The identification of conformal hypercomplex and quaternionic manifolds

Abstract

We review the map between hypercomplex manifolds that admit a closed homothetic Killing vector (i.e. `conformal hypercomplex' manifolds) and quaternionic manifolds of 1 dimension less. This map is related to a method for constructing supergravity theories using superconformal techniques. An explicit relation between the structure of these manifolds is presented, including curvatures and symmetries. An important role is played by `\xi transformations', relating connections on quaternionic manifolds, and a new type `\hat\xi transformations' relating complex structures on conformal hypercomplex manifolds. In this map, the subclass of conformal hyper-Kaehler manifolds is mapped to quaternionic-Kaehler manifolds.