 Periods obstruct a periodic potential

If a periodic vector field has a periodic potential of a conservative vector field, the line integral between points separated by a period vector must vanish, since it is the potential difference. A periodic gradient field need not satisfy this: the constant field $(1,2)$ on the plane has potential $x+2y$, but its integrals over the two unit translations are $1$ and $2$. On the periodic quotient these translation integrals are nonzero periods, obstructing a single-valued potential there.