Hodge symmetry 2026-10-07
On a compact Kähler manifold, complex conjugation commutes with the real Hodge Laplacian and exchanges harmonic forms of bidegrees and . The identification of Dolbeault cohomology with harmonic forms therefore gives the symmetry of Hodge numbers.
Hodge theory 2026-10-14
Hodge theory connects de Rham cohomology with harmonic differential forms through the Hodge Laplacian on a compact Riemannian manifold. The Hodge decomposition theorem supplies a unique harmonic representative of each cohomology class. On a compact Kähler manifold, the decomposition additionally respects the complex bidegrees of differential forms.
A holomorphic form is annihilated by and, by bidegree, by . The Kähler Laplacian identity makes it harmonic for , hence -closed on a compact Kähler manifold.
Kähler cone 2026-10-05
The Kähler cone of a compact Kähler manifold is the open cone of real cohomology classes represented by positive closed forms. If every real degree-two cohomology class has type , density of rational classes supplies a rational Kähler class. An integral multiple is the First Chern class of a positive holomorphic line bundle, and the Kodaira embedding theorem implies projectivity.
Kähler Laplacian identity Created 2026-09-28 Updated 2026-10-14
On a Kähler manifold, expanding and using the Kähler identities makes the mixed anticommutators vanish and gives . Therefore
Kähler normal holomorphic coordinates Created 2026-10-06 Updated 2026-10-07
At any point of a Kähler manifold, a complex-linear coordinate change normalizes the Hermitian metric matrix. Closedness makes its holomorphic first derivatives symmetric in the two unbarred indices. A quadratic holomorphic coordinate change removes those derivatives, and Hermitian symmetry removes the antiholomorphic derivatives. Conversely, having this first-order normalization at every point makes the fundamental Hermitian form closed.
Kodaira vanishing theorem 2026-10-14
On a compact Kähler manifold , if is a positive holomorphic line bundle, then for . The canonical-bundle twist is part of the hypothesis and conclusion; positivity alone does not remove it on a general manifold. For a complex torus, the canonical bundle is trivial, so higher cohomology of a positive line bundle vanishes without an additional twist.
For a Hermitian holomorphic bundle over a Kähler manifold, let act by exterior multiplication. The bundle-valued Kähler identities give , and taking adjoints yields . This measures the failure of the bundle-valued Dolbeault Laplacian to commute with the Lefschetz operator.
Lefschetz operator of a Kähler manifold Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
The Lefschetz operator of a Kähler manifold is exterior multiplication by its Kähler form,
Its formal adjoint is denoted by and lowers the bidegree of a differential form by .
This wedge operator participates in the Kähler identities; the theorem on integral classes is a different result.
Exterior multiplication by the fundamental -form of a Hermitian manifold raises bidegree by . Its pointwise formal adjoint lowers bidegree by . On a Kähler manifold this is the Lefschetz operator of a Kähler manifold, but its pointwise algebraic properties do not require the form to be closed.
On a Kähler manifold, the Lefschetz operator of a Kähler manifold commutes with the Dolbeault Laplacian:
Consequently, if is -harmonic, then every is also harmonic.
An almost complex structure is a smooth endomorphism with ; in particular the real dimension is even. Complexifying the tangent bundle splits it into the and eigensubbundles
interchanged by conjugation. On a complex manifold, these are locally spanned by and . An integrable almost complex structure is one arising from a holomorphic coordinate atlas. Its sections are closed under the Lie bracket. The obstruction is the Nijenhuis tensor
Expanding this expression in the two eigentypes shows that is equivalent to involutivity of . Holomorphic coordinates make this condition necessary; the Newlander-Nirenberg theorem gives its sufficiency for smooth . Integrability also gives , with and . The Dolbeault operator on defines its holomorphic vector bundle structure.
A real connection on a vector bundle on preserves when . Its complexification then preserves both eigensubbundles. Restricting to gives a complex connection . Conversely any complex connection on gives such a real connection by adjoining its conjugate on and restricting to the conjugation-fixed real tangent bundle. Equivalently, transfer through the real isomorphism . These operations are inverse. Preserving alone does not impose the holomorphic compatibility condition .
For integrable , the latter condition has a precise real-connection interpretation: the mixed-type torsion tensor vanishes. In holomorphic coordinates it says . Reality also gives . Since these coordinate fields commute, their torsion is zero. Conversely a -preserving real connection with zero mixed torsion has these two derivatives equal; they belong to opposite eigentypes, so both vanish, proving . This is the holomorphic tangent connection and mixed torsion criterion.
Full torsion-freeness imposes the additional symmetry in , and its conjugate. Such a -preserving torsion-free connection exists on any complex manifold: local holomorphic-coordinate flat connections have these properties, and a real partition of unity combines them globally. Preservation of and zero torsion persist because both conditions are affine in the connection. Conversely if is merely almost complex, a torsion-free connection preserving it forces : replace brackets by in the displayed tensor and use ; all terms cancel. Thus this connection condition detects integrability, without imposing any metric condition.
A Hermitian metric is a real Riemannian metric with . It induces a Hermitian metric on and the fundamental two-form . The unique Chern connection satisfies both and metric compatibility. In a holomorphic frame with metric matrix and coefficient-column convention, its matrix is . It need not be torsion-free when transferred to .
In holomorphic coordinates its coefficients are . Their symmetry in is equivalent to , which says . The conjugate gives . The result that a torsion-free Chern tangent connection characterizes a Kähler metric follows: the transferred Chern connection is torsion-free exactly when , the Kähler metric condition. In that case it equals the Levi-Civita connection, by uniqueness of the metric-compatible torsion-free connection. Equivalently a Hermitian metric is Kähler exactly when its Levi-Civita connection preserves . In the reverse direction implies , and zero torsion gives .
This explains the role of Kähler metrics: they make the real Riemannian and holomorphic connection theories coincide. A general complex manifold has torsion-free -preserving connections and has Hermitian metrics, but need not have a connection satisfying both requirements simultaneously. On a Kähler manifold, the Kähler identities then link the Dolbeault Laplacian and Hodge Laplacian, giving and the resulting harmonic Hodge decomposition theorem for compact Kähler manifolds.
On the Kähler manifold define using the Kähler form; the operator is the adjoint Lefschetz operator, the pointwise contraction adjoint to wedging with . It lowers bidegree by . Set
and keep as above. These are the Hodge Laplacian and the holomorphic and antiholomorphic Laplacians respectively. The permitted identity among the Kähler identities gives . Expanding rather than assuming the desired anticommutation,
because . Hence .
True. The Künneth theorem gives the Poincaré polynomial
so and . The proposed equality also gives . Even if compactness was not stated separately, these two numbers force the putative eight-manifold to be connected and compact: the top ordinary real cohomology of a connected noncompact manifold is zero.
The auxiliary Hard Lefschetz theorem on de Rham cohomology says that, on a compact Kähler manifold of complex dimension , is an isomorphism, where . Here , so is injective. If , then and therefore . Thus is injective, forcing . The inequality is impossible. Hence these Betti numbers cannot occur for a Kähler eight-manifold.
Geometric quantization constructs quantum state spaces from the geometry of a classical symplectic manifold . Its first task is to represent classical observables and their Poisson bracket by operators; its second is to reduce the excessive phase-space dependence of the resulting states. These are different steps, called prequantization and choice of a polarization in geometric quantization.
Use and , so . A prequantum line bundle is a Hermitian complex line bundle with unitary connection on a vector bundle of curvature
Its existence requires the integrality of all symplectic periods:
One way to see the obstruction is to choose local primitives on contractible charts. The local connections are . On overlaps the differences of are exact and determine unitary transition phases. On triple overlaps their exponentials obey the cocycle condition exactly when the periods have the stated integral values. Conversely that integral class is realized by a line bundle; adjusting a connection by a global one-form makes its curvature equal to the prescribed representative. Connections with this curvature can still differ by a flat connection, so integrality need not specify unique quantum data.
On smooth sections define the Kostant-Souriau prequantum operator
Its defining algebraic property follows directly from the curvature commutator:
The multiplication terms contribute , so
The preliminary inner product integrates the Hermitian pairing against the symplectic volume , where . Hamiltonian flows preserve this measure, so real observables give formally symmetric operators on suitable compactly supported sections. Actual self-adjoint realizations and their domains require analysis, especially on a noncompact phase space.
The prequantum representation is generally reducible and depends on all variables, whereas a configuration-space wave function should depend on . A polarization in geometric quantization is an involutive complex rank- distribution that is isotropic for . A real polarization is tangent to a Lagrangian foliation; a compatible complex polarization is supplied by a Kähler manifold. Polarized sections satisfy
This condition is locally consistent because the connection curvature vanishes on pairs of polarization vectors, and involutivity closes the differential constraints. Globally, leaf holonomy can obstruct nonzero polarized sections. To construct the quantum Hilbert space, one must also choose the appropriate quotient measure or density data and complete the polarized sections; it need not be a literal closed subspace of the original phase-space space.
For , set , so and the line bundle is trivial with . The vertical polarization is spanned by . Its equations say , hence . Before this restriction,
After restricting and using the configuration-space measure, the Schrödinger representation is
Their commutator is on a common smooth test-function domain. Functions of act by multiplication. Observables affine in momenta have flows preserving this polarization and can act directly, with density terms when required for symmetry. An arbitrary observable does not: already has a flow taking a vertical fiber to a slanted one. Thus merely restricting its prequantum operator does not produce the free Schrödinger Hamiltonian.
The Blattner-Kostant-Sternberg pairing compares different polarizations. One can transport a state by a Hamiltonian flow to its transported polarization, pair back with the chosen state space and differentiate to obtain additional operators when the pairing is well defined. The metaplectic correction tensors polarized sections with a suitable square root of the polarization's canonical bundle. Half-forms improve the invariant state pairing and contribute to operator transport; their global existence is additional data.
A closed real-polarization leaf illustrates the topological restriction. Since vanishes along a Lagrangian leaf, the restricted prequantum connection is flat. A nonzero parallel section exists around a closed loop only if its holonomy is trivial. In cotangent coordinates this is
This is the Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization condition before the half-form correction. With the standard Maslov correction it becomes , where is the Maslov index. For an oscillator ellipse, the enclosed phase-space area is and the index is two; the corrected rule gives for , exhibiting the zero-point shift. Singular real polarizations can require distributional sections rather than ordinary smooth polarized sections.
The construction thus separates local operator algebra from global integrality, polarization and holonomy. It recovers familiar quantum representations while exposing their geometric choices. A polarization also limits which observables preserve the state space, and exact Poisson-to-commutator correspondence cannot in general be extended to every classical polynomial in an irreducible canonical quantization. Changes of polarization, operator domains, half-form existence and singular reductions are substantive issues, so geometric quantization is a framework with specified additional data rather than a unique automatic procedure for every classical system.
Geometric quantization starts from a classical symplectic manifold and seeks a Hilbert space and quantum observables that reflect its geometry. It has two distinct stages: prequantization, which represents the full Poisson algebra on sections of a line bundle, and a choice of polarization in geometric quantization, which reduces the excessive phase-space dependence of those sections.
Use the conventions and . A prequantum line bundle is a Hermitian line bundle with unitary connection of curvature
Existence requires
for every closed integral two-cycle , equivalently integrality of the symplectic cohomology class. Necessity follows from the integral curvature periods of a unitary line bundle; conversely an integral class defines such a bundle, and one adjusts its connection to give the specified curvature. This is a restriction on the classical system, not a choice of local coordinates. For an exact cotangent symplectic form , with , the bundle can be trivial and a connection is . On a sphere with symplectic area , the condition becomes . The sign of the curvature convention changes if one changes the Hamiltonian-vector-field convention or uses the dual bundle; the integrality condition is unaffected.
The Kostant-Souriau prequantum operator for a real observable is
Its derivative part describes the classical Hamiltonian flow and the multiplication term corrects the bracket. Indeed,
Since , expanding the operator commutator gives
With the Hermitian bundle metric and Liouville measure, these operators are formally symmetric for real because Hamiltonian flows preserve symplectic volume. On noncompact spaces, domains and self-adjointness still require attention; the algebraic identity initially holds on an appropriate common smooth domain.
Prequantization alone is too large. Sections depend on phase-space variables, and the canonical commutation relations are represented reducibly. A polarization is an involutive maximal isotropic distribution of complex rank . Polarized sections satisfy
The curvature vanishes on pairs of polarization vectors because , and involutivity makes the equations locally compatible. A real polarization is tangent to a Lagrangian foliation. A complex polarization in a Kähler manifold chooses one complex tangent type. With the curvature sign used here, choose the holomorphic tangent distribution, giving antiholomorphic wavefunctions. The conjugate line-bundle and sign convention gives the more usual holomorphic description.
For , the vertical real polarization is spanned locally by . Since the canonical one-form has no vertical component, its polarized sections are functions of alone. In the above trivialization,
One does not simply integrate these states over every momentum to retain the prequantum norm: they are constant along noncompact polarization leaves and that integral would diverge. The polarized inner product instead uses the configuration-space measure or an intrinsic half-density description. This recovers the Schrödinger realization.
Only observables whose Hamiltonian flows preserve act directly on the polarized space. For example, the free-particle flow generated by sends vertical tangent vectors into directions with a configuration-space component, so its raw prequantum operator does not preserve the vertical polarization. To obtain the usual kinetic operator one needs an additional procedure, such as transporting the polarization and pairing back, rather than pretending every classical observable restricts automatically. The Blattner-Kostant-Sternberg pairing and related projection methods address this problem. The impossibility of quantizing all classical observables with every desired algebraic property is another reason to specify the admissible observable algebra.
A metaplectic correction tensors with a square root of the polarization's canonical determinant bundle when such a square root exists. These half-forms make the pairing more intrinsic and supply corrections to operator transport. They account for familiar Maslov and zero-point shifts; their existence is an extra topological condition. For a flat phase plane, take and replace by the gauge-equivalent . Then
The antiholomorphic function therefore has Gaussian norm, the complex-conjugate Bargmann-Fock space. This explicit calculation fixes which polarization matches our curvature sign. Choosing the opposite tangent type with the same sign would give growing Gaussian sections, not the desired Hilbert space. On compact positive Kähler examples, the corresponding holomorphic description (or its conjugate in these conventions) gives finite-dimensional state spaces.
Finding a suitable polarization is therefore a substantial part of the construction. A globally smooth real Lagrangian foliation may fail to exist; for example a regular real polarization on would require a line field that its tangent topology forbids. Singular foliations and noncompact leaves complicate both states and inner products. Although the restricted prequantum connection is locally flat on a Lagrangian leaf, a global nonzero parallel section requires trivial holonomy. In an integrable system this selects the Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization leaves; including the half-form correction gives the familiar action condition
in the usual Maslov-index convention. Complex polarizations require compatible global complex geometry and positivity. Different choices can lead to quite different realizations, and a natural unitary comparison is not automatic. Thus integral curvature provides prequantization; polarization and its global compatibility determine the actual quantum state space.
For each of the operators , define its nonnegative Laplacian by using the formal adjoint. In particular, , , , and . Use the d c operator convention
This normalization, without an extra factor of one-half, is the one for which the requested equality with holds.
The Lefschetz operator of a Kähler manifold is , and the adjoint Lefschetz operator is its pointwise metric adjoint . It lowers type by and is a real operator because and the metric are real. Write and , use , and use for the anticommutators of the odd-degree operators. The allowed relation among the Kähler identities and its complex conjugate give
These identities alone suffice for the calculation. Since ,
Replacing by in the same calculation gives . Thus both mixed terms vanish when expanding the Hodge Laplacian of :
The anticommutation now proves equality of the two summands. Indeed,
which are the same expression. Finally, , so its Laplacian expands as
This proves the Kähler Laplacian identity, with its real-operator version included:
The action of the almost complex structure on forms is . It multiplies a form of type by . Since preserves each bidegree, it commutes with this action of . Thus ; the invertibility of gives
This argument applies to arbitrary sums of types, not only to pure-type forms.
The ddbar lemma for a compact Kähler manifold states that a -closed form of pure type is -exact if it is -exact, -exact, or -exact. Conversely, a -exact form is -closed and exact for all three operators. In particular a -exact, -closed -form equals for a form of type .
The difference of the two Kähler forms is a real -form, is -closed, and is -exact by equality of their de Rham cohomology classes. The ddbar lemma therefore gives a smooth complex-valued function with . Reality and anticommutation imply
Set , which is real. It follows directly that , giving the global potential for cohomologous Kähler forms
If are two real potentials, satisfies , so it is a pluriharmonic function. The allowed relation among the Kähler identities gives , because by degree. The Kähler Laplacian identity then gives . Integration by parts on compact gives
so is constant on each connected component. Consequently the potential is unique up to one additive constant when is connected; on a disconnected , one constant per component is the exact conclusion. Without the usual connectedness convention the printed uniqueness assertion needs this qualification: distinct constants on the components of a disjoint union leave the same pair of Kähler forms unchanged.
Fix the input-index convention
Extend the connection on a vector bundle by the graded Leibniz rule, . Applying it twice gives
so
This is the Cartan curvature equation with input indices. In the more usual coefficient-column convention , and because the entries have degree one. Thus ; the sign difference is entirely conventional.
The Chern connection of a Hermitian vector bundle with holomorphic structure is characterized by metric compatibility and . To construct it, use a holomorphic local frame and let , with the Hermitian inner product linear in the first variable. The second defining property makes type . The first gives
and therefore the only possible matrix is
Conversely, this formula has type and satisfies both type components of the metric identity, because . Under a holomorphic frame change , and direct differentiation gives
This is precisely the transformation obtained by differentiating . The locally constructed connections glue, proving existence, and the forced formula proves uniqueness of the Chern connection.
The derivative of gives . Consequently the Chern curvature is
The second assertion is in a holomorphic local frame; holomorphic transition functions make it intrinsic. Thus the curvature Dolbeault class is by the Dolbeault theorem. Here denotes this tensor product. We use the identification with bundle-valued Dolbeault forms in which the antiholomorphic exterior factor is placed first, so has the stated positive descent sign.
For the stated transitions , differentiating the frame relation yields
Transport the alpha matrix to the beta frame before subtracting it. The difference is the holomorphic section
On a triple intersection, , so
This is exactly the Čech cocycle condition after transporting all representatives to the gamma frame.
To identify its class, let be the local holomorphic connection making the alpha frame parallel. Then is a genuine local section of , represented by , with . Its Čech coboundary, using , is the intrinsic section represented by in the beta frame. This local-primitive construction is the Čech–Dolbeault identification, and proves that maps to . For an arbitrary trivializing cover use its natural map to sheaf cohomology; a Stein refinement gives the usual Čech computation. The resulting object is the Čech cocycle for the curvature Dolbeault class.
If the metric changes, the difference is a global smooth form with values in . The local curvature formulas give , so is metric independent. If holomorphic frames change by , the corresponding local tensors , expressed in the old frame, are . They are holomorphic, and their differences change the cocycle by . Hence depends only on the holomorphic bundle, not on its metric or trivializations.
Apply exterior product and endomorphism composition to curvature to define
These are closed for the Dolbeault operator by the product rule. Their independence can also be verified without commuting matrices. If , then
This follows by the noncommutative telescoping identity and the even total degree of curvature. The matrix products are interpreted in the fixed frame convention; powers of the degree-two curvature transpose to the corresponding usual curvature powers. The trace contraction is invariant under frame changes, so its class is well defined. This proves metric independence of curvature Dolbeault powers; for the forms and groups in question vanish.
Finally take a smooth unitary frame. Metric compatibility gives , and the Cartan curvature equation with input indices gives . Thus
The second expression is therefore a real differential form. It is also -closed: differentiating Cartan's equation gives , and cyclicity of trace cancels the resulting commutator in . On a compact Kähler manifold, the Hodge decomposition theorem for compact Kähler manifolds identifies with the component of complex de Rham cohomology. Hence
It is times the degree- component of the Chern character. Reality does not assert integrality of these individual power-sum classes.
The canonical bundle is , the holomorphic line bundle of holomorphic top forms on a complex -manifold. For an embedded complex submanifold of dimension , the holomorphic normal bundle is the quotient
Taking determinants and duals gives adjunction for a smooth submanifold:
For a closed smooth hypersurface, is its divisor line bundle, equipped with a holomorphic section whose zero divisor is with multiplicity one. If locally defines , local meromorphic generators transform by the holomorphic units . The stated normal-bundle relation is
Equivalently the conormal is . The closed-divisor interpretation is needed to define ; an arbitrary nonclosed local submanifold does not define that global divisor bundle.
For a holomorphic subbundle , define on sections of , with acting on the bundle factor of a bundle-valued form. It obeys the Leibniz rule. Since is holomorphic, lies in , so . For , their inner products with the normal components of vanish; hence projecting preserves metric compatibility. The uniqueness proved for the Chern connection identifies
This is the projected Chern connection.
Choose the adapted smooth unitary frame and retain Question 2's input-index convention. The connection matrix is skew-Hermitian. Its upper-left block is for ; writing the lower-left block as forces the upper-right block to be :
Holomorphicity of makes the normal part of vanish, so has type , and has type . The matrix represents the second fundamental form of a holomorphic subbundle in this input-index convention. These types would appear in the opposite blocks with coefficient-column indices; they must not be swapped while retaining the printed minus-sign Cartan equation.
Take the upper-left block of the Cartan curvature equation with input indices. It is
Therefore the curvature formula for a holomorphic subbundle is
The sign and the order of the factors both follow from the displayed block multiplication.
Now let be a complex torus and a closed smooth hypersurface. The torus has a translation-invariant flat Kähler metric, and and are holomorphically trivial. Give its flat metric and apply the preceding formula to . Since ,
For a tangent vector , the latter coefficient is , so is a semipositive real form. Thus is a semipositive holomorphic line bundle. This proves the semipositive canonical bundle of a submanifold of a complex torus assertion directly from curvature. By adjunction for a smooth submanifold, .
Restrict a positive metric on to . The tensor-product metric on
has curvature , which is positive for every nonnegative integer . Hence
The integer condition is implicit in a tensor power. No assertion of strict positivity of is required.
For vanishing, write . The allowed Kodaira vanishing theorem says that on a compact Kähler manifold , for when is a positive holomorphic line bundle. Since is trivial, its application on the torus gives for .
For every , the divisor section gives the exact sequence
where . Crucially,
and is positive by the proved restriction statement. The induced Kähler metric makes compact Kähler, so Kodaira vanishing theorem on gives for all . In the long exact sequence in sheaf cohomology, the segment
then has zero outside terms by induction. Therefore
This proves vanishing for divisor twists on a complex torus using restriction positivity and the divisor exact sequence, rather than presuming ambient positivity of every divisor twist.
Let denote the sheaf of differential forms of type (p, q) printed in the PDF. Take the pointwise Hermitian inner product to be linear in its first argument, and use . The bidegrees in the question specify the conjugate-linear Hodge star: it is uniquely characterized by
Thus , and maps bidegree to . If is the complex-linear extension of the real Hodge star operator, then . The operator is real and on degree , so
Using the complex-linear star instead would give a different bidegree, ; keeping the convention explicit prevents that ambiguity.
The Hermitian Lefschetz operator is exterior multiplication by . Define pointwise by
It lowers bidegree by . In a unitary real coframe with , it is , the corresponding sum of interior product of a differential form operators. This gives its existence and identifies it as a smooth operator. On a compact manifold, integrate the pointwise equality against to obtain
No integration by parts is needed for this order-zero operator. Thus is both the pointwise and the global formal adjoint.
Write , and let denote the degree of the input form. The given Lefschetz commutator is . For the required formula is exactly this identity. If it holds for , the commutator derivation identity gives
The second commutator acts on degree , so the coefficient on the right is
This proves the commutator formula for powers of the Lefschetz operator
For injectivity of powers of the Lefschetz operator, is immediate. Suppose and . If or , then , and implies
The scalar is nonzero, since makes . Repeating with the smaller power shows . For , induct on , treating all cases as already established. The same commutator calculation yields, with ,
The induction hypothesis applies to on degree , since and . Hence with of degree . Moreover . Since , induction also makes injective on that degree, so and . All operators preserve restriction to open sets; the argument applies on every open set. Therefore is an injective morphism of sheaves whenever .
On a Kähler manifold, the Kähler identities, with the positive form convention used above, are
Taking formal adjoints conjugates the scalar and reverses the order in the commutator. Since , this gives
To derive the Kähler Laplacian identity, put and , so and . Write for an anticommutator. The Kähler identities say and . Therefore
because expansion leaves only terms containing or . Furthermore,
Expanding these expressions and using makes them equal. Since and , the mixed anticommutators already vanish, and consequently
Closedness of the Kähler form implies . Using the adjoint identity above,
The equality of the three Laplacians therefore proves each Laplacian commutes with .
For a compact Kähler manifold, the Dolbeault Hodge decomposition is the orthogonal decomposition
Here harmonicity for the Dolbeault Laplacian and for the Hodge Laplacian agrees by the preceding identity. If and , then . Taking its inner product with gives . Thus is cohomologous to . Conversely, a harmonic form is -closed, and a harmonic exact form satisfies . This proves existence and uniqueness of the harmonic representative and hence
These spaces are finite dimensional by the ellipticity of the Dolbeault Laplacian on the compact manifold.
Complex conjugation commutes with the real operator and interchanges the bidegrees and . It is therefore a conjugate-linear bijection of the harmonic spaces, proving Hodge symmetry. The real Hodge star operator commutes with , as does complex conjugation; hence their composition, our conjugate-linear Hodge star, sends harmonic -forms bijectively to harmonic -forms. Its square is the nonzero scalar established above. This proves Hodge duality, and gives
For the final hard Lefschetz isomorphism on Dolbeault cohomology, take and . This restriction is necessary to make the displayed power nonnegative. The Hermitian Lefschetz operator raises bidegree by , and the Lefschetz operator preserves harmonic forms; therefore
is well defined. It is injective by injectivity of powers of the Lefschetz operator, since . Hodge symmetry and Hodge duality give , so it is a bijection between finite-dimensional spaces of equal dimension. Because , the map on harmonic representatives agrees with exterior multiplication by on Dolbeault cohomology. We conclude
For , the corresponding valid statement is the inverse of the positive-power isomorphism from bidegree to ; a negative exterior-multiplication power is not defined.