Aeppli Cohomology Classes Associated with Gauduchon Metrics on Compact Complex Manifolds

Abstract: We propose the study of a Monge-Amp`ere-type equation in bidegree $(n-1,\,n-1)$ rather than $(1,\,1)$ on a compact complex manifold $X$ of dimension $n$ for which we prove uniqueness of the solution subject to positivity and normalisation restrictions. Existence will hopefully be dealt with in future work. The aim is to construct a special Gauduchon metric uniquely associated with any Aeppli cohomology class of bidegree $(n-1,\,n-1)$ lying in the Gauduchon cone of $X$ that we hereby introduce as a subset of the real Aeppli cohomology group of type $(n-1,\,n-1)$ and whose first properties we study. Two directions for applications of this new equation are envisaged: to moduli spaces of Calabi-Yau $\partial\bar\partial$-manifolds and to a further study of the deformation properties of the Gauduchon cone beyond those given in this paper.