The CR Yamabe invariant and constant scalar curvature Sasaki metrics

Abstract: We propose a new approach to the existence of constant transversal scalar curvature Sasaki structures drawing on ideas and tools from the CR Yamabe problem, establishing a link between the CR Yamabe invariant, the existence of Sasaki structures of constant transversal scalar curvature, and the K-stability of Sasaki manifolds. Assuming that the Sasaki-Reeb cone contains a regular vector field, we show that if the CR Yamabe invariant of a compact Sasaki manifold attains a specific value determined by the geometry of the Reeb cone, then the Sasaki manifold is K-semistable. Under the additional assumption of non-positive average scalar curvature, the CR Yamabe invariant attains this topological value if the manifold admits approximately constant scalar curvature Sasaki structures, and we also show a partial converse. As an application, we provide a new numerical criterion for the K-semistability of polarised compact complex manifolds.