Compatibility of balanced and SKT metrics on two-step solvable Lie groups

Abstract: It has been conjectured by Fino and Vezzoni that a compact complex manifold admitting both a compatible SKT and a compatible balanced metric also admits a compatible K\"ahler metric. Using the shear construction and classification results for two-step solvable SKT Lie algebras from our previous work, we prove this conjecture for compact two-step solvmanifolds endowed with an invariant complex structure which is either (a) of pure type or (b) of dimension six. In contrast, we provide two counterexamples for a natural generalisation of this conjecture in the homogeneous invariant setting. As part of the work, we obtain further classification results for invariant SKT, balanced and K\"ahler structures on two-step solvable Lie groups. In particular, we give the full classification of left-invariant SKT structures on two-step solvable Lie groups in dimension six.