Canonical Sasakian Metrics

Abstract

Let $M$ be a closed manifold of Sasaki type. A polarization of $M$ is defined by a Reeb vector field, and for one such, we consider the set of all Sasakian metrics compatible with it. On this space, we study the functional given by the squared $L^2$-norm of the scalar curvature. We prove that its critical points, or canonical representatives of the polarization, are Sasakian metrics that are transversally extremal. We define a Sasaki-Futaki invariant of the polarization, and show that it obstructs the existence of constant scalar curvature representatives. For a fixed CR structure of Sasaki type, we define the Sasaki cone of structures compatible with this underlying CR structure, and prove that the set of polarizations in it that admit a canonical representative is open.