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On a compact Riemann surface, the degree of a holomorphic vector bundle is the degree of a line bundle of its determinant line bundle. A Hermitian metric on a holomorphic vector bundle and its Chern connection express this degree by the trace-curvature integral. The value is independent of the metric because the normalized trace curvature represents the First Chern class.

A Hermitian vector bundle is a complex vector bundle with a smoothly varying positive definite Hermitian form on each fibre. When the bundle is holomorphic, this is a Hermitian metric on a holomorphic vector bundle. Orthogonal projection to a smooth subbundle produces its induced metric and the quotient Hermitian metric.

In a holomorphic local frame of a Hermitian holomorphic vector bundle, let $H$ be the matrix of its Hermitian metric on a holomorphic vector bundle. With the convention $\nabla e=eA$, the Chern connection hasThe condition ${\nabla }^{0,1}={\bar{\partial }}_E$ forces $A$ to have type $(1,0)$, while metric compatibility forces this formula, proving both existence and uniqueness.

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 $F$.

A connection on a vector bundle is a complex-linear map from smooth sections to vector-bundle-valued one-forms satisfyingChoose a locally finite trivializing cover, its componentwise flat connections on a vector bundle $D_i$, and a subordinate smooth partition of unity ${\rho }_i$. The formula $D={\sum }_i{\rho }_i{D}_i$ is globally meaningful: each weighted term extends by zero outside its chart. Its Leibniz rule follows from ${\sum }_i{\rho }_i=1$, proving every smooth complex vector bundle admits a connection.

Extend the connection on a vector bundle to bundle-valued differential forms byThe curvature form of a connection is ${\Theta }_D=D^2$. Applying this twice to $fs$ shows that the $df$ terms cancel, so $D^2$ is tensorial and defines an $\mathrm{End}(E)$-valued two-form. With column coordinates for sections and connection one-form $A$, the local expression is $D=d+A\wedge$. Direct expansion on an arbitrary bundle-valued form givesThe terms containing a derivative of the argument cancel by the graded Leibniz rule. Thus Cartan curvature matrix equation isHere multiplication includes matrix multiplication and the exterior product of form entries. For a frame change $e^{\prime }=eg$, the connection one-form and curvature form of a connection transform asThe trace is consequently frame independent. Alsothe diagonal terms vanish and the off-diagonal terms cancel in pairs. Locally $\mathrm{Tr}\Theta =d\mathrm{Tr}A$, and hence $d\mathrm{Tr}\Theta =0$. The local primitives need not agree, but the two-form does. We obtain a global closed two-form $\mathrm{Tr}{\Theta }_D$.

The determinant connection on $\det E={\bigwedge }^{r}E$ is defined intrinsically bywhere the differential-form coefficient of $D{s}_j$ is placed first. In a local frame, only the diagonal components contribute to the derivative of $e_1\wedge \cdots \wedge e_r$, so its connection one-form is $\mathrm{Tr}A$. A line-bundle connection has curvature $d\mathrm{Tr}A$, because a scalar one-form wedges with itself to zero. ThereforeTo see independence of the de Rham cohomology class, write $D_1-D_0=a$, a globally defined endomorphism-valued one-form. The curvature difference formula and the same trace cancellations give the trace curvature transgressionTheir difference is globally an exact differential form, so their de Rham cohomology classes coincide.

For the Hermitian metric on a holomorphic vector bundle, use the displayed ordering of the local matrices and put $B=(\partial h)h^{-1}$. The identity $\bar{\partial }{h}^{-1}=-h^{-1}(\bar{\partial }h)h^{-1}$ givesThe plus sign comes from applying the graded Leibniz rule to the one-form $\partial h$. By the derivative formula for a determinant,The Hermitian positive-definite matrix $h$ has positive real determinant, so this logarithm is an ordinary smooth real function. The trace of Chern curvature in these conventions is thereforeIt is locally an exact differential form and in particular closed.

A holomorphic local frame change multiplies $\det h$ by $|\det g{|}^2$. A nowhere-zero holomorphic function has a local holomorphic logarithm, so $\bar{\partial }\partial \log |\det g{|}^2=0$. Thus the preceding expression for $\alpha$ is independent of the frame and glues globally. For two Hermitian metrics on a holomorphic vector bundle, the functionis globally defined because the frame-change factors cancel. Their two-forms differ by $d(\partial f)$. Hence the class of $\alpha$ is independent of the metric. The two-form is generally imaginary-valued; the metric independence statement is in complex de Rham cohomology, or equivalently for the real form $i\alpha$.

The Chern connection of a Hermitian metric on a holomorphic vector bundle is the unique connection on a vector bundle compatible with that metric and whose $(0,1)$ part is the bundle's Dolbeault operator ${\bar{\partial }}_E$. Fix a holomorphic local frame and column coefficients for sections. Write the metric as $h(s,t)={\bar{s}}^{T}Ht$, conjugate-linear in the first argument, and write the connection as $Ds=ds+As$. The condition $D^{0,1}={\bar{\partial }}_E$ forces $A$ to have type $(1,0)$. Metric compatibility requireswhere the dagger conjugates the differential-form coefficients as well as transposing the matrix. Taking the $(1,0)$ part gives $\boxed{A=H^{-1}\partial H}$. Its conjugate-transpose supplies the $(0,1)$ metric equation because $H$ is Hermitian. This proves uniqueness and local existence.

Under a holomorphic change of frame $e^{\prime }=eg$, the metric matrix becomes $H^{\prime }=g^{†}Hg$. The local formula for the Chern connection on a vector bundle then givesThis is precisely the transformation rule for a connection on a vector bundle, so the local connections glue and establish global existence. No Kähler hypothesis is needed for this part.

Extend $D$ to vector-bundle-valued differential forms by the graded Leibniz rule. The curvature form of a connection is the tensorial square $F_h=D^2$, acting by exterior multiplication. In the chosen frame,Indeed $\partial A+A\wedge A=0$ by differentiating $H^{-1}H=I$. It follows that $F_h$ has type $(1,1)$; the gauge change is $F_h^{\prime }=g^{-1}{F}_{h}g$. Thus it is a global smooth two-form with values in $\mathrm{End}(E)$, namely an element of ${\mathcal{A}}^2(\mathrm{End}(E))$.

A connection on a vector bundle is a complex-linear map $D:{\Omega }^0(E)\to {\Omega }^1(E)$ satisfying the Leibniz rule $D(fs)=df\otimes s+fDs$. It is compatible with the Hermitian metric on a holomorphic vector bundle $h$ whenand compatible with the holomorphic structure when its type-$(0,1)$ part is the Dolbeault partial connection:

A holomorphic line bundle is a complex line bundle with holomorphic transition functions, and a holomorphic section is one whose coefficient in every holomorphic local frame is holomorphic. Given a Hermitian metric on a holomorphic vector bundle $h$, its Chern connection is the connection $\nabla$ satisfying

Let $e$ be a nonvanishing holomorphic local frame, put $H=h(e,e)>0$, and write $\nabla e=Ae$. The first condition forces $A^{0,1}=0$, while metric compatibility forcesThis determines $\nabla$ uniquely and also constructs it. If $e^{\prime }=ge$ for a nowhere-zero holomorphic function $g$, then $A^{\prime }=A+g^{-1}\partial g$, exactly the connection one-form transformation law, so the local constructions glue.

For a line bundle, $A\wedge A=0$, and the curvature form of a connection isIt has type $(1,1)$. Under $e^{\prime }=ge$, the extra term $g^{-1}\partial g$ is closed, so the curvature is unchanged and therefore global. This is the local formula for the Chern connection on a line bundle.

Any other Hermitian metric has the form $\hat{h}=e^{u}h$ for a global smooth real function $u$. Its local squared norm is $\hat{H}=e^{u}H$, whence

Connections ${\nabla }_1$ and ${\nabla }_2$ induce the tensor product connectionIts connection form in a product frame is $A_1+A_2$, so the curvature of a tensor product connection is $F_1+F_2$. For Chern connections, equip $L_1\otimes L_2$ with the product metricThe tensor product connection has the correct $(0,1)$ part and preserves this metric, so uniqueness identifies it with the Chern connection of $h$.

A Hermitian metric on a holomorphic vector bundle $E\to X$ is a smoothly varying family of positive-definite Hermitian forms $h_x$ on its fibers. A Chern connection is a connection on a vector bundle $\nabla$ that is compatible with $h$ and whose $(0,1)$ part is the bundle's Dolbeault partial connection, ${\nabla }^{0,1}={\bar{\partial }}_E$.

Choose a local holomorphic frame $e$ and write $h=h(e,e)>0$. The connection form in this frame isIf $e^{\prime }=ge$ for a nowhere-zero holomorphic function $g$, then $h^{\prime }=|g{|}^{2}h$ andwhich is exactly the connection-form transformation law. The local formulas therefore define a global connection.

Identify $\mathcal{O}(-1)$ with the tautological bundle over Complex projective space. The standard Hermitian inner product of ${\mathbb{C}}^{n+1}$ restricts to each tautological line. On the affine chart $U_i=\{Z_i\ne 0\}$, put $w_j=Z_j/Z_i$ for $j\ne i$ and use the holomorphic frameThenThe curvature form of a connection isConsequently Chern-Weil theory gives the closed representativewhere ${\omega }_{FS}$ is the Fubini-Study form.

Fix a Hermitian metric on a holomorphic vector bundle $E$ over a compact Riemann surface and a positive area form $\omega$. Write $i{F}_E=K\omega$ for its Chern curvature. If every eigenvalue of the Hermitian endomorphism $K$ is at most $C$, the curvature formula for a holomorphic subbundle gives $\mathrm{deg}F\le \mathrm{rank}(F)C{\int }_X\omega /(2\pi )$. The second-fundamental-form term is nonpositive. Compactness supplies a finite $C$ independent of the subbundle. If $F_E=0$, every subbundle has nonpositive degree.

In a holomorphic local frame, a Hermitian metric on a holomorphic vector bundle has matrix $h$. The trace of its Chern connection curvature is $\bar{\partial }\partial \log \det h$. A frame change multiplies $\det h$ by the squared modulus of a holomorphic unit, whose logarithm has vanishing mixed derivative. For two metrics, the quotient of their determinants is a global positive function, and the trace curvatures differ by the exterior derivative of its logarithmic $\partial$-derivative.