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# Determination of the structure of algebraic curvature tensors by means of Young symmetrizers

## 1. Introduction

Let $`𝒯_rV`$ be the vector space of the $`r`$-times covariant tensors $`T`$ over a finite-dimensional $`𝕂`$-vector space $`V`$, $`𝕂=`$ or $`𝕂=`$.

###### Definition 1.1.

A tensor $`T𝒯_4V`$ is called an algebraic curvature tensor iff $`T`$ has the index commutation symmetry

(1.1) $`u,x,y,zV:T(u,x,y,z)`$ $`=`$ $`T(u,x,z,y)=T(y,z,u,x)`$
and fulfills the first Bianchi identity

(1.2) $`u,x,y,zV:T(u,x,y,z)+T(u,y,z,x)+T(u,z,x,y)`$ $`=`$ $`0.`$
If we consider the coordinates $`T_{ijkl}`$ of a tensor $`T𝒯_rV`$ then $`T`$ is an algebraic curvature tensor iff its coordinates satisfy

(1.3) $`T_{ijkl}`$ $`=`$ $`T_{jikl}=T_{ijlk}=T_{klij}`$
and

(1.4) $`T_{ijkl}+T_{iklj}+T_{iljk}`$ $`=`$ $`0.`$
with respect to every basis of $`V`$.

We assume that $`V`$ possesses a fundamental tensor $`g𝒯_2V`$ (of arbitrary signature) which can be used for raising and lowering of tensor indices.

###### Definition 1.2.

Let $`T𝒯_4V`$ be an algebraic curvature tensor and $`xV`$ be a vector with $`|g(x,x)|=1`$. The Jacobi operator $`J_T(x)`$ of $`T`$ and $`x`$ is the linear operator $`J_T(x):VV,J_T(x):yJ_T(x)y`$ that is defined by

(1.5) $`wV:g(J_T(x)y,w)`$ $`=`$ $`T(y,x,x,w).`$
Furthermore we use the following operators $`\gamma `$ and $`\alpha `$:

###### Definition 1.3.

1. Let $`S𝒯_2V`$ be a symmetric tensor of order 2, i.e. the coordinates of $`S`$ satisfy $`S_{ij}=S_{ji}`$. We define a tensor $`\gamma (S)𝒯_4V`$ by

(1.6) $`\gamma (S)_{ijkl}`$ $`:=`$ $`\frac{1}{3}\left(S_{il}S_{jk}S_{ik}S_{jl}\right).`$
2. Let $`A𝒯_2V`$ be a skew-symmetric tensor of order 2, i.e. the coordinates of $`A`$ satisfy $`A_{ji}=A_{ij}`$. We define a tensor $`\alpha (A)𝒯_4V`$ by

(1.7) $`\alpha (A)_{ijkl}`$ $`:=`$ $`\frac{1}{3}\left(2A_{ij}A_{kl}+A_{ik}A_{jl}A_{il}A_{jk}\right).`$

Tensors of type $`\gamma (S)`$ and $`\alpha (A)`$ occur in formulas of so-called Osserman tensors (see ).

###### Definition 1.4.

An algebraic curvature tensor $`T`$ is called spacelike Osserman (resp. timelike Osserman) if the eigenvalues of $`J_T(x)`$ are constant on $`S^+(V):=\{xV|g(x,x)=+1\}`$ (resp. $`S^{}(V):=\{xV|g(x,x)=1\}`$).

Since the fundamental tensor $`g`$ connects an algebraic curvature tensor $`T`$ with its Jacobi operator $`J_T(x)`$ in (1.5), the Osserman property depends not only on $`T`$ but also on $`g`$. It is known that spacelike Osserman and timelike Osserman are equivalent notions so one simply says Osserman.

If $`R`$ is the Riemann tensor of a Riemannian manifold $`(M,g)`$ which is locally a rank one symmetric space or flat, then the eigenvalues of $`J_R(x)`$ are constant on the unit sphere. Osserman  wondered if the converse held. This question is known as the Osserman conjecture.

The correctness of the Osserman conjecture has been established for Riemannian manifolds $`(M,g)`$ in all dimensions $`8,16`$ (see ) and for Lorentzian manifolds $`(M,g)`$ in all dimensions (see ). The situation is much more complicated in the case of a pseudo-Riemannian metric with signature $`(p,q)`$, $`p,q2`$. It is known that there exist pseudo-Riemannian Osserman manifolds which are not locally homogeneous . Furthermore there are counter examples to the conjecture if the manifold $`(M,g)`$ has signature $`(2,2)`$ and if the Jacobi operator is not diagonalizable . (See also the examples in ). Thus the question Osserman raised has a negative answer in the higher signature setting. More extensive bibliographies in the subject can be found in the books  by P. Gilkey and  by E. García-Rio, D. N. Kupeli and R. Vázquez-Lorenzo.

Examples of Osserman algebraic curvature tensors can be constructed in the following way. Let $`\{C_i\}_{i=1}^r`$ be a finite set of real, skew-symmetric $`(\mathrm{dim}V\times \mathrm{dim}V)`$-matrices that satisfy the Clifford commutation relations

(1.8) $`C_iC_j+C_jC_i`$ $`=`$ $`2\delta _{ij}.`$
We define

(1.9) $`T_C(x,y)z`$ $`:=`$ $`g(y,Cz)Cxg(x,Cz)Cy2g(x,Cy)Cz,`$
(1.10) $`T_0(x,y)z`$ $`:=`$ $`g(y,z)xg(x,z)y,x,y,zV,`$
(1.11) $`T`$ $`:=`$ $`\lambda _0T_0+\lambda _1T_{C_1}+\mathrm{}+\lambda _rT_{C_r}.`$
Now if $`g`$ is positive definite, then $`T`$ is an algebraic curvature tensor that is Osserman. (See  for more details.)

$`T_0`$ and $`T_C`$ can be expressed by means of $`\gamma `$ and $`\alpha `$, respectively, since

$`g(T_0(x,y)z,w)`$ $`=`$ $`g(y,z)g(x,w)g(x,z)g(y,w)`$
$`=`$ $`\left(g_{jk}g_{il}g_{ik}g_{jl}\right)x^iy^jz^kw^l`$
$`=`$ $`3\gamma (g)_{ijkl}x^iy^jz^kw^l`$
and

$`g(T_C(x,y)z,w)`$ $`=`$ $`g(y,Cz)g(Cx,w)g(x,Cz)g(Cy,w)`$
$`2g(x,Cy)g(Cz,w)`$
$`=`$ $`g_{js}y^jC_{}^{s}{}_{k}{}^{}z^kg_{tl}C_{}^{t}{}_{i}{}^{}x^iw^lg_{is}x^iC_{}^{s}{}_{k}{}^{}z^kg_{tl}C_{}^{t}{}_{j}{}^{}y^jw^l`$
$`2g_{is}x^iC_{}^{s}{}_{j}{}^{}y^jg_{tl}C_{}^{t}{}_{k}{}^{}z^kw^l`$
$`=`$ $`\left\{C_{jk}C_{li}C_{ik}C_{lj}2C_{ij}C_{lk}\right\}x^iy^jz^kw^l`$
$`=`$ $`\left\{C_{jk}C_{il}+C_{ik}C_{jl}+2C_{ij}C_{kl}\right\}x^iy^jz^kw^l`$
$`=`$ $`3\alpha (C)_{ijkl}x^iy^jz^kw^l.`$
Thus we obtain

(1.12) $`T`$ $`=`$ $`3\lambda _0\gamma (g)+3{\displaystyle \underset{i=1}{\overset{r}{}}}\lambda _i\alpha (C_i)`$
from (1.11). It was conjectured that any algebraic Osserman curvature tensor has a structure given in (1.11). This is true for all known examples of Osserman tensors in the case of a positive definite metric $`g`$ (see ). But for indefinite metrics there exist counter examples (see Remark 6.7).

In the present paper we show that every algebraic curvature tensor $`T`$ has a representation

(1.13) $`T`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{S𝒮}{}}ϵ_S\gamma (S)+{\displaystyle \underset{A𝒜}{}}ϵ_A\alpha (A),ϵ_S,ϵ_A\{1,1\},`$
where $`𝒮`$ and $`𝒜`$ are finite sets of symmetric or skew-symmetric tensors of order 2, respectively. (See Theorem 3.1.) To prove (1.13) we use the connection between tensors and the representation theory of symmetric groups. We discussed the formula (1.13) with P. B. Gilkey. In the course of this discussion P. B. Gilkey found another proof of (1.13) which is based on tensor algebra (see \[25, pp.41-44\]). More precisely, P. B. Gilkey could show the stronger result that every algebraic curvature tensor has a representation

(1.14) $`T`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{S𝒮}{}}ϵ_S\gamma (S),ϵ_S\{1,1\},`$
as well as a representation

(1.15) $`T`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{A𝒜}{}}ϵ_A\alpha (A),ϵ_A\{1,1\}.`$
In Section 5 we give a new proof of (1.14) and (1.15) using symmetry operators.

In Section 4 we verify our results by means of the Littlewood-Richardson rule and plethysms. We finish the paper with some remarks about applications of tensors $`\gamma (S)`$ and $`\alpha (A)`$ in the theory of Osserman algebraic curvature tensors.

## 2. The symmetry class of algebraic curvature tensors

The set of the algebraic curvature tensors over $`V`$ is a symmetry class in the sence of H. Boerner \[4, p.127\]. We denote by $`𝕂[𝒮_r]`$ the group ring of a symmetric group $`𝒮_r`$. Every group ring element $`a=_{p𝒮_r}a(p)p𝕂[𝒮_r]`$ acts as so-called symmetry operator on tensors $`T𝒯_rV`$ according to the definition

(2.1) $`(aT)(v_1,\mathrm{},v_r)`$ $`:=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{p𝒮_r}{}}a(p)T(v_{p(1)},\mathrm{},v_{p(r)}),v_iV.`$
Equation (2.1) is equivalent to

(2.2) $`(aT)_{i_1\mathrm{}i_r}`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{p𝒮_r}{}}a(p)T_{i_{p(1)}\mathrm{}i_{p(r)}}.`$
###### Definition 2.1.

Let $`𝔯𝕂[𝒮_r]`$ be a right ideal of $`𝕂[𝒮_r]`$ for which an $`a𝔯`$ and a $`T𝒯_rV`$ exist such that $`aT0`$. Then the tensor set

(2.3) $`𝒯_𝔯`$ $`:=`$ $`\{aT|a𝔯,T𝒯_rV\}`$
is called the symmetry class of tensors defined by $`𝔯`$.

Since $`𝕂[𝒮_r]`$ is semisimple for $`𝕂=,`$, every right ideal $`𝔯𝕂[𝒮_r]`$ possesses a generating idempotent $`e`$, i.e. $`𝔯`$ fulfils $`𝔯=e𝕂[𝒮_r]`$.

###### Lemma 2.2.

If $`e`$ is a generating idempotent of $`𝔯`$, then a tensor $`T𝒯_rV`$ belongs to $`𝒯_𝔯`$ iff

(2.4) $`eT`$ $`=`$ $`T.`$
Thus we have

(2.5) $`𝒯_𝔯`$ $`=`$ $`\{eT|T𝒯_rV\}.`$
###### Proof.

Since every ideal element $`a𝔯`$ can be written as $`a=ex`$ with $`x𝕂[𝒮_r]`$, every $`aT𝒯_rV`$ fulfils $`aT=e(xT)=eT^{}`$ with $`T^{}=xT𝒯_rV`$. Thus we obtain $`𝒯_r\{eT|T𝒯_rV\}`$. The relation $`\{eT|T𝒯_rV\}𝒯_r`$ is trivial. ∎

A Young frame of $`r`$ is an arrangement of $`r`$ boxes such that the numbers $`\lambda _i`$ of boxes in the rows $`i=1,\mathrm{},l`$ form a decreasing sequence $`\lambda _1\lambda _2\mathrm{}\lambda _l>0`$ with $`\lambda _1+\mathrm{}+\lambda _l=r`$.

$$\begin{array}{cccccccc}& & & & & & & \\ \lambda _1=5& & & & & & & \\ & & & & & & & \\ \lambda _2=4& & & & & & \multicolumn{2}{c}{}\\ & & & & & & & \\ \lambda _3=4& & & & & & \multicolumn{2}{c}{}\\ & & & & & & & \\ \lambda _4=2& & & & \multicolumn{4}{c}{}\\ & & & & & & & \\ \lambda _5=1& & & \multicolumn{4}{c}{}& \end{array}$$

Obviously, a Young frame of $`r`$ is characterized by a partition $`\lambda =(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _l)r`$ of $`r`$. A Young tableau $`t`$ of a partition $`\lambda r`$ is the Young frame corresponding to $`\lambda `$ which was fulfilled by the numbers $`1,2,\mathrm{},r`$ in any order.

$`t`$ $`=`$ $`\begin{array}{cccc}& & \multicolumn{-1}{c}{}& & & \\ 11& 2& 5& 4& 12& \\ & & \multicolumn{-1}{c}{}& & & \\ 9& 6& 16& 15& \multicolumn{2}{c}{}\\ & & \multicolumn{-1}{c}{}& & & \\ 8& 14& 1& 7& \multicolumn{2}{c}{}\\ & & \multicolumn{-1}{c}{}& & & \\ 13& 3& \multicolumn{4}{c}{}\\ & & \multicolumn{-1}{c}{}& & & \\ 10& \multicolumn{4}{c}{}& \end{array}`$
If a Young tableau $`t`$ of a partition $`\lambda r`$ is given, then the Young symmetrizer $`y_t`$ of $`t`$ is defined by111We use the convention $`(pq)(i):=p(q(i))`$ for the product of two permutations $`p,q`$.

(2.7) $`y_t`$ $`:=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{p_t}{}}{\displaystyle \underset{q𝒱_t}{}}\mathrm{sign}(q)pq`$
where $`_t`$, $`𝒱_t`$ are the groups of the horizontal or vertical permutations of $`t`$ which only permute numbers within rows or columns of $`t`$, respectively. The Young symmetrizers of $`𝕂[𝒮_r]`$ are essentially idempotent and define decompositions

(2.8) $`𝕂[𝒮_r]={\displaystyle \underset{\lambda r}{}}{\displaystyle \underset{t𝒮𝒯_\lambda }{}}𝕂[𝒮_r]y_t`$ $`,`$ $`𝕂[𝒮_r]={\displaystyle \underset{\lambda r}{}}{\displaystyle \underset{t𝒮𝒯_\lambda }{}}y_t𝕂[𝒮_r]`$
of $`𝕂[𝒮_r]`$ into minimal left or right ideals. In (2.8), the symbol $`𝒮𝒯_\lambda `$ denotes the set of all standard tableaux of the partition $`\lambda `$. Standard tableaux are Young tableaux in which the entries of every row and every column form an increasing number sequence.222About Young symmetrizers and Young tableaux see for instance . In particular, properties of Young symmetrizers in the case $`𝕂`$ are described in .

S.A. Fulling, R.C. King, B.G.Wybourne and C.J. Cummins showed in  that the symmetry classes of the Riemannian curvature tensor $`R`$ and its covariant derivatives $`^{(u)}R`$ are generated by special Young symmetrizers. To this end they assumed that the covariant derivatives $`_{s_1}_{s_2}\mathrm{}_{s_u}R_{ijkl}`$ are symmetric in $`s_1,\mathrm{},s_u`$ for $`u2`$. This is possible if one uses Ricci identities and neglect derivatives of orders smaller than $`u`$. Under this assumption one has

###### Theorem 2.3.

Consider the Levi-Civita connection $``$ of a pseudo-Riemannian metric $`g`$. For $`u0`$ the Riemann tensor and its covariant derivatives $`^{(u)}R`$ fulfil

(2.9) $`e_t^{}^{(u)}R`$ $`=`$ $`^{(u)}R`$
where $`e_t:=y_t(u+1)/(2(u+3)!)`$ is an idempotent which is formed from the Young symmetrizer $`y_t`$ of the standard tableau

(2.12) $`t`$ $`=`$ $`\begin{array}{cccc}& & \multicolumn{-1}{c}{}& & & \\ 1& 3& 5& \mathrm{}& \mathrm{}& (u+4)\\ & & \multicolumn{-1}{c}{}& & & \\ 2& 4& \multicolumn{4}{c}{}\end{array}.`$
The star ”$``$” denotes the mapping

(2.13) $`:a={\displaystyle \underset{p𝒮_r}{}}a(p)p`$ $``$ $`a^{}:={\displaystyle \underset{p𝒮_r}{}}a(p)p^1.`$
A proof of this result of  can be found in , too. The proof needs only the symmetry properties (1.3), the identities Bianchi I and Bianchi II and Ricci identities. Thus Theorem 2.3 is a statement about the algebraic curvature tensors and ”algebraic” tensors that possess the symmetry properties of the covariant derivatives of the Riemann tensor. In particular, a tensor $`T𝒯_4V`$ is an algebraic curvature tensor iff $`T`$ satisfies

(2.14) $`y_t^{}T`$ $`=`$ $`12T`$
where $`y_t`$ is the Young symmetrizer of the standard tableau

(2.17) $`t`$ $`=`$ $`\begin{array}{cc}& \\ 1& 3\\ & \\ 2& 4\end{array}.`$
## 3. A structure theorem for algebraic curvature tensors

Now we will show that every algebraic curvature tensor can be built from certain finite sets of symmetric and skew-symmetric tensors from $`𝒯_2V`$.

###### Theorem 3.1.

For every algebraic curvature tensor $`T𝒯_4V`$ there exist finite sets $`𝒮`$ and $`𝒜`$ of symmetric and alternating tensors $`S,A𝒯_2V`$, respectively, such that

(3.1) $`T`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{S𝒮}{}}ϵ_S\gamma (S)+{\displaystyle \underset{A𝒜}{}}ϵ_A\alpha (A),ϵ_S,ϵ_A\{1,1\}.`$
###### Proof.

Let $`T`$ be an algebraic curvature tensor. Because of the symmetry $`T_{klij}=T_{ijkl}`$, every algebraic curvature tensor $`T`$ fulfils $`fT=T`$, where $`f`$ is the idempotent $`f:=\frac{1}{2}(\mathrm{id}+(\mathrm{1\hspace{0.17em}3})(\mathrm{2\hspace{0.17em}4}))𝕂[𝒮_4]`$. Thus every algebraic curvature tensor belongs to the symmetry class $`𝒯_𝔯^{}`$ of the right ideal $`𝔯^{}:=f𝕂[𝒮_4]`$ and has a representation $`T=fT^{}`$ with $`T^{}𝒯_4V`$.

Since an arbitrary tensor $`T^{}𝒯_4V`$ can be written as a finite sum of decomposable tensors $`a_1a_2a_3a_4𝒯_4V`$, we can use a representation

(3.2) $`T^{}`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{(M,N)𝒫}{}}MN`$
for a $`T^{}𝒯_4V`$, where $`𝒫`$ is a finite set of pairs $`(M,N)`$ of tensors $`M,N𝒯_2V`$. From (3.2) and $`T=fT^{}`$ we obtain

$`T=fT^{}`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}{\displaystyle \underset{(M,N)𝒫}{}}(MN+NM)`$
$`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}{\displaystyle \underset{(M,N)𝒫}{}}\left((M+N)(M+N)MMNN\right).`$
Thus every tensor $`T𝒯_𝔯^{}`$ has a representation

(3.3) $`T`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}{\displaystyle \underset{M^{}^{}}{}}z_M^{}M^{}M^{},z_M^{}`$
with a certain finite set $`^{}`$ of tensors from $`𝒯_2V`$. If we carry out a transformation $`M^{}M:=\sqrt{|z_M^{}|/2}M^{}`$ in every summand of (3.3), we obtain

(3.4) $`T`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{M}{}}ϵ_MMM,ϵ_M\{1,1\}`$
from (3.3).

Since every matrix $`M`$ has a unique decomposition into a symmetric matrix $`S`$ and a skew-symmetric matrix $`A`$, i.e. $`M=S+A`$, (3.4) leads to

(3.5) $`T`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{S+A}{}}ϵ_{S+A}\left(SS+SA+AS+AA\right).`$
Now, let $`y_t`$ be the Young symmetrizer of the standard tableau (2.17). If we apply (2.14) to the representation (3.5) of an algebraic curvature tensor $`T`$, we obtain

(3.6) $`T=\frac{1}{12}y_t^{}T`$ $`=`$ $`\frac{1}{12}{\displaystyle \underset{S+A}{}}ϵ_{S+A}y_t^{}\left(SS+SA+AS+AA\right).`$
Then a calculation333This calculation can be done by hand or by a cooperation of the Mathematica package PERMS  with one of the tensor packages Ricci  or MathTensor . See . yields

$`\frac{1}{12}y_t^{}(SS)=\gamma (S)`$ $`,`$ $`\frac{1}{12}y_t^{}(AS)=\mathrm{\hspace{0.33em}0},`$
$`\frac{1}{12}y_t^{}(AA)=\alpha (A)`$ $`,`$ $`\frac{1}{12}y_t^{}(SA)=\mathrm{\hspace{0.33em}0},`$
and if we set $`ϵ_S:=ϵ_{S+A}`$, $`ϵ_A:=ϵ_{S+A}`$, we obtain (3.1). ∎

###### Corollary 3.2.

If $`𝒮𝒯_2V`$ and $`𝒜𝒯_2V`$ are finite sets of symmetric or alternating tensors, respectively, then

(3.7) $`T`$ $`:=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{S𝒮}{}}ϵ_S\gamma (S)+{\displaystyle \underset{A𝒜}{}}ϵ_A\alpha (A),ϵ_S,ϵ_A\{1,1\}`$
is an algebraic curvature tensor.

###### Proof.

Every summand of (3.7) is an algebraic curvature tensor since $`\gamma (S)=\frac{1}{12}y_t^{}(SS)`$ and $`\alpha (A)=\frac{1}{12}y_t^{}(AA)`$. ∎

## 4. Verification by the Littlewood-Richardson rule and plethysms

We can verify the results about $`y_t^{}(SS)`$, $`y_t^{}(SA)`$, $`y_t^{}(AS)`$ and $`y_t^{}(AA)`$ by means of the Littlewood-Richardson rule444See D. E. Littlewood \[31, pp.94-96\], A. Kerber \[28, Vol.240/p.84\], G. D. James and A. Kerber \[27, p.93\], A. Kerber \[29, Sec.5.5\], I. G. Macdonald \[32, Chap.I,Sec.9\], W. Fulton and J. Harris \[17, pp.455-456\], S. A. Fulling, R. C. King, B. G. Wybourne and C. J. Cummins . See also B. Fiedler \[13, Sec.II.5\]. and plethysms555See A. Kerber , G. D. James and A. Kerber , A. Kerber , F. Sänger , D. E. Littlewood , I. G. Macdonald , S. A. Fulling, R. C. King, B. G. Wybourne and C.J. Cummins . See also B. Fiedler \[13, Sec.II.6\].. To this end we form group ring elements from tensors (see B. Fiedler \[13, Sec.III.1\] and ).

###### Definition 4.1.

Any tensor $`T𝒯_rV`$ and any $`r`$-tuple $`b:=(v_1,\mathrm{},v_r)V^r`$ of vectors from $`V`$ induce a function $`T_b:𝒮_r𝕂`$ according to the rule

(4.1) $`T_b(p)`$ $`:=`$ $`T(v_{p(1)},\mathrm{},v_{p(r)}),p𝒮_r.`$
We identify this function with the group ring element $`_{p𝒮_r}T_b(p)p𝕂[𝒮_r]`$, which we denote by $`T_b`$, too.

These $`T_b`$ fulfil$`^\text{6}`$

###### Corollary 4.2.

If $`T𝒯_rV`$, $`bV^r`$ and $`a𝕂[𝒮_r]`$, then

(4.2) $`(aT)_b`$ $`=`$ $`T_ba^{}.`$
If a tensor $`T`$ belongs to a certain symmetry class, then its $`T_b`$ lie in a certain left ideal666See B. Fiedler \[13, Sec.III.3.1\] and . .

###### Proposition 4.3.

Let $`e𝕂[𝒮_r]`$ be an idempotent. Then a $`T𝒯_rV`$ fulfils the condition $`eT=T`$ iff $`T_b𝔩:=𝕂[𝒮_r]e^{}`$ for all $`bV^r`$, i.e. all $`T_b`$ of $`T`$ lie in the left ideal $`𝔩`$ generated by $`e^{}`$.

Obviously, the $`S_b`$ and $`A_b`$ of symmetric/skew-symmetric tensors of order 2 lie in the left ideals

(4.3) $`bV^2:S_b𝔩_1:=𝕂[𝒮_2]e_1`$ $`,`$ $`e_1:=\frac{1}{2}\left(\mathrm{id}+(\mathrm{1\hspace{0.17em}2})\right)`$
(4.4) $`bV^2:A_b𝔩_2:=𝕂[𝒮_2]e_2`$ $`,`$ $`e_2:=\frac{1}{2}\left(\mathrm{id}(\mathrm{1\hspace{0.17em}2})\right)`$
$`e_1`$ and $`e_2`$ are the (normalized) Young symmetrizers of the standard tableaux

$`t_1:=\begin{array}{cc}& \\ 1& 2\end{array}`$ $`,`$ $`t_2:=\begin{array}{c}\\ 1\\ \\ 2\end{array}`$
and the left ideals $`𝔩_1`$ and $`𝔩_2`$ are 1-dimensional, minimal left ideals, which belong to the equivalence classes of minimal left ideals characterized by the partitions $`\lambda _1=(2)`$ and $`\lambda _2=(1^2)`$, respectively. Then the group ring elements $`(AS)_b`$, $`(SA)_b`$, $`(SS)_b`$ and $`(AA)_b`$ belong to left ideals which are characterized by Littlewood-Richardson products $`[2][1^2]`$ or plethysms $`[2][2]`$, $`[1^2][2]`$ (see B. Fiedler \[13, Sec.III.3.2\] or \[15, Sec.4.2\]). Especially, we obtain the following structures for these ideals:

$$\begin{array}{ccc}& & \\ (SS)_b& [2][2][4]+[2^2]& 𝔩^{(1)}=𝔩_{[4]}^{(1)}𝔩_{[2^2]}^{(1)}\hfill \\ & & \\ (SA)_b& [2][1^2][\mathrm{3\hspace{0.17em}1}]+[\mathrm{2\hspace{0.17em}1}^2]& 𝔩^{(2)}=𝔩_{[\mathrm{3\hspace{0.17em}1}]}^{(2)}𝔩_{[\mathrm{2\hspace{0.17em}1}^2]}^{(2)}\hfill \\ & & \\ (AS)_b& [2][1^2][\mathrm{3\hspace{0.17em}1}]+[\mathrm{2\hspace{0.17em}1}^2]& 𝔩^{(3)}=𝔩_{[\mathrm{3\hspace{0.17em}1}]}^{(3)}𝔩_{[\mathrm{2\hspace{0.17em}1}^2]}^{(3)}\hfill \\ & & \\ (AA)_b& [1^2][2][2^2]+[1^4]& 𝔩^{(4)}=𝔩_{[2^2]}^{(4)}𝔩_{[1^4]}^{(4)}\hfill \end{array}$$

The relation $`[2][1^2][\mathrm{3\hspace{0.17em}1}]+[\mathrm{2\hspace{0.17em}1}^2]`$ can be determined by the Littlewood-Richardson rule. The relation $`[2][2][4]+[2^2]`$ follows from the formula

(4.6) $`[2][n]`$ $``$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{\lambda n}{}}[2\lambda ]`$
(see G.D. James and A. Kerber \[27, p.224\]) and $`[1^2][2][2^2]+[1^4]`$ is a consequence of (4.6) and

$`[\mu ][\nu ]{\displaystyle \underset{\lambda mn}{}}m_\lambda [\lambda ^{}]`$ $``$ $`[\mu ^{}][\nu ]{\displaystyle \underset{\lambda mn}{}}m_\lambda [\lambda ]`$
$`\mu m,\nu n,m,n,m_\lambda ,m\mathrm{even}.`$
(See F. Sänger \[38, pp.10-11\]. See also B. Fiedler \[13, Corr.II.6.8\].) In (4) $`\lambda ^{}`$ denotes the associated or transposed partition of a partition $`\lambda `$. All formulas of the above table can be determined by the Mathematica package Perms , too.

Every of the left ideals $`𝔩^{(k)}`$, $`k=1,2,3,4`$, decomposes into two minimal left ideals $`𝔩^{(k)}=𝔩_{[\mu _k]}^{(k)}𝔩_{[\nu _k]}^{(k)}`$, where the partitions $`\mu _k`$ and $`\nu _k`$ charakterize the equivalence class of minimal left ideals to which such an ideal $`𝔩_{[\mu _k]}^{(k)},𝔩_{[\nu _k]}^{(k)}`$ belongs.

Now the formula (4.2) yields that the group ring elements $`(y_t^{}(SS))_b`$, $`(y_t^{}(AS))_b`$, $`(y_t^{}(SA))_b`$ and $`(y_t^{}(AA))_b`$ are contained in one of the left ideals $`𝔩^{(k)}y_t`$. Since the Young symmetrizer $`y_t`$ of (2.17) generates a minimal left ideal of the equivalence class of $`\lambda =(2^2)4`$, we obtain $`𝔩_{[\mu ]}^{(k)}y_t=\{0\}`$ if $`\mu (2^2)`$. This leads to $`𝔩^{(2)}y_t=\{0\}`$, $`𝔩^{(3)}y_t=\{0\}`$ and $`y_t^{}(AS)=0`$, $`y_t^{}(SA)`$. Furthermore, we obtain $`𝔩_{[4]}^{(1)}y_t=\{0\}`$, $`𝔩_{[1^4]}^{(4)}y_t=\{0\}`$. At most the products $`𝔩_{[2^2]}^{(1)}y_t`$, $`𝔩_{[2^2]}^{(4)}y_t`$ are candidates for non-vanishing results. We have already seen in the proof of Theorem 3.1 that these cases really lead to non-vanishing expressions (1.6) and (1.7).

## 5. A new proof of the stronger result of P. B. Gilkey

Now we give a new proof of the following result of P. B. Gilkey (see \[25, pp.41-44\]).

###### Theorem 5.1.

For every algebraic curvature tensor $`T𝒯_4V`$ there exist finite sets $`𝒮`$ and $`𝒜`$ of symmetric and alternating tensors $`S,A𝒯_2V`$, respectively, such that $`T`$ has a representation

(5.1) $`T`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{S𝒮}{}}ϵ_S\gamma (S),ϵ_S\{1,1\},`$
as well as a representation

(5.2) $`T`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{A𝒜}{}}ϵ_A\alpha (A),ϵ_A\{1,1\}.`$
###### Proof.

We consider the following group ring elements

(5.3) $`\sigma _ϵ`$ $`:=`$ $`y_t^{}f\xi _ϵ,ϵ\{1,1\},`$
where $`y_t`$ is the Young symmetrizer of the Young tableau (2.17) and

(5.4) $`f`$ $`:=`$ $`\mathrm{id}+(\mathrm{1\hspace{0.17em}3})(\mathrm{2\hspace{0.17em}4})`$
(5.5) $`\xi _ϵ`$ $`:=`$ $`(\mathrm{id}+ϵ(\mathrm{1\hspace{0.17em}2}))(\mathrm{id}+ϵ(\mathrm{3\hspace{0.17em}4})),ϵ\{1,1\}.`$
A calculation (by means of PERMS ) shows that $`\sigma _10`$ and $`\sigma _10`$ (see ).

The right ideals $`\sigma _ϵ𝕂[𝒮_4]`$ are non-vanishing subideals of the right ideal $`𝔯=y_t^{}𝕂[𝒮_4]`$ which defines the symmetry class $`𝒯_𝔯`$ of algebraic curvature tensors. Since $`𝔯`$ is a minimal right ideal, we obtain $`𝔯=\sigma _1𝕂[𝒮_4]=\sigma _1𝕂[𝒮_4]`$, i.e. $`\sigma _1`$ and $`\sigma _1`$ are generating elements of $`𝔯`$, too.

A tensor $`T𝒯_4V`$ is an algebraic curvature tensor iff there exist $`a𝔯`$ and $`T^{}𝒯_4V`$ such that $`T=aT^{}`$. Since further every $`a𝔯`$ has a representation $`a=\sigma _ϵx_ϵ`$, $`ϵ=1,1`$, a tensor $`T𝒯_4V`$ is an algebraic curvature tensor iff there is a tensor $`T^{}𝒯_4V`$ such that $`T=\sigma _1T^{}`$ or $`T=\sigma _1T^{}`$.

Let us consider the case $`ϵ=1`$. We obtain all algebraic curvature tensors if we form $`T=\sigma _1T^{}`$, $`T^{}𝒯_4V`$. As in the proof of Theorem 3.1 we can use a representation

(5.6) $`T^{}`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{(M,N)𝒫}{}}MN`$
for a $`T^{}𝒯_4V`$, where $`𝒫`$ is a finite set of pairs $`(M,N)`$ of tensors $`M,N𝒯_2V`$. From (5.6) we obtain

(5.7) $`\xi _1T^{}`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{(S^{},S^{\prime \prime })\stackrel{~}{𝒫}}{}}S^{}S^{\prime \prime }`$
where $`\stackrel{~}{𝒫}`$ is the finite set of pairs $`(S^{},S^{\prime \prime })`$ of the symmetrized tensors $`S^{}=M+M^t`$, $`S^{\prime \prime }=N+N^t`$, $`(M,N)𝒫`$. Further the application of the symmetry operator $`f`$ to $`\xi _1T^{}`$ yields

(5.8) $`f(\xi _1T^{})`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{(S^{},S^{\prime \prime })\stackrel{~}{𝒫}}{}}(S^{}S^{\prime \prime }+S^{\prime \prime }S^{})`$
$`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{(S^{},S^{\prime \prime })\stackrel{~}{𝒫}}{}}\left((S^{}+S^{\prime \prime })(S^{}+S^{\prime \prime })S^{}S^{}S^{\prime \prime }S^{\prime \prime }\right)`$
$`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{S^{\prime \prime \prime }𝒮^{\prime \prime \prime }}{}}z_{S^{\prime \prime \prime }}S^{\prime \prime \prime }S^{\prime \prime \prime },z_{S^{\prime \prime \prime }}`$
$`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{S𝒮}{}}ϵ_SSS,ϵ_S\{1,1\}.`$
The last step includes a transformation $`S^{\prime \prime \prime }S:=\sqrt{|z_{S^{\prime \prime \prime }}|}S^{\prime \prime \prime }`$. The application of $`y_t^{}`$ finishs the proof of (5.1):

$$T=\sigma _1T^{}=(y_t^{}f\xi _1)T^{}=\underset{S𝒮}{}ϵ_Sy_t^{}(SS)=\mathrm{\hspace{0.33em}12}\underset{S𝒮}{}ϵ_S\gamma (S).$$

The proof of (5.2) can be carried out in exactly the same way. We have only to replace (5.7) by

(5.9) $`\xi _1T^{}`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{(A^{},A^{\prime \prime })\widehat{𝒫}}{}}A^{}A^{\prime \prime }`$
where $`\widehat{𝒫}`$ is the finite set of pairs $`(A^{},A^{\prime \prime })`$ of the skew-symmetrized tensors $`A^{}=MM^t`$, $`A^{\prime \prime }=NN^t`$, $`(M,N)𝒫`$. ∎

###### Remark 5.2.

The new generating elements $`\sigma _1`$, $`\sigma _1`$ of the right ideal $`𝔯`$ do not automatically lead to new generating idempotents of $`𝔯`$. A calculation  by means of PERMS  yields

$`y_t^{}y_t^{}`$ $`=`$ $`12y_t^{}`$
$`y_t^{}\sigma _1`$ $`=`$ $`12\sigma _1`$
$`\sigma _1y_t^{}`$ $`=`$ $`0`$
$`y_t^{}\sigma _1`$ $`=`$ $`12\sigma _1`$
$`\sigma _1y_t^{}`$ $`=`$ $`96y_t^{}`$
$`\sigma _1\sigma _1`$ $`=`$ $`0`$
$`\sigma _1\sigma _1`$ $`=`$ $`96\sigma _1`$
$`\sigma _1\sigma _1`$ $`=`$ $`96\sigma _1`$
$`\sigma _1\sigma _1`$ $`=`$ $`0.`$
Thus $`\sigma _1`$ is an essencially idempotent element from which a generating idempotent of $`𝔯`$ can be determined. However, $`\sigma _1`$ is a nilpotent generating element of $`𝔯`$.

## 6. Some applications of $`\alpha `$ and $`\gamma `$

We finish our paper with some remarks which arise from suggestions and hints of P. B. Gilkey.

In \[25, pp.191-193\] P. B. Gilkey presents a family of algebraic curvature tensors which is a generalization of the family (1.11) in the case of a metric $`g`$ with an arbitrary signature $`(p,q)`$. This new family can be used to show that there are Jordan Osserman algebraic curvature tensors $`T`$ for which $`J_T`$ can have an arbitrary complicated Jordan normal form. We give a short view of the construction of Gilkey.

We consider a metric $`g𝒯_2V`$ of signature $`(p,q)`$ on $`V`$.

###### Definition 6.1.

An algebraic curvature tensor $`T𝒯_4V`$ is called spacelike Jordan Osserman (resp. timelike Jordan Osserman) if the Jordan normal form of the Jacobi operator $`J_T(x)`$ is constant on $`S^+(V):=\{xV|g(x,x)=+1\}`$ (resp. $`S^{}(V):=\{xV|g(x,x)=1\}`$). $`T`$ is called Jordan Osserman if $`T`$ is both spacelike Jordan Osserman and timelike Jordan Osserman.

Now we generalize the Clifford commutation relation (1.8)

###### Definition 6.2.

Let $`V`$ and $`W`$ be vector spaces which possess metrics with signature $`(p,q)`$ and $`(r,s)`$, respectively, where $`rp`$ and $`sq`$. We say that $`V`$ admits a Clifford module structure Cliff($`W`$) if there exist skew-symmetric linear transformations $`C_i:VV`$ for $`1ir+s`$ so that

1. $`C_iC_j+C_jC_i=0`$ for $`ij`$.
2. $`C_i{}_{}{}^{2}=\mathrm{Id}`$ for $`r`$ values of $`i`$.
3. $`C_i{}_{}{}^{2}=\mathrm{Id}`$ for $`s`$ values of $`i`$.

Note that a linear map $`C:VV`$ is called skew-symmetric if

$`x,yV:g(Cx,y)=g(x,Cy).`$
Now the following Lemma holds

###### Lemma 6.3.

Let $`V`$ and $`W`$ possess metrics of signature $`(p,q)`$ and $`(r,s)`$, respectively $`(rp,sq)`$. Assume that $`V`$ admits a Cliff$`(W)`$ module structure. Let $`J:WW`$ be a self-adjoint linear map of $`W`$. Then there exists a Jordan Osserman algebraic curvature tensor $`T`$ on $`V`$ so that the Jacobi operator $`J_T(x)`$ is conjugate to $`g(x,x)J0`$ for every $`xS^\pm (V)`$, where $`g`$ is the metric of $`V`$.

In Gilkey’s proof of Lemma 6.3 the above Jordan Osserman algebraic curvature tensor $`T`$ is given by the formula

(6.1) $`T`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{i}{}}c_i\alpha (A_i)+{\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}{\displaystyle \underset{ij}{}}c_{ij}\alpha (A_i+A_j)`$
where $`c_i`$ and $`c_{ij}=c_{ji}`$ are constants. The $`A_i`$ are tensors of order 2 on $`V`$ defined by $`A_i(x,y):=g(C_ix,y)`$. Obviously the $`A_i`$ are skew-symmetric.

The expression $`J0`$ is defined as follows: Under the assumtions of Lemma 6.3 we can find an isometry between $`V`$ and $`W^{(pr,qs)}`$. Then $`J0`$ is defined by setting

$`(J0)(wz)`$ $`:=`$ $`Jw0.`$
The sum (6.1) is a representation (5.2) of an algebraic curvature tensor which is formed by means of $`\alpha `$ from skew-symmetric tensors $`A_i𝒯_2V`$.

Now the following Theorem by Gilkey tells us that we can construct Jordan Osserman algebraic curvature tensors with arbitrarily complicated Jordan normal form if we greatly increase the dimension by suitable powers of 2.

###### Theorem 6.4.

Let $`J:WW`$ be an arbitrary linear map of a vector space $`W`$ of dimension $`m`$. Then there exist $`l=l(m)`$ and a Jordan Osserman algebraic curvature tensor $`T`$ on $`V=^{(2^l,2^l)}`$ so that $`J_T(x)`$ is conjugate to $`\pm J0`$ if $`xS^\pm (V)`$.

If we choose a suitable $`J`$ we can generate a Jacobi operator $`J_T(x)`$ with an arbitrarily complicated Jordan normal form. In particular we can construct nondiagonalizable Jacobi operators. Thus the family (6.1) is different from the family (1.11) since the Jacobi operators of the tensors (1.11) are defined on a vector space $`V`$ with a positive definite metric and can be diagonalized as self-adjoint operators on $`V`$.

In \[25, p.191\] P. B. Gilkey presents also a second generalization of (1.11), (1.12) in the case of certain indefinite metrics. The algebraic curvature tensors of this generalization have a structure

(6.2) $`T`$ $`=`$ $`\lambda _0\gamma (g)+{\displaystyle \underset{i}{}}\lambda _i\alpha (A_i),\lambda _0,\lambda _i=\mathrm{const}.`$
which is very similar to (1.12). The $`A_i𝒯_2V`$ are alternating tensors whose corresponding skew-symmetric maps $`C_i:VV`$ satisfy the Clifford commutation relations (1.8). The Jacobi operators of these tensors (6.2) are diagonalizable.

In a further hint P. B. Gilkey pointed out that there is a simple possibility to generate examples of Osserman algebraic curvature tensors of the form $`\gamma (S)`$ or $`\alpha (A)`$ ($`S,A𝒯_2V`$ symmetric or alternating) if we have a pseudo-Riemannian metric $`g`$ of indefinite signature $`(p,q)`$. In particular, we can obtain in this way Osserman algebraic curvature tensors not of the form given in (1.11) or (6.2) (see Remark 6.7).

###### Proposition 6.5.

Assume that $`V`$ has a metric $`g`$ with signature $`(p,q)`$.

1. If $`p,q1`$ and $`C:VV`$ is a symmetric map of $`V`$ with $`C^2=0`$, then

(6.3) $`T`$ $`:=`$ $`\gamma (S),S(x,y):=g(Cx,y)x,yV`$
is an Osserman algebraic curvature tensor.
2. If $`p,q2`$ and $`C:VV`$ is a skew-symmetric map of $`V`$ with $`C^2=0`$, then

(6.4) $`T`$ $`:=`$ $`\alpha (A),A(x,y):=g(Cx,y)x,yV`$
is an Osserman algebraic curvature tensor.
3. The Jacobi operators $`J_T(x)`$ of (6.3) and (6.4) are nilpotent of order 2, i.e. $`J_T(x)^2=0`$ for all $`xV`$.

Note that the tensors $`S,A𝒯_2V`$ defined by (6.3), (6.4), respectively, are symmetric or skew-symmetric, respectively.

To prove Proposition 6.5 we show first the existence of the above nilpotent symmetric or skew-symmetric maps $`C`$. Furhtermore we show that such maps $`C`$ do not exist in the positive definite case.

###### Lemma 6.6.

1. If $`M`$ is a symmetric or skew-symmetric $`m\times m`$-matrix with $`M^2=0`$, then $`M=0`$.
2. Let $`p,q2`$, $`m=p+q`$, and $`F`$ be the $`m\times m`$-diagonal matrix

(6.5) $`F`$ $`:=`$ $`\mathrm{diag}(\underset{p}{\underset{}{1,\mathrm{}1}},\underset{q}{\underset{}{1,\mathrm{},1}})`$
Then we can find non-vanishing symmetric or skew-symmetric $`m\times m`$-matrices $`S`$, $`A`$, respectively, such that

(6.6) $`(SF)^2=\mathrm{\hspace{0.33em}0}`$ $`,`$ $`(AF)^2=\mathrm{\hspace{0.33em}0}.`$
The assertion about a symmetric matrix $`S`$ holds also for $`p,q1`$.

###### Proof.

Ad (1): If a matrix $`M=(m_{ij})`$ is symmetric or skew-symmetric, we have $`M^T=ϵM`$, $`ϵ\{1,1\}`$. Then $`M^2=0`$ leads to $`ϵMM^T=0`$ and

(6.7) $`0`$ $`=`$ $`\mathrm{trace}MM^T={\displaystyle \underset{i,j}{}}m_{ij}^2.`$
From (6.7) we obtain $`m_{ij}=0`$ and $`M=0`$.

Ad (2): The existence of skew-symmetric matrices $`A`$ with $`(AF)^2=0`$ is guaranteed by an example of P. B. Gilkey \[25, p.186\] which was constructed for $`p,q2`$.

Let us now consider symmetric matrices under $`p,q1`$. If we write $`F`$ as block matrix

$`F`$ $`=`$ $`\left(\begin{array}{ccc}\mathrm{}& & \\ & \begin{array}{cc}\hfill 1& \hfill 0\\ \hfill 0& \hfill 1\end{array}& \\ & & \mathrm{}\end{array}\right)`$
and choose a corresponding symmetric block matrix

$`S`$ $`=`$ $`\left(\begin{array}{ccc}0& & \\ & \begin{array}{cc}1& 1\\ 1& 1\end{array}& \\ & & 0\end{array}\right)`$
then we obtain

$`SF`$ $`=`$ $`\left(\begin{array}{ccc}0& & \\ & \begin{array}{cc}1& 1\\ 1& 1\end{array}& \\ & & 0\end{array}\right).`$
Obviously, the matrix $`SF`$ satisfies $`(SF)^2=0`$. ∎

A relation $`B(x,y)=g(Cx,y)`$ between a linear map $`C:VV`$ and a tensor $`B𝒯_2V`$ leads to relations

(6.14) $`B_{ij}=C_i^kg_{kj}`$ $`\mathrm{or}`$ $`C_i^j=B_{ik}g^{kj}`$
for the coordinates of $`B`$, $`C`$, and $`g`$. If we use an orthonormal basis of $`V`$ then we have $`(g^{ij})=\mathrm{diag}(1,\mathrm{},1,1,\mathrm{},1)`$ and the matrix $`(B_{ik}g^{kj})`$ is a matrix product of the type $`BF`$ considered in Lemma 6.6. Thus statement (2) of Lemma 6.6 guarantees the existence of symmetric or skew-symmetric maps $`C`$ with $`C^2=0`$ in the above pseudo-Riemannian settings. Furthermore we see from statement (1) of Lemma 6.6 that such maps do not exist if $`g`$ is positive definite.
Now we can prove Proposition 6.5.

###### Proof.

For a symmetric map $`C:VV`$ the definitions (1.5), (1.6) and $`S(x,w)=g(Cx,w)`$ lead to

$`g(J_{\gamma (S)}(x)y,w)`$ $`=`$ $`\frac{1}{3}(S(y,w)S(x,x)S(x,y)S(x,w))`$
and

(6.15) $`J_{\gamma (S)}(x)y`$ $`=`$ $`\frac{1}{3}(g(Cx,x)Cyg(Cy,x)Cx).`$
If now $`C^2=0`$, then we obtain $`CJ_{\gamma (S)}(x)y=\frac{1}{3}(g(Cx,x)C^2yg(Cy,x)C^2x)=0`$ and $`J_{\gamma (S)}(x)^2y=\frac{1}{3}(g(Cx,x)CJ_{\gamma (S)}(x)yg(CJ_{\gamma (S)}(x)y,x)Cx)=0`$, i.e. $`J_{\gamma (S)}(x)`$ is nilpotent of order 2 for all $`xV`$. But then all eigenvalues of $`J_{\gamma (S)}(x)`$ are equal to zero, i.e. $`\gamma (S)`$ is Osserman.

For a skew-symmetric map $`C:VV`$ we obtain from (1.5), (1.7), $`A(x,w)=g(Cx,w)`$ and $`A(x,x)=0`$

$`g(J_{\alpha (A)}(x)y,w)`$ $`=`$ $`\frac{1}{3}(2A(y,x)A(x,w)+A(y,x)A(x,w)A(y,w)A(x,x))`$
$`=`$ $`A(y,x)A(x,w)`$
and

$`J_{\alpha (A)}(x)y`$ $`=`$ $`g(Cy,x)Cx.`$
Again, the condition $`C^2=0`$ leads to $`CJ_{\alpha (A)}(x)y=0`$ and $`J_{\alpha (A)}(x)^2y=0`$ for all $`xV`$. Consequently all eigenvalues of $`J_{\alpha (A)}(x)`$ vanish for all $`xV`$ and $`\alpha (A)`$ is Osserman. ∎

###### Remark 6.7.

If we use a representation of (1.11) or (6.2) in which we arrange the skew-symmetric maps $`C_i`$ as in (1.9) then we will see that the Jacobi operator of (1.11) or (6.2) has the eigenvalues

$$0,\lambda _0,\lambda _03\lambda _i.$$

on the (pseudo)-unit sphere (see  and \[25, p.191\]). The vanishing of all these eigenvalues leads to $`T=0`$ for (1.11) and (6.2). Proposition 6.5, however, yields examples of non-vanishing Osserman algebraic curvature tensors $`\gamma (S)`$, $`\alpha (A)`$ whose Jacobi operators have only the eigenvalues zero. Consequently the examples of Proposition 6.5 can not be transformed into a representation (1.11) or (6.2).

Moreover, the Jacobi operators of the algebraic curvature tensors (1.11) and (6.2) are diagonalizable (see  and \[25, p.191\]). Since the Jacobi operators $`J_{\gamma (S)}`$, $`J_{\alpha (A)}`$ from Proposition 6.5 have only the eigenvalue zero, a Jacobi operator $`J_{\gamma (S)}`$, $`J_{\alpha (A)}`$ according to Proposition 6.5 is equal to zero if it is diagonalizable. Thus every algebraic curvature tensor $`\gamma (S)`$, $`\alpha (A)`$ from Proposition 6.5, which has a non-vanishing Jacobi operator, is different from every algebraic curvature tensor with a diagonalizable Jacobi operator.

###### Remark 6.8.

Osserman tensors (6.3) for metrics $`g`$ with Lorentzian signature $`(1,q)`$ are a special case. It is known that an Osserman algebraic curvature tensor has constant sectional curvature if the metric $`g`$ has Lorentzian signature $`(1,q)`$, $`q1`$ (see ). The Jacobi operator of an algebraic curvature tensor with constant sectional curvature is diagonalizable. Thus we obtain from Remark 6.7 that every algebraic curvature tensor $`\gamma (S)`$ from Proposition 6.5 has a Jacobi operator $`J_{\gamma (S)}=0`$ if $`p=1`$ or $`q=1`$. We verify this fact.

###### Lemma 6.9.

Let $`F`$ be the $`m\times m`$-diagonal matrix

$`F`$ $`:=`$ $`\mathrm{diag}(1,1,\mathrm{},1).`$
1. If $`S0`$ is a symmetric $`m\times m`$-matrix with $`(SF)^2=0`$ then there exists an invertible matrix $`D`$ and a $`\lambda 0`$ such that

(6.20) $`DSD^1`$ $`=`$ $`\left(\begin{array}{cc}\begin{array}{cc}\hfill \lambda & \hfill \pm \lambda \\ \hfill \pm \lambda & \hfill \lambda \end{array}& \\ & 0\end{array}\right)andDFD^1=F.`$
2. A skew-symmetric $`m\times m`$-matrix $`A`$ with $`(AF)^2=0`$ vanishes.

###### Proof.

Ad (1): We write a symmetric $`m\times m`$-matrix $`S`$ as block matrix

(6.23) $`S`$ $`=`$ $`\left(\begin{array}{cc}a& b\\ b^T& \stackrel{~}{S}\end{array}\right),`$
where $`\stackrel{~}{S}`$ is a symmetric $`(m1)\times (m1)`$-matrix. Then we can transform $`\stackrel{~}{S}`$ into a diagonal matrix by a conjugation of $`S`$ by a matrix

$`D`$ $`=`$ $`\left(\begin{array}{cc}1& 0\\ 0^T& \stackrel{~}{D}\end{array}\right)`$
where $`\stackrel{~}{D}`$ is a suitable orthogonal $`(m1)\times (m1)`$-matrix. Obviously it holds $`DFD^1=F`$ for such a $`D`$.

From (6.23) we obtain

$`SF=\left(\begin{array}{cc}a& b\\ b^T& \stackrel{~}{S}\end{array}\right)`$ $`,`$ $`(SF)^2=\left(\begin{array}{cc}a^2bb^T& ab+b\stackrel{~}{S}\\ ab^T\stackrel{~}{S}b^T& b^Tb+\stackrel{~}{S}^2\end{array}\right).`$
Assume that $`\stackrel{~}{S}=0`$. Then the condition $`(SF)^2=0`$ leads to the relations $`a^2bb^T=0`$ and $`ab=0`$ from which $`S=0`$ follows. However this is a contradiction to $`S0`$.

In case of $`\stackrel{~}{S}0`$ the matrix $`\stackrel{~}{S}`$ has rank 1 because of $`b^Tb\stackrel{~}{S}^2=0`$. Then $`\stackrel{~}{S}`$ has one and only one non-vanishing eigenvalue $`\lambda `$. Furthermore we obtain $`b0`$ from $`b^Tb\stackrel{~}{S}^2=0`$.

Now the condition $`ab^T\stackrel{~}{S}b^T=0`$ means that $`b^T`$ is an eigenvector of $`\stackrel{~}{S}`$ which belongs to the eigenvalue $`a`$. The value $`a=0`$ is impossible since then $`a^2bb^T=0`$ yields $`b=0`$. Thus we obtain $`a=\lambda 0`$.

If we place $`\lambda 0`$ in the left upper corner of $`\stackrel{~}{S}`$, then $`b`$ is an $`(m1)`$-tuple $`b=(\mu ,0,\mathrm{},0)`$ and $`a^2bb^T=0`$ yields $`\mu =\pm \lambda `$.

Ad (2): We write a skew-symmetric $`m\times m`$-matrix $`A`$ as block matrix

(6.28) $`A`$ $`=`$ $`\left(\begin{array}{cc}0& b\\ b^T& \stackrel{~}{A}\end{array}\right),`$
where $`\stackrel{~}{A}`$ is a skew-symmetric $`(m1)\times (m1)`$-matrix. From (6.28) we obtain

$`AF=\left(\begin{array}{cc}0& b\\ b^T& \stackrel{~}{A}\end{array}\right)`$ $`,`$ $`(AF)^2=\left(\begin{array}{cc}bb^T& b\stackrel{~}{A}\\ \stackrel{~}{A}b^T& b^Tb+\stackrel{~}{A}^2\end{array}\right).`$
Now the condition $`(AF)^2=0`$ yields $`bb^T=0`$, i.e. $`b=0`$. But then $`\stackrel{~}{A}`$ is a skew-symmetric matrix which has to fulfil $`\stackrel{~}{A}^2=0`$. From Lemma 6.6 we obtain $`\stackrel{~}{A}=0`$. ∎

Now let $`g`$ be a Lorentzian metric with signature $`(1,q)`$ and $`T=\gamma (S)`$ be an Osserman algebraic curvature tensor according to Proposition 6.5. Then $`S`$ can be transformed into a form (6.20) and the corresponding symmetric map

$`C:=SF`$ $`=`$ $`\left(\begin{array}{cc}\begin{array}{cc}\hfill \lambda & \hfill \lambda \\ \hfill \pm \lambda & \hfill \lambda \end{array}& \\ & 0\end{array}\right)`$
has rank 1. Let us consider the Jacobi operator (6.15). If $`Cx=0`$ then $`J_{\gamma (S)}(x)=0`$. If $`Cx0`$ then the vectors $`Cx`$ and $`Cy`$ are proportional since $`C`$ has a 1-dimensional range. Again we obtain $`J_{\gamma (S)}(x)=0`$. Thus $`J_{\gamma (S)}(x)0`$ for every $`T=\gamma (S)`$ according to Proposition 6.5 in the Lorentzian setting. Statement (2) of Lemma 6.9 tells us that a non-vanishing Osserman tensor $`T=\alpha (A)`$ of the type (6.4) does not exist in the case of a Lorentzian signature.
Acknowledgements. I would like to thank Prof. P. B. Gilkey for important and helpful discussions and for valuable suggestions for future investigations.


text:
# 1 Introduction

## 1 Introduction

The Universal Hypermultiplet (UH) sector of the Calabi-Yau (CY) compactified type-IIA superstrings/M-theory is a good place to study non-perturbative quantum corrections within the effective N=2 supergravity in four or five spacetime dimensions . The UH contains a dilaton $`\varphi `$, an axion $`D`$ and a RR-type complex scalar $`C`$ as the bosonic field components, while the UH is present in any CY compactification of type-IIA superstrings. The classical UH moduli space is given by a symmetric (homogeneous) quaternionic space $`SU(2,1)/U(2)`$ , while its metric and isometries are not protected against quantum corrections on the type-IIA side. The perturbative (type-IIA superstring loop) corrections to the UH metric are known to be limited to the one-loop order, being proportional to the Euler characteristics of CY . The origin of the non-perturbative corrections is also well understood : they appear due to the so-called D-instantons and five-brane instantons . The former are the Euclidean D2-branes wrapped about the supersymmetric 3-cycles of CY, whereas the latter are the Euclidean BPS five-branes wrapped about the entire CY space . The relevant instanton solutions saturating the BPS bound, as well as the corresponding instanton actions, were calculated in ref. .

The quantum UH moduli space metric is highly constrained by unbroken symmetries. This metric must be quaternionic because of unbroken N=2 local supersymmetry in four or five uncompactified spacetime dimensions . As regards a single hypermultiplet (like UH) with the four-dimensional moduli space, the quaternionic condition amounts to the Einstein-Weyl equations (see sect. 3 for details). The quantized brane charges (or the flux quantization condition of the antisymmetric tensor field in M-theory) imply discrete identifications for the UH scalars, which break most of the continuous classical symmetries of $`SU(2,1)`$. Nevertheless, the $`U(1)`$ rotations of the RR-scalar, $`Ce^{i\alpha }C`$, survive after taking into account the instanton corrections. The extra abelian symmetry associated with constant shifts of the axion, $`DD+\delta `$, also survives when merely D-instantons are taken into account and the five-brane instantons are suppressed . These observations are consistent with the known instanton actions . In particular, the exact UH metric is governed by the single pre-potential that is a solution to the three-dimensional (integrable) Toda equation . The D-instanton corrected quantum moduli space metric of the UH is supposed to be $`SL(2,𝐙)`$-duality invariant. Its explicit form was found in ref. , in terms of the $`E_{3/2}`$ Eisenstein series, in agreement with the supersymmetric completion of the $`R^4`$-terms in ten-dimensional superstrings . Some explicit results about the five-brane instanton corrected UM moduli space metric were obtained in ref. , in terms of the particular exact solution to the Painlevé VI (integrable) equation .

An addition of non-trivial fluxes of the NS-NS and R-R three-forms in ten dimensions amounts to gauging some Peccei-Quinn-type isometries of the UH moduli space in the effective N=2 supergravity . As a result of the gauging, the UH gets the non-trivial scalar potential whose critical points determine the vacua of the theory . An explicit gauging of all abelian isometries of the classical UH moduli space metric was performed in ref. . As regards the quantum UH metric, one can merely gauge the single abelian $`U(1)`$ isometry that survives after adding quantum instanton corrections. Gauging the abelian isometries of the classical UH moduli space metric gives rise to the scalar potential with the unphysical run-away behaviour, or no critical points in the weak-coupling region where perturbation theory applies . Since the classical UH scalar potential is not protected against quantum corrections, it is more physically reasonable to examine the instanton-corrected UH scalar potential.

Another important motivation to study gauging of an abelian isometry of the instanton-corrected hypermultiplet metric is its relevance to the brane-world scenario  in the effective five-dimensional N=2 gauged supergravity. 111There is no difference in treating hypermultiplets in N=2 supergravities in four and five spacetime
dimensions. The brane world scenario (with gravity trapped near a domain wall) needs a scalar potential with at least two IR critical points, in order to achieve an exponential suppression on both sides of the wall. In the context of the gauged N=2 supergravity, this can only be achieved by gauging an isometry of a non-homogeneous hypermultiplet moduli space . Some explicit examples of such construction were given in refs. . Unfortunately, the hypermultiplet metrics used in refs.  were chosen ad hoc, they have unphysical regions, and they were not derived from some underlying theory (like superstings or M-theory). The instanton-corrected hypermultiplet moduli space is not homogeneous, while it also gives the natural physical input towards a possible brane world scenario in the CY compactified type-IIA superstrings or M-theory.

Our paper is organized as follows. In sect. 2 we review the relevant facts about gauging an abelian isometry of a hypermultiplet metric in N=2 supergravity. Our discussion is limited to the scalar potential of a single hypermultiplet. In sect. 3 we discuss the relation between the Einstein-Weyl spaces with an $`U(1)`$ abelian isometry and integrable systems. An explicit solution to the D-instanton-induced UH scalar potential is given in sect. 4. The critical points of the scalar potentials are discussed in sect. 5. Sect. 6 is our conclusion. A brief review of the Einstein-Weyl geometry and a summary of our notation are given in Appendix.

## 2 Hypermultiplet scalar potential in the gauged N=2 supergravity

Our purpose in this section is to provide minimum information needed to calculate a scalar potential in the gauged N=2 supergravity with a single charged hypermultiplet whose quaternionic metric has an abelian isometry. This will serve as the pre-requisite for the subsequent sections.

The detailed structure of a generic gauged N=2 supergravity theory with a hypermultiplet matter in four or five spacetime dimensions is well known (see, e.g. ref.  for a recent account). In our case, all the relevant formulae can be extracted from the most recent paper  that we are going to follow in this section.

The field contents of an N=2 supergravity multiplet is given by a graviton $`e_\mu ^a`$, two Majorana gravitinos $`\psi _{\mu i}^\alpha `$, $`i=1,2`$, and a graviphoton (an abelian vector gauge field) $`A_\mu `$. The field contents of a hypermultiplet is given by four real hyperscalars $`q^X`$ and a Dirac hyperino $`\eta _\alpha `$ (for definiteness, we refer to four spacetime dimensions, $`\mu =0,1,2,3`$, etc.). 222The 4-dimensional (curved) spacetime should not be confused with the 4-dimensional (curved)
hypermultiplet moduli space. We also distinguish between the hypermultiplet moduli space and
its tangent space, as well as between the corresponding indices — see Appendix. In the case of the UH, the scalars $`q^X`$ represent a dilaton, an axion and a complex RR-type scalar in an arbitrary (non-linear sigma-model) parametrization.

The relevant bosonic part of the hypermultiplet low-energy effective action in N=2 supergravity is given by

$$e^1=\frac{1}{2}R\frac{1}{4}F_{\mu \nu }F^{\mu \nu }\frac{1}{2}g_{XY}𝒟_\mu q^X𝒟^\mu q^Yg^2V,$$
$`(2.1)`$
where we have added the standard kinetic terms for the graviton (Einstein-Hilbert) and the graviphoton (Maxwell). The kinetic terms of the hypermultiplet in eq. (2.1) are given by the gauged Non-Linear Sigma-Model (NLSM) with the four-dimensional quaternionic metric $`g_{XY}(q)`$, and the gauge-covariant derivatives

$$𝒟_\mu q^X=_\mu q^X+gA_\mu k^X(q),$$
$`(2.2)`$
in terms of the Killing vector $`k^X(q)`$ of the gauged isometry of the hypermultiplet moduli space parameterized by $`q^X`$, and the gauge coupling constant $`g`$. The scalar potential $`V(q)`$ in eq. (2.1) is given by

$$V=4P^kP^k+\frac{3}{4}g_{XY}k^Xk^Y,$$
$`(2.3)`$
where a triplet of the Killing pre-potentials $`P^k`$ has been introduced,

$$P^k=\frac{1}{4}D_Xk_YJ^{XYk}=\frac{1}{4}_Xk_YJ^{XYk},k=1,2,3,$$
$`(2.4)`$
in terms of the complex structures $`J^{XYk}=J^{YXk}`$ of the quaternionic metric $`g_{XY}`$. However, eq. (2.3) is not convenient for our purposes, since it requires a calculation of the quaternionic structure $`J^{XYk}`$ that is not really needed.

In fact, the structure of the scalar potential $`V`$ in eq. (2.1) is dictated by another scalar function known as the superpotential $`W`$ that can be read off from the gravitino supersymmetry transformation law ,

$$\delta \psi _{\mu i}=D_\mu \epsilon _i+\frac{ig}{\sqrt{6}}\gamma _\mu P_{ij}\epsilon ^j+\mathrm{},i,j=1,2,$$
$`(2.5)`$
where merely the bosonic terms have been written down on the right-hand-side. The superpotential $`W`$ is defined in terms of the Killing pre-potentials ,

$$W^2=\frac{1}{3}P_{ij}P^{ij}=\frac{2}{3}P^kP^k,$$
$`(2.6)`$
whereas the scalar potential $`V`$ is related to the superpotential $`W`$ as follows :

$$V=6W^2+\frac{9}{2}g^{XY}_XW_YW.$$
$`(2.7)`$
In the special case of a single hypermultiplet, the quaternionic identity $`J_{XY}^kJ_{ZW}^k=\epsilon _{XYZW}+(\delta _{XZ}\delta _{YW}\delta _{XW}\delta _{YZ})`$ allows one to rewrite eq. (2.6) into a simpler form

$$W^2=\frac{1}{3}dK{}_{}{}^{}dK\frac{1}{6}dKdK,$$
$`(2.8)`$
in terms of the Killing one-form $`K=k_Xdq^X`$ and the Hodge star operation $`()`$ alone.

Thus the only NLSM reparametrization-invariant input needed to calculate the scalar potential $`V`$ is given by a quaternionic metric $`g_{XY}`$ and its Killing vector $`K`$, by using eqs. (2.7) and (2.8). In physical applications we should choose a particular parametrization of the hypermultiplet moduli space, in which the abelian isometry of the metric is manifest (see sect. 3).

It is worth noticing that the scalar potential $`V(q)`$ is obviously dependent upon the chosen NLSM parametrization of the hypermultiplet scalars, whereas the critical points (vacua) of the scalar potential are parametrization-independent. Under a reparametrization $`q=q(\stackrel{~}{q})`$ we have

$$\frac{V}{\stackrel{~}{q}}=\frac{q}{\stackrel{~}{q}}\frac{V}{q},$$
$`(2.9)`$
so that $`V/q=0`$ is equivalent to $`V/\stackrel{~}{q}=0`$ because of $`det(q/\stackrel{~}{q})0`$.

## 3 Einstein-Weyl metrics with an abelian isometry

An N=2 locally supersymmetric NLSM with any number of hypermultiplets has a quaternionic metric . In the case of a single hypermultiplet, N=2 local supersymmetry amounts to the Einstein-Weyl conditions (with a negative scalar curvature) on the NLSM metric $`g`$ 333Our notation is given in Appendix.

$$W_i^{}=0,(Ric)_{ab}=\mathrm{\Lambda }\delta _{ab},\mathrm{\Lambda }<0.$$
$`(3.1)`$
Given an isometry of the metric $`g`$ with the associated Killing 1-form $`K=K_Xdq^X`$ and $`D_XK_Y+D_YK_X=0`$, one can decompose the 2-form $`dK=_XK_Ydq^Xdq^Y`$ with respect to the basis (A.8),

$$dK=(dK_i^+)\mathrm{\Xi }_i^++(dK_i^{})\mathrm{\Xi }_i^{},$$
$`(3.2)`$
and extract the quaternionic structure (i.e. three complex structures $`J^k`$ obeying the quaternionic algebra $`J^iJ^j=\delta ^{ij}+\epsilon ^{ijk}J^k`$) in terms of the Killing form ,

$$J=\frac{dK_i^{}}{\sqrt{_i(dK_i^{})^2}}\mathrm{\Xi }_i^{}.$$
$`(3.3)`$
An important theorem due to Przanowski  and Tod  claims that any Einstein-Weyl metric can be locally written down in adapted coordinates (with a Killing vector $`_t`$) as follows:

$$g=\frac{1}{w^2}\left\{\frac{1}{P}(dt+\mathrm{\Theta })^2+P\left[e^u(d\mu ^2+d\nu ^2)+dw^2\right]\right\}.$$
$`(3.4)`$
in terms of real local coordinates $`(t,w,\mu ,\nu )`$, 1-form $`\mathrm{\Theta }=\mathrm{\Theta }_1dw+\mathrm{\Theta }_2d\mu +\mathrm{\Theta }_3d\nu `$, and two potentials $`P=P(w,\mu ,\nu )`$ and $`u=u(w,\mu ,\nu )`$. Imposing the Einstein-Weyl conditions (3.1) on the metric (3.4) yields

$$P=\frac{3}{2\mathrm{\Lambda }}\left(w_wu2\right),$$
$`(3.5)`$
$$\left(_\mu ^2+_\nu ^2\right)u+_w^2(e^u)=0,$$
$`(3.6)`$
and

$$d\mathrm{\Theta }=(_\nu P)d\mu dw+(_\mu P)dwd\nu +_w(Pe^u)d\nu d\mu .$$
$`(3.7)`$
As is clear from eqs. (3.5), (3.6) and (3.7), the metric $`g`$ is controlled by the single pre-potential $`u`$ obeying the non-linear (integrable) three-dimensional (continuous) Toda equation (3.6).

In accordance to eq. (3.4), let’s choose the vierbein as

| $`e_0={\displaystyle \frac{(dt+\mathrm{\Theta })}{w\sqrt{P}}},`$ | $`e_2=\sqrt{P}\mathrm{exp}(\frac{1}{2}u){\displaystyle \frac{d\mu }{w}},`$ |
| --- | --- |
| $`e_1=\sqrt{P}{\displaystyle \frac{dw}{w}},`$ | $`e_3=\sqrt{P}\mathrm{exp}(\frac{1}{2}u){\displaystyle \frac{d\nu }{w}}.`$ |

$`(3.8)`$
The Killing vector $`K^X=(1,0,0,0)`$ yields the Killing 1-form

$$K=\frac{1}{w^2P}(dt+\mathrm{\Theta })=\frac{1}{w\sqrt{P}}e_0.$$
$`(3.9)`$
The square of the Killing vector is given by

$$K^2=g_{XY}K^XK^Y=g_{tt}=\frac{1}{w^2P}.$$
$`(3.10)`$
The coordinate $`w`$ in terms of the Killing vector $`K`$ reads

$$w=\frac{\mathrm{\Lambda }/3}{\sqrt{_i(dK_i^{})^2}}.$$
$`(3.11)`$
By using the identities

$$\mathrm{\Xi }_i^+\mathrm{\Xi }_j^+=\mathrm{\Xi }_i^{}\mathrm{\Xi }_j^{}=2\delta _{ij}e_0e_1e_2e_3$$
$`(3.12a)`$
and

$$\mathrm{\Xi }_i^+\mathrm{\Xi }_j^{}=\mathrm{\Xi }_i^{}\mathrm{\Xi }_j^+=0,$$
$`(3.12b)`$
and substituting the decomposition (3.2) into eq. (2.8) allows us to simplify the superpotential $`W`$ to the form

$$W^2=(dK_i^{})^2+\frac{1}{3}(dK_i^+)^2=\frac{\mathrm{\Lambda }^2}{9w^2}+\frac{1}{3}(dK_i^+)^2,$$
$`(3.13)`$
where eq. (3.11) has been used.

It is straightforward to calculate the 2-form $`dK`$ from eqs. (3.8) and (3.9). We find

| $`dK=`$ | $`{\displaystyle \frac{1}{\sqrt{P}}}\left(1+{\displaystyle \frac{w}{2P}}_wP\right)e_0e_1`$ |
| --- | --- |
|  | $`+{\displaystyle \frac{w_\mu P}{2P\sqrt{e^uP}}}e_0e_2+{\displaystyle \frac{w_\nu P}{2P\sqrt{e^uP}}}e_0e_3`$ |
|  | $`+{\displaystyle \frac{w_\nu P}{P\sqrt{e^uP}}}e_1e_2+{\displaystyle \frac{w_\mu P}{P\sqrt{e^uP}}}e_3e_1`$ |
|  | $`+{\displaystyle \frac{w}{\sqrt{P}}}\left(_wu+{\displaystyle \frac{_wP}{P}}\right)e_2e_3.`$ |

$`(3.14)`$
Equations (3.2) and (A.8) now imply

| $`(dK_i^+)\mathrm{\Xi }_i^+=`$ | $`{\displaystyle \frac{1}{2\sqrt{P}}}\left(1+{\displaystyle \frac{3w}{2P}}_wP+w_wu\right)\mathrm{\Xi }_1^+`$ |
| --- | --- |
|  | $`+{\displaystyle \frac{3w_\mu P}{2P\sqrt{e^uP}}}\mathrm{\Xi }_2^++{\displaystyle \frac{3w_\nu P}{2P\sqrt{e^uP}}}\mathrm{\Xi }_3^+,`$ |

$`(3.15)`$
and hence, we get

$$(dK_i^+)^2=\frac{1}{4P}\left(1+w_wu+\frac{3}{2P}w_wP\right)^2+\frac{9w^2e^u}{4P^3}\left[(_\mu P)^2+(_\nu P)^2\right].$$
$`(3.16)`$
We conclude that both the hypermultiplet metric (3.4) and the scalar potential (2.7) are dictated by a solution $`u(w,\mu ,\nu )`$ of the Toda equation (3.6) via eqs. (3.5), (3.7), and eqs. (2.7), (3.13) and (3.16), respectively.

By substituting eq. (3.16) into eq. (3.13) and using eq. (3.5), we find the superpotential in the form

| $`W^2=`$ | $`{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{\Lambda }^2}{9w^2}}+{\displaystyle \frac{1}{12P}}\left(3+{\displaystyle \frac{2\mathrm{\Lambda }}{3}}P+{\displaystyle \frac{3}{2P}}w_wP\right)^2`$ |
| --- | --- |
|  | $`+{\displaystyle \frac{3w^2e^u}{4P^3}}\left[(_\mu P)^2+(_\nu P)^2\right].`$ |

$`(3.17)`$
Until this point no approximation was made, so that we actually discussed a derivation of exact solutions to the hypermultiplet moduli space metric and the scalar potential. Unfortunately, despite of the fact that the Toda equation (3.6) is known to be integrable (this equation appears in the large-$`N`$ limit of the standard (two-dimensional) Toda system for $`SU(N)`$ ), it is very hard to obtain its explicit solutions . This is apparently the price to pay for getting the exact solution describing both five-brane and two-brane instanton corrections to the UH metric and its scalar potential .

It is instructive to see how this problem simplifies in the hyper-Kähler limit for the hypermultiplet metric, when N=2 supergravity decouples. This limit appears when $`\mathrm{\Lambda }0`$ above, since $`\mathrm{\Lambda }`$ is proportional to the gravitational coupling constant . In this limit the function $`P`$ becomes proportional to $`_wu`$, whereas the non-linear Toda equation (3.6) becomes a linear equation on $`P`$ ,

$$(_\mu ^2+_\nu ^2+_w^2)P=0.$$
$`(3.18)`$
The abelian isometry is tri-holomorphic in this limit, so that we obtain the standard Gibbons-Hawking Ansatz for a hyper-Kähler metric governed by a harmonic function $`P(w,\mu ,\nu )`$ .

The scalar potential, originating from the gauging of the tri-holomorphic isometry in the hyper-Kähler limit is given by half of the Killing vector squared, or just $`\frac{1}{2}P^1`$. For example, the (Gibbons-Hawking) multi-centre metrics are described by

$$P(\stackrel{}{X})=\underset{p=1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{1}{\left|\stackrel{}{X}\stackrel{}{X}_p\right|},\stackrel{}{X}=(w,\mu ,\nu ),\stackrel{}{X}_p=const.$$
$`(3.19)`$
The critical points of the scalar potential are given by poles of $`P`$, i.e. they appear at $`\stackrel{}{X}=\stackrel{}{X}_p`$ in the case of eq. (3.19). Since the scalar potential vanishes at these points, N=2 supersymmetry remains unbroken. Our results are, therefore, consistent with a derivation of the hypermultiplet scalar potential by Scherk-Schwarz dimensional reduction from six dimensions in the hyper-Kähler limit .

## 4 UH scalar potential induced by D-instantons

To get an explicit non-perturbative solution to the hypermultiplet scalar potential, we now consider the special case of the UH when the D-instanton contributions are included but the five-brane instantons are suppressed. The D-instanton corrections are of the order $`e^{1/g_{\mathrm{string}}}`$, whereas the five-brane instanton corrections are of the order $`e^{1/g_{\mathrm{string}}^2}`$ . Hence, for sufficiently small string coupling $`g_{\mathrm{string}}`$, we may hope that the D-instanton corrections dominate over the five-brane instanton corrections. In this case, there is another abelian isometry given by a shift of the axion, $`DD+\delta `$, which commutes with an $`U(1)`$ rotation of the RR-scalar, $`Ce^{i\alpha }C`$, that is going to be gauged. As was pointed out in the second ref. , gauging a compact direction of the homogeneous hypermultiplet moduli space yields a fixed point, whereas gauging a non-compact direction yields a run-away solution.

Due to some recent advances in the mathematical literature , given two commuting and non-degenerate (i.e. hypersurface generating) abelian isometries (Killing vectors), one can completely solve the Einstein-Weyl equations (3.1) in adapted coordinates, where both isometries are manifest, in terms of a real potential depending upon two remaining coordinates and satisfying a linear equation.

The main result of ref.  is the theorem that any Einstein-Weyl metric (of non-vanishing scalar curvature) with two linearly independent Killing vectors can be written down in the from

| $`g=`$ | $`{\displaystyle \frac{F^24\rho ^2(F_\rho ^2+F_\eta ^2)}{4F^2}}\left({\displaystyle \frac{d\rho ^2+d\eta ^2}{\rho ^2}}\right)`$ |
| --- | --- |
|  | $`+{\displaystyle \frac{[(F2\rho F_\rho )\widehat{\alpha }2\rho F_\eta \widehat{\beta }]^2+[2\rho F_\eta \widehat{\alpha }(F+2\rho F_\rho )\widehat{\beta }]^2}{F^2[F^24\rho ^2(F_\rho ^2+F_\eta ^2)]}},`$ |

$`(4.1)`$
in some local coordinates $`(\rho ,\eta ,\theta ,t)`$ inside an open region of the half-space $`\rho >0`$. Here $`_\theta `$ and $`_t`$ are two Killing vectors, while the one-forms $`\widehat{\alpha }`$ and $`\widehat{\beta }`$ are given by

$$\widehat{\alpha }=\sqrt{\rho }d\theta \mathrm{and}\widehat{\beta }=\frac{dt+\eta d\theta }{\sqrt{\rho }}.$$
$`(4.2)`$
The whole metric (4.1) is governed by a real function (= pre-potential) $`F(\rho ,\eta )`$ that is the eigenfunction of the Laplacian in the hyperbolic plane,

$$\mathrm{\Delta }_{}F\rho ^2\left(_\rho ^2+_\eta ^2\right)F=\frac{3}{4}F.$$
$`(4.3)`$
The Einstein-Weyl metric (4.1) has a negative scalar curvature provided that

$$4\rho ^2(F_\rho ^2+F_\eta ^2)>F^2>0.$$
$`(4.4)`$
As was demonstrated in ref. , an unique (up to a normalization) $`SL(2,𝐙)`$ duality-invariant solution to the master equation (4.3) is given by the Eisenstein series $`E_{3/2}(\rho ,\eta )`$. It has the Fourier expansion

$$4\pi \zeta (3)E_{3/2}(\rho ,\eta )=2\zeta (3)\rho ^{3/2}+\frac{2\pi ^2}{3}\rho ^{1/2}+8\pi \rho ^{1/2}\underset{\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{m0}{n1}}{}\left|\frac{m}{n}\right|e^{2\pi imn\eta }K_1(2\pi \left|mn\right|\rho ),$$
$`(4.5)`$
where $`\zeta (3)=_{m>0}(1/m)^3`$ and the modified Bessel function $`K_1(z)`$ of the 3rd kind have been introduced. The asymptotic expansion of the hypermultiplet pre-potential in the perturbative region (large $`\rho `$) reads

$$F(\rho ,\eta )=4\pi \zeta (3)E_{3/2}(\rho ,\eta )=2\zeta (3)\rho ^{3/2}+\frac{2\pi ^2}{3}\rho ^{1/2}+4\pi ^{3/2}\underset{m,n1}{}\left(\frac{m}{n^3}\right)^{1/2}\times $$

$$\times \left[e^{2\pi imn(\eta +i\rho )}+e^{2\pi imn(\eta i\rho )}\right]\left[1+\underset{k=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{\mathrm{\Gamma }(k1/2)}{\mathrm{\Gamma }(k1/2)}\frac{1}{(4\pi mn\rho )^k}\right],$$
$`(4.6)`$
while it can be interpreted as a sum of the classical (tree level) term, the one-loop (perturbative) correction and the infinite D-instanton sum, respectively, in the apparent similarity to the known $`SL(2,𝐙)`$ duality-invariant completion of the $`R^4`$-terms in the ten-dimensional type-IIB superstrings . We expect that our result (4.6) can be reproduced from the ten-dimensional $`R^4`$-terms via CY compactification .

It is not difficult to map the Calderbank-Petersen (=CP) Ansatz (4.1) into the more general Przanowski-Tod (=PT) Ansatz (3.4). In fact, this was already done in ref. . We are going to pay a special attention to the PT coordinate $`w`$ and the PT potential $`P`$ in terms of the ‘active’ CP coordinates $`(\rho ,\eta )`$ and the CP pre-potential $`F(\rho ,\eta )`$. In terms of the related function

$$G=\sqrt{\rho }F,$$
$`(4.6)`$
the CP metric (4.1) can be rewritten to the form

$$g=\frac{1}{G^2}\left\{\frac{1}{𝒲}(dt+\mathrm{\Theta })^2+𝒲\gamma \right\},$$
$`(4.7)`$
where we have used the notation

$$𝒲=\frac{GG_\rho }{\rho (G_\rho ^2+G_\eta ^2)}1,\mathrm{\Theta }=\left(\frac{GG_\eta }{G_\rho ^2+G_\eta ^2}\eta \right)d\alpha ,$$
$`(4.8a)`$
and

$$\gamma =\rho ^2d\alpha ^2+(G_\rho ^2+G_\eta ^2)(d\rho ^2+d\eta ^2).$$
$`(4.8b)`$
Let $`K`$ be the 1-form associated with the Killing vector $`_t`$,

$$K=\frac{dt+\mathrm{\Theta }}{G^2𝒲}.$$
$`(4.9)`$
We can now explicitly compute the 2-form $`dK`$, as well as its SD and ASD parts, $`dK^{}`$ and $`dK^+`$, like in the previous sect. 3. For example, one finds

$$dK^{}=\frac{1}{G\sqrt{G_\rho ^2+G_\eta ^2}}\left(G_\rho \mathrm{\Xi }_1^{}+G_\eta \mathrm{\Xi }_2^{}\right).$$
$`(4.10)`$
This allows us to identify

$$w=G\mathrm{and}P=𝒲.$$
$`(4.11)`$
More explicitly, we find

$$w=\sqrt{\rho }F=\sqrt{\rho }E_{3/2}(\rho ,\eta ),$$
$`(4.12)`$
and

$$P=\frac{E_{3/2}^2+\rho E_{3/2}^2/\rho }{2\rho ^2\left[\left(\frac{E_{3/2}}{2\rho }+\frac{E_{3/2}}{\rho }\right)^2+\left(\frac{E_{3/2}}{\eta }\right)^2\right]}1.$$
$`(4.13)`$
Once the $`P`$-function is known, the Toda potential $`u`$ is easily obtained by integrating eq. (3.5). The final result for the D-instanton-corrected scalar potential (or the superpotential) of the UH, in terms of the Eisenstein series $`E_{3/2}`$, is not very illuminating, so that we do not write it down here. Instead, in the next sect. 5, we discuss its critical points.

## 5 Critical points of the scalar potential

According to our results in sect. 3, the critical points of the hypermultiplet scalar potential are given by poles of $`P`$ and $`w`$, if one assumes that those poles are isolated points. This is the case, as long as the scalar potential is controlled by a meromorphic function like the Eisenstein series. Those poles precisely correspond to the points where the gauged $`U(1)`$ Killing vector (3.9) vanishes, because of eq. (3.10):

$$K^2=0\mathrm{is}\mathrm{equivalent}\mathrm{to}w^2P=\mathrm{},$$
$`(5.1)`$
in agreement with the general results of refs. .

Generally speaking, eq. (5.1) defines a (null) surface in the hypermultiplet moduli space, either of real dimension zero or two, depending upon the rank of the two-form $`dK`$ on the surface . If the rank is maximal, the null surface is just a point called nut. When the rank of $`dK`$ is two, the null two-dimensional surface is called a bolt.

A physical vacuum is supposed to allow a perturbative expansion around it, which amounts to analyticity of the Killing vector and a finite curvature at the critical point, in our situation. The good (physical) critical points are therefore described by the following (NLSM) reparametrization-invariant conditions :

$$g_{XY}K^XK^YK^2=0,(D_XK_Y)(D^XK^Y)(DK)^20,$$
$`(5.2)`$
and

$$R_{XYZW}R^{XYZW}\mathrm{}.$$
$`(5.3)`$
The critical points of the scalar potential in the particular N=2 gauged supergravity model of a hypermultiplet, based on the non-homogeneous Einstein-Weyl metric interpolating between two homogeneous quaternionic metrics of $`SO(4,1)/SO(4)`$ and $`SU(2,1)/U(2)`$, were analyzed in detail by Behrndt and Dall’Agata . They found two good IR fixed points in their model . Unfortunately, the hypermultiplet moduli space, used as an input in ref. , has a singularity, while it is not geodesically complete. Quantum instanton corrections to the classical hypermultiplet moduli space metric are expected to result in a regular and positive definite metric . Further progress in this direction apparently requires an explicit knowledge of exact (non-separable) solutions to the 3d Toda equation (3.6).

In the particular case of the D-instanton-corrected UH moduli space, controlled by the Eisenstein series $`E_{3/2}`$, the situation is much simpler. The $`E_{3/2}`$ has polynomial growth $`(\rho ^{3/2})`$ at weak coupling $`\rho =+\mathrm{}`$ that corresponds to the classical vacuum, while all the one-loop and D-instanton quantum corrections disappear in that limit. This is consistent with our equations in sect. 4. When $`\rho +\mathrm{}`$, we have

$$E_{3/2}\rho ^{3/2},G\rho ^2,\frac{E_{3/2}}{\eta }0,\mathrm{and}𝒲const.0,$$
$`(5.4)`$
so that $`K^2=G^2𝒲^1\rho ^20`$ indeed. Hence, the classical limit

$$\rho =+\mathrm{}$$
$`(5.5)`$
corresponds to a fixed point of the D-instanton-induced scalar potential.

As regards finite values of $`\rho 0`$ (i.e. strong coupling), the Eisenstein series $`E_{3/2}`$ has no singularities, while the function $`G=\sqrt{\rho }E_{3/2}`$ is finite even at $`\rho =0`$. Hence, any other critical points are only possible when $`P=\mathrm{}`$, i.e.

$$\frac{E_{3/2}}{\rho }+\frac{E_{3/2}}{2\rho }=\frac{E_{3/2}}{\eta }=0,$$
$`(5.6)`$
where we have used eq. (4.13). Equation (5.6) has a solution, $`\rho =0`$ and $`\eta 𝐙`$, where we have taken into account that the Eisenstein series is periodic in $`\eta `$ with period $`1`$. Indeed, by using the relation $`K_1(z)z^1`$ for small values of $`z0`$, it is not difficult to verify that for small values of $`\rho 0`$ (at strong coupling), we have

$$4\pi \zeta (3)E_{3/2}(\rho ,\eta )\rho ^{1/2}\left[\frac{2\pi ^2}{3}+4\underset{m0}{}\sigma _2(m)e^{2\pi im\eta }\right],$$
$`(5.7)`$
and

$$\frac{G}{\eta }=\sqrt{\rho }\frac{E_{3/2}}{\eta }=\frac{4}{\zeta (3)}\underset{m=1}{\overset{+\mathrm{}}{}}m\sigma _2(m)\mathrm{sin}(2\pi m\eta ),$$
$`(5.8)`$
where we have introduced the standard divisor function

$$\sigma _s(m)=\underset{0<d|m}{}d^s,$$
$`(5.9)`$
It is now clear that the only solution to eq. (5.6) is given by

$$\rho =0\mathrm{and}\eta 𝐙.$$
$`(5.10)`$
We conclude that the D-instanton-induced scalar potential of the universal hypermultiplet has the classical fixed point (5.5) at weak coupling and the fixed points (5.10) at strong coupling. The latter exactly appear at the points where the D-instantons are located, so that they are truly generated by the D-instantons.

## 6 Conclusion

Our results may have natural applications to the brane-world scenarios  within the effective N=2 supergravity originating from the CY compactified type-II superstrings and M-theory (see e.g., refs. ). They may also be applied to a description of possible renormalization group flows in the holographic approach to extended supergravity . The standard five-dimensional spacetime metric respecting the four-dimensional Poincaré invariance, is given by

$$ds_{5d}^2=e^{2U(r)}dx_{4d}^2+dr^2,$$
$`(6.1)`$
where $`U(r)`$ is the warp factor . The domain wall solutions in the gauged five-dimensional N=2 supergravity normally preserve half of the original supersymmetries. In the case of a single hypermultiplet supporting the domain wall, the BPS (flow) equations are given by

$$\frac{dU}{d\tau }=\pm gW,\frac{dq^X}{d\tau }=3gg^{XY}_YW,$$
$`(6.2)`$
where $`W`$ is the superpotential and $`\tau `$ is the flow parameter. The equations of motion are automatically satisfied for the BPS solutions to eq. (6.2). It would be interesting to investigate the BPS solutions to eq. (6.2) in the case of the instanton-generated scalar potential. The BPS walls in some N=2 supersymmetric non-linear sigma-models with hyper-Kähler metrics (in the absence of N=2 supergravity) were investigated in great detail in ref. .

The D-instanton corrections are given by powers of $`e^{1/g_{\mathrm{string}}}`$, whereas the five-brane instantons contribute by powers of $`e^{1/g_{\mathrm{string}}^2}`$ . Our results apply when the former dominate over the latter, i.e. when $`g_{\mathrm{string}}`$ is sufficiently small. The exact quantum moduli space metric of UH is still governed by the same Toda equation (3.6), however, its general solution is unknown (see, however, ref.  for some explicit results about the five-brane instanton corrections to the UH metric).

## Acknowledgements

Useful discussions with Ignatios Antoniadis and Norisuke Sakai are greatfully acknowledged. The author would like to thank the Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics in Kyoto for kind hospitality extended to him during a preparation of this paper.

## Appendix: Einstein-Weyl geometry

Our definitions and notation about the Einstein-Weyl spaces coincide with those used in refs. ; see also ref.  for more about the quaternionic geometry, and ref.  for more about the NLSM with quaternionic geometry and extended supersymmetry. We follow ref.  here.

Given a four-dimensional Riemannian manifold of Euclidean signature with local coordinates $`q^X`$, $`X=0,1,2,3`$, and a metric $`g=g_{XY}dq^Xdq^Y`$, let’s introduce a local basis (or a vierbein) $`e_a=e_{aX}dq^X`$ so that

$$g_{XY}=\delta _{ab}e_{aX}e_{bY},\mathrm{or}g=\underset{a}{}e_a^2.$$
$`(A.1)`$
The ‘time’ $`0`$-direction is associated with an abelian isometry of the metric in the main text of the paper. We use capital Latin letters for curved 4-vector indices and early lower-case Latin letters for flat (tangent) 4-vector indices, whereas middle lower-case Latin indices denote ‘spatial’ components of flat (tangent) 4-vector indices, $`a=(0,k)`$, $`k=1,2,3`$, in the hypermultiplet moduli space (NLSM).

The spin connection (1-form) $`\omega _{ab}=\omega _{abX}dq^X`$ is fixed by the vierbein postulate, which means the covariant constancy of the vierbein,

$$de_a+\omega _{ab}e_b=0.$$
$`(A.2)`$
The spin-connection is antisymmetric, $`\omega _{ab}=\omega _{ba}`$, while it can be decomposed into the Self-Dual (SD) and Anti-Self-Dual (ASD) parts,

$$\omega _{ab}^\pm =\omega _{ab}\pm \frac{1}{2}\epsilon _{abcd}\omega _{cd},\mathrm{or},\mathrm{equivalently},\omega _i^\pm =\omega _{0i}\pm \frac{1}{2}\epsilon _{ijk}\omega _{jk}.$$
$`(A.3)`$
The curvature 2-form is defined by

$$R_{ab}=d\omega _{ab}+\omega _{ad}\omega _{db}=\frac{1}{2}R_{ab,cd}e_ce_d,$$
$`(A.4)`$
while its SD and ASD components are given by

$$R_i^\pm =R_{0i}\pm \frac{1}{2}\epsilon _{ijk}R_{jk}.$$
$`(A.5)`$
The Ricci tensor and the scalar curvature are defined by

$$(Ric)_{ab}=R_{ac,bc},\mathrm{and}R=(Ric)_{aa}.$$
$`(A.6)`$
The Weyl curvature is given by the traceless part of the curvature, viz.

| $`W_{ab,cd}=`$ | $`R_{ab,cd}+{\displaystyle \frac{R}{6}}\left[\delta _{ac}\delta _{bd}\delta _{ad}\delta _{bc}\right]`$ |
| --- | --- |
|  | $`{\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}\left[\delta _{ac}(Ric)_{bd}\delta _{ad}(Ric)_{bc}+\delta _{bd}(Ric)_{ac}\delta _{bc}(Ric)_{ad}\right].`$ |

$`(A.7)`$
The 2-forms $`e_ae_b`$ serve as a basis in the space of all 2-forms, while they can also be decomposed into their SD and ASD parts,

$$\mathrm{\Xi }_i^\pm =e_0e_i\pm \frac{1}{2}\epsilon _{ijk}e_je_k.$$
$`(A.8)`$
In particular, we have

| $`R_i^+`$ | $`=A_{ij}\mathrm{\Xi }_j^++B_{ij}\mathrm{\Xi }_j^{},`$ |
| --- | --- |
| $`R_i^{}`$ | $`=B_{ij}^T\mathrm{\Xi }_j^++C_{ij}\mathrm{\Xi }_j^{},`$ |

$`(A.9)`$
where the symmetric $`3\times 3`$ real matrices $`A`$ and $`C`$, and the non-symmetric $`3\times 3`$ real matrix $`B`$ have been introduced.

Similarly, the Weyl 2-form

$$W_{ab}=\frac{1}{2}W_{ab,cd}e_ce_d$$
$`(A.10)`$
can be decomposed into its SD and ASD parts as

| $`W_i^+=`$ | $`W_{0i}+\frac{1}{2}\epsilon _{ijk}W_{jk}=W_{ij}^+\mathrm{\Xi }_j^+,`$ |
| --- | --- |
| $`W_i^{}=`$ | $`W_{0i}\frac{1}{2}\epsilon _{ijk}W_{jk}=W_{ij}^{}\mathrm{\Xi }_j^{}.`$ |

$`(A.11)`$
The Einstein condition (with a real constant $`\mathrm{\Lambda }`$),

$$(Ric)_{ab}=\mathrm{\Lambda }\delta _{ab},$$
$`(A.12)`$
is equivalent to

$$B_{ij}=0\mathrm{and}\mathrm{tr}A=\mathrm{tr}C=\mathrm{\Lambda }.$$
$`(A.13)`$
The self-duality of the Weyl tensor,

$$W_i^{}=0,$$
$`(A.14)`$
is equivalent to

$$C_{ij}\delta _{ij}.$$
$`(A.15)`$
Hence, the SD Weyl and Einstein conditions together imply

$$C_{ij}=\frac{\mathrm{\Lambda }}{3}\delta _{ij}\mathrm{and}R_i^{}=\frac{\mathrm{\Lambda }}{3}\mathrm{\Xi }_i^{}.$$
$`(A.16)`$
The only remaining matrix $`A`$ is symmetric and has $`\mathrm{tr}A=\mathrm{\Lambda }`$, so that there are five independent curvature components for a generic Einstein-Weyl metric.


text:
# Efficient Quantum State Tomography for Quantum Information Processing using a two-dimensional Fourier Transform Technique

## I Introduction

Quantum Computation offers exciting possibilities of solving complex computational problems using algorithms which exploit the quantum nature of the system. The idea, first proposed by Feynman, is being feverishly pursued by many \[2-6\]. Several algorithms like Shor’s factorization algorithm, Grover’s search algorithm, Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm, quantum Fourier transform, quantum counting and quantum error-correction codes have been developed and have clearly established the premise \[7-24\]. The last step in quantum information processing and quantum simulations is the measurement of the output quantum state, known as quantum state tomography. In the case of ensemble systems this amounts to measuring the output density matrix. The output state of a quantum algorithm normally corresponds to some classical information and therefore, it is sufficient to measure all the diagonal elements of the density matrix which corresponds to the probabilities of various eigenstates. However, full quantum state tomography is generally carried out wherever possible, because of the following reasons; (i) knowledge of the full output density matrix allows one to find out the experimental errors and to calculate the fidelity of the implementation , and (ii) if one wishes to monitor the flow of the implementation of an algorithm at any intermediate step, then the best option is to measure the full interemediate density matrix .

For an n-qubit ensemble system, the size of the Hilbert space increases as 2n and the number of density matrix elements increases as 2$`{}_{}{}^{n}\times `$2n. Of these there are $`M=(2^{n1})(2^{n1}+1)`$ independent elements, of which $`(n2^{n1})`$ elements are one qubit single quantum observable coherences. To measure the remaining elements, a series of one-dimensional experiments with readout pulses to rotate the unobservables into observables, have been used . Here we propose a new method for quantum state tomography based on the two-dimensional Fourier transform technique, where all the off-diagonal elements of a density matrix, both unobservable and observable, are measured in a two dimensional experiment. All the diagonal elements are measured in another one-dimensional experiment.

It has been pointed out  that the earlier method of tomography  involving a large number of different measurements; while works well for small spin systems, becomes ”prohibitively complex” for large spin systems. Such large systems can be easily tomographed using the proposed method. It may be mentioned here, that the proposed method uses a two dimensional experiment and requires several $`t_1`$ increments. In principle the size of two dimensional data is independent of the number of spins (qubits). However, the number of quantus increase linearly with the number of spins. To maintain the same resolution for large number of spins (qubits), the number of $`t_1`$ increments may have to be increased appropriately (at best linearly). It may be recalled that the same principle is applied to two dimensional NMR of biomolecules, where the size of data is independent of the size of biomolecules . The proposed method can also be used for tomography in a wider range of spin systems, i.e. quadrupolar or strongly coupled systems, and it requires non-selective r.f. pulses which are devoid of errors caused by the selective pulses used by the earlier method . The method is explained using a 2-qubit system and demonstrated on 2 and 4-qubit systems using simulations.

## II The method

The method is based on the technique of indirect detection of multiple quantum coherences in NMR spectroscopy by two dimensional Fourier transform technique , wherein all the off-diagonal elements are measured in a two-dimensional experiment (pulse sequence $`1(A)`$). The diagonal elements of the density matrix are measured in another one-dimensional experiment (pulse sequence $`1(B)`$). The NMR pulse sequences for the two experiments are,

$`(A)`$ $`t_1(\pi /2)_yG_z\alpha _ydetect(t_2),`$ (1)
$`(B)`$ $`G_z\beta _ydetect(t_2),`$ (2)
where $`t_1`$ and $`t_2`$ are the variable time periods of system evolution, $`(\pi /2)_y`$, $`\alpha _y`$ and $`\beta _y`$ are the rf pulses, and $`G_z`$ is the field-gradient pulse.

In experiment 1(A), a given density matrix $`\sigma (0)`$ is allowed to evolve for a time $`t_1`$, at the end of which a $`(\pi /2)_y`$ pulse transform every element into all other elements of the density matrix, including diagonal elements. The $`G_z`$ pulse dephases the off-diagonal elements averaging them to zero, and retains only the diagonal elements. A $`\alpha _y`$ pulse transforms the diagonal elements into all elements of the density matrix including single qubit single quantum coherences. These single quantum coherences are then detected as a function of time variable $`t_2`$. A series of experiments are performed by systematic increment of the $`t_1`$ period and the collected two-dimensional time domain data set $`s(t_1,t_2)`$ is double Fourier transformed yielding a two-dimensional frequency domain spectrum $`S(\mathrm{\Omega }_1,\mathrm{\Omega }_2)`$. $`S(\mathrm{\Omega }_1,\mathrm{\Omega }_2)`$ contains along $`\mathrm{\Omega }_2`$ all single qubit single quantum coherences and along $`\mathrm{\Omega }_1`$, contribution of every off-diagonal elements of the density matrix to these transitions, dispersed and displayed by their specific frequency of evolution in the time-domain $`t_1`$. Cross-sections parallel to $`\mathrm{\Omega }_1`$ at one single quantum resonance frequency can be fitted to $`\sigma (0)`$, yielding all the off-diagonal elements in single two-dimensional experiment. The diagonal elements of $`\sigma (0)`$ do not contribute to the spectrum.

To obtain the diagonal elements; experiment 1(B) begins by destroying all off-diagonal elements of $`\sigma (0)`$ by a gradient pulse, then using a small angle detection pulse to convert difference in diagonal elements into observable one qubit single quantum coherences by linear response. The amplitudes of the coherences allow calculation of all the off-diagonal elements. The above protocol is explained in the following by explicit calculations on a two qubit system.

## III two qubit system

Consider a two qubit system consisting of two spin 1/2 nuclei of Larmor frequencies $`\omega _1`$ and $`\omega _2`$, coupled by a weak indirect coupling J. The Hamiltonian for the system is, $`=\omega _1I_{1z}+\omega _2I_{2z}+JI_{1z}I_{2z},`$ where $`I_{jz}`$ $`(j=1,2)`$ are the spin operators. A selective rf pulse of angle $`\theta `$ and phase $`\varphi `$ on-resonance on spin $`j`$ corresponds to a unitary transform, $`U_{\theta ,\varphi }^j=exp\{i\theta (I_{jx}sin\varphi +I_{jy}cos\varphi )\}.`$ All quantum algorithms are implemented in NMR by a specific pulse sequence involving the evolutions under system Hamiltonian and rf pulses. A general Hermitian complex trace-less deviation density matrix for 2 qubits, has 15 independent elements, is spanned by 15 product operators , and can be expressed as;

$$\sigma (0)=\underset{k,l}{}q_{kl}I_{1k}I_{2l},$$
(3)
where $`k`$ and $`l`$ can take values 0,1,2,3 corresponding to $`o,x,y,z`$ respectively, but not simultaneously 0, and $`I_{1o}=I_{2o}=I`$ is unit matrix, and $`q_{kl}`$ are real coefficients. All the elements of the density matrix $`\sigma (0)`$ can be classified into two groups: (i) diagonal elements involving the deviation populations. $`\mathrm{\Delta }P_k`$ (deviations from an average population) of various eigenstates and (ii) off-diagonal elements involving one-qubit coherences (1Q elements) and multi-qubit coherences (zero and double quantum elements for a 2 qubit system).

$$\sigma (0)=\left(\begin{array}{cccc}\mathrm{\Delta }P_1& 1Q_1& 1Q_2& 2Q_2\\ & & & \\ 1Q_1^{}& \mathrm{\Delta }P_2& 2Q_0& 1Q_3\\ & & & \\ 1Q_2^{}& 2Q_0^{}& \mathrm{\Delta }P_3& 1Q_4\\ & & & \\ 2Q_2^{}& 1Q_3^{}& 1Q_4^{}& \mathrm{\Delta }P_4\end{array}\right).$$
(4)
. The trace condition $`_k\mathrm{\Delta }P_k`$=0 yields 15 independent (12 off-diagonal and 3 diagonal) elements in this case. Each 1Q element, known as a single quantum element, corresponds to product operators of the type $`I_{1x}`$, $`I_{1y}`$, $`I_{1x}I_{2z}`$, $`I_{1y}I_{2z}`$, and $`I_{2x}`$, $`I_{2y}`$, $`I_{2x}I_{1z}`$, and $`I_{2y}I_{1z}`$. Each 2Q element, known as zero or double quantum element depending on the frequency of evolution $`\omega _1\omega _2`$ or $`\omega _1+\omega _2`$, corresponds to an expansion in terms of $`I_{1x}I_{2x}`$, $`I_{1x}I_{2y}`$, $`I_{1y}I_{2x}`$ and $`I_{1y}I_{2y}`$.

### A Measurement of off-diagonal elements

Effect of the pulse sequence $`1(A)`$ on any initial density matrix $`\sigma (0)`$ can be described as ,

$`\sigma (0)`$ $`\stackrel{t_1}{}`$ $`\sigma _1(t_1)=e^{it_1}\sigma (0)e^{it_1}`$ (5)
$`\stackrel{(\frac{\pi }{2})_y}{}`$ $`\sigma _2(t_1)=e^{i(I_{1y}+I_{2y})\pi /2}\sigma _1(t_1)e^{i(I_{1y}+I_{2y})\pi /2}`$ (6)
$`\stackrel{G_z}{}`$ $`\sigma _3(t_1)=𝒫\sigma _2(t_1)`$ (7)
$`\stackrel{\alpha _y}{}`$ $`\sigma _4(t_1)=e^{i(I_{1y}+I_{2y})\alpha }\sigma _3(t_1)e^{i(I_{1y}+I_{2y})\alpha }`$ (8)
$`\stackrel{t_2(measure)}{}`$ $`\sigma _5(t_1,t_2)=e^{it_2}\sigma _4(t_1)e^{it_2}.`$ (9)
Here the operator $`𝒫`$ projects and retains only the diagonal part of $`\sigma _2(t_1)`$. The complex time domain signal $`s(t_1,t_2)`$ obtained on measurement as a function of $`t_2`$, is $`s(t_1,t_2)=Trace[(I_1^++I_2^+)\sigma _5(t_1,t_2)]`$, which after double Fourier transform gives two-dimensional (2D) spectrum $`S(\mathrm{\Omega }_1,\mathrm{\Omega }_2)`$ which is a function of the two frequency variables $`\mathrm{\Omega }_1`$ and $`\mathrm{\Omega }_2`$. The $`\mathrm{\Omega }_2`$ axis of this spectrum has only the single quantum (1Q) elements (four transitions in the 2-qubit system). Along the $`\mathrm{\Omega }_1`$ axis of the 2D spectrum all the off-diagonal elements of $`\sigma (0)`$ yield peaks corresponding to their amplitudes ($`q_{kl}`$) and individual evolution frequencies during the time period $`t_1`$.

Cross-sections of the signal after Fourier Transform with respect to $`t_2`$, but before $`t_1`$, $`[S(t_1,\mathrm{\Omega }_1)]`$ taken parallel to $`t_1`$ at $`\mathrm{\Omega }_2=\omega _1^+`$ and $`\mathrm{\Omega }_2=\omega _2^+`$ respectively correspond to,

$`\sigma _4(\omega _1^+)=e^{t_1/T_2}sin\alpha [`$ $`(q_{10}+q_{13})cos(\omega _1^+t_1)+(q_{10}q_{13})cos(\omega _1^{}t_1)`$ (13)
$`(q_{20}+q_{23})sin(\omega _1^+t_1)(q_{20}q_{23})sin(\omega _1^{}t_1)`$
$`+{\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}cos\alpha \{(q_{11}q_{22})cos(\omega ^Dt_1)+(q_{11}+q_{22})cos(\omega ^Zt_1)`$
$`(q_{12}+q_{21})sin(\omega ^Dt_1)(q_{12}q_{21})sin(\omega ^Zt_1)\}]/4`$
$`\sigma _4(\omega _2^+)=e^{t_1/T_2}sin\alpha [`$ $`(q_{01}+q_{31})cos(\omega _2^+t_1)+(q_{01}q_{31})cos(\omega _2^{}t_1)`$ (17)
$`(q_{02}+q_{32})sin(\omega _2^+t_1)(q_{02}q_{32})sin(\omega _2^{}t_1)`$
$`+{\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}cos\alpha \{(q_{11}q_{22})cos(\omega ^Dt_1)+(q_{11}+q_{22})cos(\omega ^Zt_1)`$
$`(q_{12}+q_{21})sin(\omega ^Dt_1)(q_{12}q_{21})sin(\omega ^Zt_1)\}]/4,`$
where $`\omega _j^\pm =\omega _j\pm J/2`$, $`\omega ^D=\omega _1+\omega _2`$, $`\omega ^Z=\omega _1\omega _2`$, $`q_{kl}`$ are the coefficients of expansion of $`\sigma (0)`$ as in Eq. (3), and $`T_2`$ is the transverse relaxation time of various coherences. $`T_2`$ can be different for each coherence, but taken identical here for simplicity. On $`t_1`$ Fourier transformation of expression 17, one obtains the two-dimensional (2D) spectrum $`S(\mathrm{\Omega }_1,\mathrm{\Omega }_2)`$ in which the cosine terms give absorptive and the sine terms dispersive Lorenztian lines. All the coefficients of off-diagonal elements of $`\sigma (0)`$ can be obtained by fitting the cross-sections from the two-dimensional spectrum $`S(\mathrm{\Omega }_1,\mathrm{\Omega }_2)`$ (taken parallel to $`\mathrm{\Omega }_1`$) to the absorptive/dispersive Lorentzians obtained from expressions similar to Eq. (5). Two cross-sections, one at each qubit, are sufficient to calculate all the off-diagonal elements of the 2-qubit density matrix $`\sigma (0)`$ of Eq. (3). For an n-qubit system, there are $`2^{n1}`$ cross-sections per qubit. While only one cross-section per qubit is required to map all the off-diagonal elements, the remaining cross-sections can be used to minimise the errors. It may also be noted that the diagonal elements do not interfere with the two-dimensional spectrum obtained by pulse sequence 1(A). Similarly the undesired ‘axial peaks’ (having zero frequency during $`t_1`$ period) arising due to the longitudinal relaxations during $`t_1`$ period  are also suppressed by the present scheme.

In the two-qubit case, the one-qubit and two-qubit coherences have different conversion ratios, namely, $`sin\alpha `$ and $`\frac{1}{4}sin2\alpha `$. As a compromise $`\alpha =\pi /4`$ has been used here. For qubit systems having higher-qubit coherences, appropriate values of $`\alpha `$ should be used which optimizes the intensities of various orders .

### B Measurement of diagonal elements

The transformations of the density matrix $`\sigma (0)`$ by the pulse sequence $`1(B)`$ are as follows.

$`\sigma (0)`$ $`\stackrel{G_z}{}`$ $`q_{30}I_{1z}+q_{03}I_{2z}+q_{33}I_{1z}I_{2z}`$ (18)
$`\stackrel{\beta _y}{}`$ $`q_{30}(I_{1z}cos\beta +I_{1x}sin\beta )+q_{03}(I_{2z}cos\beta +I_{2x}sin\beta )`$ (20)
$`+q_{33}(I_{1z}cos\beta +I_{1x}sin\beta )(I_{2z}cos\beta +I_{2x}sin\beta )`$
$`\stackrel{t_2}{}`$ $`Measure.`$ (21)
To measure the coefficients under linear response, $`\beta `$ should be small . The measured one-qubit coherences then are

$$\beta [q_{30}I_{1x}+q_{03}I_{2x}+q_{33}(I_{1x}I_{2z}+I_{1z}I_{2x})],$$
(22)
which can be rearranged as,

$`\beta [`$ $`(q_{30}+q_{33}/2)(I_{1x}+2I_{1x}I_{2z})+(q_{30}q_{33}/2)(I_{1x}2I_{1x}I_{2z})`$ (24)
$`+(q_{03}+q_{33}/2)(I_{2x}+2I_{1z}I_{2x})+(q_{03}q_{33}/2)(I_{2x}2I_{1z}I_{2x})]/2.`$
The coefficients of the four terms in the above expression are proportional to the intensities of the corresponding four transitions of a two qubit system. After calculating $`q_{30}`$, $`q_{03}`$, and $`q_{33}`$, all the diagonal elements of the density matrix $`\sigma (0)`$ can be calculated, since the diagonal part is equal to $`q_{30}I_{1z}+q_{03}I_{2z}+q_{33}I_{1z}I_{2z}`$.

It should be noted that the gradient pulse $`G_z`$ used in pulse sequences 1(A) to destroy off-diagonal elements, does not destroy homonuclear zero-quantum coherences. In such cases, an extra small delay $`\tau _m`$ along with $`G_z`$, randomly varied between each $`t_1`$ experiment can suppress the homonuclear zero quantum coherence . In experiment 1(B), signal averaging using a few randomly varied $`\tau _m`$ along with $`G_z`$ would suppress the homonuclear zero quantum coherences.

The above schemes 1(A) and (B) assume ideal r.f. pulses. To correct for errors due to imperfection of the r.f. pulses a third one dimensional experiment can be performed to measure the one qubit coherences directly without application of any pulses. These coherences can then be used to normalize all other elements of the density matrix measured by experiments 1(A) and (B).

## IV Simulation

To demonstrate the protocol we tomograph an arbitrary complex density matrix with simulations. In a 2-qubit system, such a density matrix is of the form;

$`\sigma (0)=I_{1z}+2.3I_{2z}+6.7I_{1z}I_{2z}+I_{1x}+10I_{1x}I_{2z}+5I_{1y}+3.5I_{1y}I_{2z}+2.5I_{1y}I_{2y}`$ (25)
$`+7.2I_{1y}I_{1x}+13I_{1x}I_{2x}+1.45I_{1x}I_{2y}+2I_{2x}+3.45I_{1z}I_{2x}+6.9I_{2y}+6.753I_{1z}I_{2y}`$ (26)
$`=\left(\begin{array}{cccc}3.325& 1.86255.1383i& 33.75i& 2.652.1625i\\ 1.8625+5.1383i& 2.325& 3.8751.4375i& 21.625i\\ 3+3.375i& 3.875+1.4375i& 1.025& 0.13751.7618i\\ 2.65+2.1625i& 2+1.625i& 0.1375+1.7618i& 0.025\end{array}\right).`$ (27)
We assume the Larmor frequencies of the two qubits (spins) as $`\omega _1`$=1200 Hz, $`\omega _2`$=1800 Hz and the indirect coupling constant between the qubits as J=200 Hz. Experiment 1(A) is performed to obtain all the off-diagonal elements. $`\alpha `$ was chosen as 45o. 512 t1 increments were performed yielding the 2D spectrum shown in Fig. 1(a). Cross sections parallel to $`\mathrm{\Omega }_1`$ taken at one of the transitions of each qubit are shown in Fig 1(b) and (c). These cross sections were fitted to get all the complex off-diagonal elements of the density matrix. $`T_2`$ was taken as 10ms for all coherences. The diagonal elements were mapped using experiment 1(B) with $`\beta =10^o`$, Fig 1(d). The real and imaginary parts of the tomographed density matrix are shown respectively in Figs. 1(e) and 1(f). The calculated density matrix matches the input density matrix better than 0.01$`\%`$ for all complex elements. We have also carried out the simulations on a 4-qubit system (Fig. 2) and tomographed the density matrix with 99.7$`\%`$ fidelity.

## V Conclusion

Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy provides an efficient method for the quantum state tomography. Only an one-dimensional and a two-dimensional experiment are required for measuring all the elements of the density matrix. Since the earlier method requires a series of one dimensional experiments with different readout pulses, for large spin systems the approach becomes enormously complex . However such systems can easily be tomographed using the proposed method by aptly increasing the $`t_1`$ increments. The earlier method uses spin-selective r.f. pulses, which requires long-duration irradiation of a paricular spin. During such a pulse, the unperturbed spins evolve under the Zeeman and coupling interactions, introducing errors due to measurement . The method described here requires non-selective short-duration r.f. pulses which do not introduce such errors. Search of more qubits has led researchers to use strongly coupled spin-1/2 nuclei and quadrupolar nuclei (spin$`>`$1/2) oriented in liquid crystalline matrices . For such systems the notion of spin-selectivity does not apply, but the proposed method based on non-selective pulses can be used for tomography. Recently, the method was used to tomograph the states while quantum informtion processing in weakly and strongly coupled spin systems . This method can also be extended to a 3-dimensional experiment in which quantas of various orders are displaced in different planes of the 3-D experiment, increasing the detectibility and the resolution of the spectrum .

## VI Acknowledgments

Useful discussions with Prof. K.V.Ramanathan and Mr.Neeraj Sinha of our group are gratefully acknowledged.

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. e-mail: $`\mathrm{𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑙𝑛𝑚𝑟}\mathrm{@}\mathrm{𝑝ℎ𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑠}.\mathrm{𝑖𝑖𝑠𝑐}.\mathrm{𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑡}.\mathrm{𝑖𝑛}`$

FIG 2. Tomography of a complex density matrix in 4-qubit system. An arbitrary complex density matrix $`\sigma (0)=0.8I_{1x}+I_{1y}+0.5I_{2x}+I_{2y}+0.9I_{3x}+1.1I_{3y}+I_{4x}+1.2I_{4y}+6.3I_{1x}I_{2x}I_{3x}I_{4x}+3.9I_{1x}I_{2y}I_{3y}I_{4y}+I_{1x}I_{2x}I_{3z}I_{4z}+1.3I_{2x}I_{3x}I_{4x}`$ \+ $`1.9I_{1x}I_{2x}I_{3y}+1.5I_{1x}I_{2z}I_{3y}I_{4x}+0.6I_{4z}+I_{2z}I_{4z}+1.3I_{2z}I_{3z}I_{4z}+2I_{1z}I_{2z}I_{3z}I_{4z}`$, is reconstructed with the 2D Fourier Transform technique. The frequencies and couplings used in the simulation are $`\omega _1=600Hz,\omega _2=750Hz,\omega _3=1000Hz,\omega _4=1400Hz,J_{12}=20Hz,J_{13}=10Hz,J_{14}=70Hz,J_{23}=35Hz,J_{24}=24Hz`$ and $`J_{34}=16Hz`$. (a) Shows the real part of $`\sigma (0)`$, (b) is the real part of reconstructed density matrix and (c) the differences ( magnified by $`10^3`$) between the elements of (a) and (b). The 256 complex elements of $`\sigma (0)`$ (imaginary part not shown here) were tomographed with more than 99.7$`\%`$ accuracy.