Invariant Einstein metrics on generalized flag manifolds with two isotropy summands

Abstract

Let $M=G/K$ be a generalized flag manifold, that is the adjoint orbit of a compact semisimple Lie group $G$. We use the variational approach to find invariant Einstein metrics for all flag manifolds with two isotropy summands. We also determine the nature of these Einstein metrics as critical points of the scalar curvature functional under fixed volume.