Odd Betti numbers of a compact Kähler manifold are even

ID: odd-betti-numbers-of-a-compact-kahler-manifold-are-even

The Kähler Laplacian identity makes the space of complex harmonic differential forms of degree the direct sum of its parts with . Conjugation identifies the and harmonic spaces. If is odd these are distinct and pair off, so the Betti number in degree is even. This is a topological obstruction to existence of a Kähler metric, exhibited by a Hopf surface with first Betti number one.

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