Free data at spacelike $${\mathscr {I}}$$ and characterization of Kerr-de Sitter in all dimensions

We study the free data in the Fefferman–Graham expansion of asymptotically Einstein $$(n+1)$$ ( n + 1 ) -dimensional metrics with non-zero cosmological constant. We analyze the relation between the electric part of the rescaled Weyl tensor at $${\mathscr {I}}$$ I , D, and the free data at $${\mathscr {I}}$$ I , namely a certain traceless and transverse part of the n-th order coefficient of the expansion $$\mathring{g}_{(n)}$$ g ˚ ( n ) . In the case $$\Lambda <0$$ Λ < 0 and Lorentzian signature, it was known [23] that conformal flatness at $${\mathscr {I}}$$ I is sufficient for D and $$\mathring{g}_{(n)}$$ g ˚ ( n ) to agree up to a universal constant. We recover and extend this result to general signature and any sign of non-zero $$\Lambda $$ Λ . We then explore whether conformal flatness of $${\mathscr {I}}$$ I is also neceesary and link this to the validity of long-standing open conjecture that no non-trivial purely magnetic $$\Lambda $$ Λ -vacuum spacetimes exist. In the case of $${\mathscr {I}}$$ I non-conformally flat we determine a quantity constructed from an auxiliary metric which can be used to retrieve $$\mathring{g}_{(n)}$$ g ˚ ( n ) from the (now singular) electric part of the Weyl tensor. We then concentrate in the $$\Lambda >0$$ Λ > 0 case where the Cauchy problem at $${\mathscr {I}}$$ I of the Einstein vacuum field equations is known to be well-posed when the data at $${\mathscr {I}}$$ I are analytic or when the spacetime has even dimension. We establish a necessary and sufficient condition for analytic data at $${\mathscr {I}}$$ I to generate spacetimes with symmetries in all dimensions. These results are used to find a geometric characterization of the Kerr-de Sitter metrics in all dimensions in terms of its geometric data at null infinity.