Hodge decomposition theorem for compact Kähler manifolds

For a compact Kähler manifold,and every class has a unique harmonic representative of each type.

This is the compact Kähler specialization of Hodge theory.

For a compact Kähler manifold of complex dimension $d$ and $k\le d$, this is the cohomology killed by the indicated power of a Kähler class. The Hodge–Riemann bilinear relations polarize its Hodge structure. On a K3 surface, primitive degree-two cohomology is the orthogonal complement of the chosen positive class.

For a nonzero primitive class $v\in H^{p,q}$ of degree $k=p+q$ on a compact Kähler manifold of complex dimension $d$, the displayed expression is positive. Together with orthogonality of complementary Hodge bidegrees, this makes primitive cohomology a polarized Hodge structure when the Kähler class is rational, after clearing denominators. Positivity on the full cohomology requires the signs prescribed by its primitive decomposition.

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

On a connected compact Kähler manifold of complex dimension two, the intersection form restricted to real $(1,1)$ cohomology has signature $(1,h^{1,1}-1)$. The Kähler class spans a positive line, and its orthogonal complement consists of primitive classes, which are negative definite. Thus a totally isotropic subspace of real $(1,1)$ cohomology has dimension at most one.