these spaces holds. In this note we show that this condition can be dropped, so that Duncan and Ihrig's classification is in fact the full classification for signature (m,2).

math.DG↗

arXiv2015

On the Geometry of Flat Pseudo-Riemannian Homogeneous Spaces

Let $M$ be complete flat pseudo-Riemannian homogeneous manifold and $Γ\subset\Iso(\RR^n_s)$ its fundamental group. We show that $M$ is a trivial fiber bundle $G/Γ\to M\to\RR^{n-k}$, where $G$ is the Zariski closure of $Γ$ in $\Iso(\RR^n_s)$. Moreover, we show that the $G$-orbits in $\RR^n_s$ are affinely diffeomorphic to $G$ endowed with the (0)-connection. If the induced metric on the $G$-orbits is non-degenerate, then $G$ (and hence $Γ$) has linear abelian holonomy. If additionally $G$ is not abelian, then $G$ contains a certain subgroup of dimension 6. In particular, for non-abelian $G$ orbits with non-degenerate metric can appear only if $\dim G\geq 6$.

math.DG↗

arXiv2014

Locally homogeneous pp-waves

We show that every n-dimensional locally homogeneous pp-wave is a plane wave, provided it is indecomposable and its curvature operator, when acting on $2$-forms, has rank greater than one. As a consequence we obtain that indecomposable, Ricci-flat locally homogeneous pp-waves are plane waves. This generalises a classical result by Jordan, Ehlers and Kundt in dimension 4. Several examples show that our assumptions on indecomposability and the rank of the curvature are essential.

math.DG↗

arXiv2012

Holonomy Groups of Complete Flat Pseudo-Riemannian Homogeneous Spaces

We show that a complete flat pseudo-Riemannian homogeneous manifold with non-abelian linear holonomy is of dimension at least 14. Due to an example constructed in a previous article by Oliver Baues and the author, this is a sharp bound. Also, we give a structure theory for the fundamental groups of complete flat pseudo-Riemannian manifolds in dimensions less than 7. Finally, we observe that every finitely generated torsion-free 2-step nilpotent group can be realized as the fundamental group of a complete flat pseudo-Riemannian manifold with abelian linear holonomy.

math.DG↗

arXiv2010

Flat Pseudo-Riemannian Homogeneous Spaces with Non-Abelian Holonomy Group

We construct homogeneous flat pseudo-Riemannian manifolds with non-abelian fundamental group. In the compact case, all homogeneous flat pseudo-Riemannian manifolds are complete and have abelian linear holonomy group. To the contrary, we show that there do exist non-compact and non-complete examples, where the linear holonomy is non-abelian, starting in dimensions $\geq 8$, which is the lowest possible dimension. We also construct a complete flat pseudo-Riemannian homogeneous manifold of dimension 14 with non-abelian linear holonomy. Furthermore, we derive a criterion for the properness of the action of an affine transformation group with transitive centralizer.

math.DG↗