Geometric Interpretations and Applications of the Berger-Ebin and York $L^2$-Orthogonal Decompositions

The Berger-Ebin and York $L^2$-orthogonal decompositions of the vector space of symmetric bilinear differential two-forms are fundamental tools in global Riemannian geometry. In this paper, we investigate the structure of Ricci tensors on compact Riemannian manifolds, with a particular focus on compact Ricci almost solitons, utilizing both the Berger-Ebin and York $L^2$-orthogonal decompositions. In addition, we explore applications of the York $L^2$-orthogonal decomposition to the theory of submanifolds and to the study of harmonic maps between Riemannian manifolds.