Spherical cones: classification and a volume minimization principle

Abstract

Using a variational approach, we establish the equivalence between a weighted volume minimization principle and the existence of a conical Calabi-Yau structure on horospherical cones with mild singularities. This allows us to do explicit computations on the examples arising from rank-two symmetric spaces, showing the existence of many irregular horospherical cones.

36 pages. to appear in J. Geom. Anal