Homogeneous Einstein Metrics on SO(n)

Abstract

It is well known that every compact simple Lie group G admits an Einstein metric that is invariant under the independent left and right actions of G. In addition to this bi-invariant metric, with G x G symmetry, it was shown by D'Atri and Ziller that every compact simple Lie group except SU(2) and SO(3) admits at least one further homogeneous Einstein metric, invariant under G x H, where H is some proper subgroup of G. In this paper we consider the Lie groups G=SO(n) for arbitrary n, and provide an explicit construction of (3k-4) inequivalent homogeneous Einstein metrics on SO(2k), and (3k-3) inequivalent homogeneous Einstein metrics on SO(2k+1).