Abstract:A Stiefel manifold $V_k\bold R^n$ is the set of orthonormal $k$-frames in $\bold R^n$, and it is diffeomorphic to the homogeneous space $SO(n)/SO(n-k)$. We study $SO(n)$-invariant Einstein metrics on this space. We determine when the standard metric on $SO(n)/SO(n-k)$ is Einstein, and we give an explicit solution to the Einstein equation for the space $V_2\bold R^n$.
Keywords: Riemannian geometry, homogeneous spaces, Einstein metrics, Stiefel manifolds
AMS Subject Classification: 53C20, 53C25, 53C30