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For a nonzero holomorphic vector bundle $F$ on the curve, its degree of a holomorphic vector bundle and slope of a holomorphic vector bundle areWe obtain a bound independent of the particular holomorphic subbundle by fixing a Hermitian metric on a holomorphic vector bundle $E$ once and for all. Let $D_E$ be its Chern connection, $F_E=D_E^2$ its Chern curvature, and $\omega$ any positive area form on the compact Riemann surface. WriteHere $K$ is a smooth Hermitian endomorphism of $E$. By compactness, its largest eigenvalue is bounded above by some finite constant $C$ on the whole curve.

Let $F\subseteq E$ be a holomorphic subbundle of positive rank $r$, with the induced metric. Use the smooth orthogonal splitting of a vector subbundle $E=F\oplus F^{\perp }$. In this splitting the connection has block formwhere $D_F$ is the projected Chern connection and $B$ is the second fundamental form of a holomorphic subbundle. The latter has type $(1,0)$: the $(0,1)$ part of $D_E$ preserves the holomorphic subbundle. The adjoint $B^{†}$ includes conjugation of the form factor and has type $(0,1)$. Squaring this block matrix givesThis derives the curvature formula for a holomorphic subbundle in the column-vector convention used here. Locally write $B=bdz$. ThenThe degree of a holomorphic vector bundle is the trace-curvature integral, since the trace is the curvature of the determinant line bundle. HenceThe last integrand is a nonnegative real two-form and is independent of the local unitary frame and coordinate. Since $K\le C{I}_E$, the compressed trace is at most $rC$ pointwise. ThereforeThis is the subbundle slope bound from ambient Chern curvature. The right side depends only on $E$ and the initially chosen metrics, and is finite. It proves the requested uniform upper bound for every positive-rank subbundle, without assuming any stability property of $E$ or using a bound that depends on $F$.

The flat unitary connection on $E_V$ is its Chern connection, since it preserves the induced Hermitian metric and its $(0,1)$ part is the Dolbeault operator. Its curvature is zero. The trace-curvature formula for the degree of a holomorphic vector bundle therefore givesFor any positive-rank proper holomorphic subbundle $F\subset E_V$, equip $F$ with the induced metric and use the block-connection calculation of Question 4(a). Since the ambient curvature vanishes, its Chern curvature iswhere $B=bdz$ is the second fundamental form of a holomorphic subbundle. ConsequentlyThe term being integrated is nonnegative, so its sign gives the inequality for every such subbundle, not just for parallel subbundles. By the definition of a semistable holomorphic vector bundle,If semistability is formulated using coherent subsheaves instead, saturate a subsheaf on the smooth curve. The saturation has the same rank, at least as large a degree, and is a subbundle because a torsion-free sheaf on a smooth curve is locally free. The inequality for the saturated subbundle therefore also bounds the original subsheaf. Finally, equality for a subbundle forces $B=0$, so it is parallel; invariant subspaces of $V$ correspond to these degree-zero parallel subbundles. Semistability is the conclusion required here, rather than stability for every unitary representation.

The slope of a nonzero holomorphic vector bundle on a compact Riemann surface is its degree of a holomorphic vector bundle divided by its rank of a vector bundle. It measures degree per fibre dimension. Comparing subbundle slopes defines semistable holomorphic vector bundles.