Constant scalar curvature K\"ahler metrics on rational surfaces

Abstract

We consider projective rational strong Calabi dream surfaces: projective smooth rational surfaces which admit a constant scalar curvature K\"ahler metric for every K\"ahler class. We show that there are only two such rational surfaces, namely the projective plane and the quadric surface. In particular, we show that all rational surfaces other than those two admit a destabilising slope test configuration for some polarization, as introduced by Ross and Thomas. We further show that all Hirzebruch surfaces other than the quadric surface and all rational surfaces with Picard rank $3$ do not admit a constant scalar curvature K\"ahler metric in any K\"ahler class.