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On a compact Kähler manifold, the Lefschetz operator preserves harmonic forms, so the indicated power acts on harmonic representatives of Dolbeault cohomology. It is injective by injectivity of powers of the Lefschetz operator; Hodge symmetry and Hodge duality make its finite-dimensional source and target have equal dimension, so it is an isomorphism.

Let $g$ be the real Riemannian metric underlying the Hermitian metric, and let $J$ be the complex structure. The fundamental form of a Hermitian manifold isThe identity $g(Ju,Jv)=g(u,v)$ implies $g(Ju,v)=-g(u,Jv)$, so this is an alternating real two-form. Moreover $\omega (Ju,Jv)=\omega (u,v)$. A two-form with this invariance has type $(1,1)$: on two vectors of type $(1,0)$, applying $J$ to both multiplies its value by $i^2=-1$, forcing that value to vanish; the same argument applies to type $(0,1)$. Hence $\omega$ is a real $(1,1)$-form.

Use the complex-linear convention for the complex Hodge star operator, extending the real star. The complex orientation and metric define $dV={\omega }^n/n!$, andHere the Hermitian inner product is linear in the first argument. With this convention, on the even-dimensional underlying real manifold the formal adjoints are $d^{\ast }=-\ast d\ast$, ${\bar{\partial }}^{\ast }=-\ast \partial \ast$ and ${\partial }^{\ast }=-\ast \bar{\partial }\ast$. A conjugate-linear star is another convention, but then the adjoint formulas must change accordingly.

The Hodge Laplacian and Dolbeault Laplacian areAlso write ${\Delta }_{\partial }=\partial {\partial }^{\ast }+{\partial }^{\ast }\partial$. They are nonnegative, since for exampleThe requested Dolbeault Hodge decomposition on a compact Hermitian manifold is a compactness statement: on a compact Hermitian manifold without boundary,The harmonic space is finite-dimensional, and taking the harmonic representative induces an isomorphism ${\mathcal{H}}_{\bar{\partial }}^{p,q}\cong H_{\bar{\partial }}^{p,q}(X)$. Compactness is essential to this formulation; it is not asserted on an arbitrary noncompact Hermitian manifold.

Now suppose $X$ is compact and Kähler, so $d\omega =0$. The permitted Kähler Laplacian identity is ${\Delta }_d=2{\Delta }_{\bar{\partial }}=2{\Delta }_{\partial }$, making the three harmonic spaces identical in each bidegree. A $d$-closed pure-type form has $\partial \alpha =\bar{\partial }\alpha =0$, since these two terms have different types. We will construct a Green operator potential for ddbar exactness, rather than invoking the ddbar lemma as the conclusion to be proved.

Let $G$ be the inverse of ${\Delta }_{\bar{\partial }}$ on the orthogonal complement of its harmonic forms, zero on the harmonic space. It is twice the Green operator of the Hodge Laplacian. The Hodge decomposition theorem and elliptic inversion give ${\Delta }_{\bar{\partial }}G=I-H$, with $H$ harmonic projection. It preserves bidegrees. The operators $\partial$ and $\bar{\partial }$ commute with ${\Delta }_{\bar{\partial }}$: the first follows from ${\Delta }_{\bar{\partial }}={\Delta }_{\partial }$ and ${\partial }^2=0$, and the second directly from ${\bar{\partial }}^2=0$. They and their formal adjoints annihilate harmonic forms, so they preserve the orthogonal complement of the harmonic space. Consequently they commute with $G$, by uniqueness of the inverse on the harmonic complement. Thus $u=G\alpha$ and $v=G^2\alpha$ are killed by both differential operators.

The assumed orthogonality makes $H\alpha =Hu=0$. Applying the two Laplacians givesWe also need the mixed anticommutator, which follows from the permitted Laplacian identity rather than an extra unproved lemma. Expand ${\Delta }_d$ using $d=\partial +\bar{\partial }$ and $d^{\ast }={\partial }^{\ast }+{\bar{\partial }}^{\ast }$. Since ${\Delta }_d={\Delta }_{\partial }+{\Delta }_{\bar{\partial }}$, its mixed terms sum to zero. Their two bidegrees $(1,-1)$ and $(-1,1)$ are distinct, so each vanishes separately, in particular ${\bar{\partial }}^{\ast }\partial +\partial {\bar{\partial }}^{\ast }=0$. HenceWe have obtained the explicit answerThe positive assumptions on $p,q$ ensure these degrees are available. Conversely such a form is orthogonal to harmonic forms by integration by parts, so the same proof also explains the harmonic orthogonality criterion for ddbar exactness.

For injectivity of the Lefschetz operator on a Hermitian manifold on real one-forms, work at one point in a metric-orthonormal coframe $(e^1,f^1,\dots ,e^n,f^n)$ with $\omega ={\sum }_j{e}^j\wedge f^j$. If $a\ne 0$, a unitary change of coframe makes $a=c{e}^1$, $c\ne 0$. Thensince the displayed basis three-forms are linearly independent. Therefore $L(a)=a\wedge \omega$ has zero kernel. Injectivity on complex one-forms follows by taking real and imaginary parts, since $\omega$ is real. This pointwise proof of injectivity of powers of the Lefschetz operator for degree one does not require the hard Lefschetz theorem.

Closedness of $\omega$ gives $\bar{\partial }L=L\bar{\partial }$. Using the permitted Kähler identities, specifically $[{\bar{\partial }}^{\ast },L]=i\partial$, givesMultiplying by two proves $[{\Delta }_d,L]=0$. In particular the Lefschetz operator preserves harmonic forms and the injective map on one-forms restricts to an injection ${\mathcal{H}}_d^1\hookrightarrow {\mathcal{H}}_d^3$. The de Rham Hodge theorem identifies these real harmonic spaces with the corresponding real cohomology groups. Taking dimensions yields

Let ${\mathcal{A}}^{p,q}$ 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 $\mathrm{vol}={\omega }^n/n!$. The bidegrees in the question specify the conjugate-linear Hodge star: it is uniquely characterized byThus $\ast (c\beta )=\bar{c}\ast \beta$, and $\ast$ maps bidegree $(p,q)$ to $(n-p,n-q)$. If $S$ is the complex-linear extension of the real Hodge star operator, then $\ast =S\circ \text{complex conjugation}$. The operator $S$ is real and $S^2=(-1{)}^{k(2n-k)}$ on degree $k=p+q$, soUsing the complex-linear star instead would give a different bidegree, $(n-q,n-p)$; keeping the convention explicit prevents that ambiguity.

The Hermitian Lefschetz operator is exterior multiplication by $\omega$. Define $\Lambda$ pointwise byIt lowers bidegree by $(1,1)$. In a unitary real coframe with $\omega ={\sum }_j{e}^j\wedge f^j$, it is $\Lambda ={\sum }_j{\iota }_{f_j}{\iota }_{e_j}$, 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 $\mathrm{vol}$ to obtainNo integration by parts is needed for this order-zero operator. Thus $\Lambda$ is both the pointwise and the global formal adjoint.

Write $[A,B]=AB-BA$, and let $k$ denote the degree of the input form. The given Lefschetz commutator is $[L,\Lambda ]=(k-n)I$. For $r=1$ the required formula is exactly this identity. If it holds for $r$, the commutator derivation identity givesThe second commutator acts on degree $k+2r$, so the coefficient on the right isThis proves the commutator formula for powers of the Lefschetz operator

For injectivity of powers of the Lefschetz operator, $r=0$ is immediate. Suppose $r\ge 1$ and $r+k\le n$. If $k=0$ or $1$, then $\Lambda \psi =0$, and $L^r\psi =0$ impliesThe scalar is nonzero, since $k+r\le n$ makes $k-n+r-1\le -1$. Repeating with the smaller power shows $\psi =0$. For $k\ge 2$, induct on $r+k$, treating all $r=0$ cases as already established. The same commutator calculation yields, with $c=r(k-n+r-1)\ne 0$,The induction hypothesis applies to $L^{r-1}$ on degree $k$, since $(r-1)+k<r+k$ and $(r-1)+k\le n$. Hence $\psi =L\alpha$ with $\alpha =c^{-1}\Lambda \psi$ of degree $k-2$. Moreover $L^{r+1}\alpha =L^r\psi =0$. Since $(r+1)+(k-2)=r+k-1$, induction also makes $L^{r+1}$ injective on that degree, so $\alpha =0$ and $\psi =0$. All operators preserve restriction to open sets; the argument applies on every open set. Therefore $L^r$ is an injective morphism of sheaves whenever $r+k\le n$.

On a Kähler manifold, the Kähler identities, with the positive form convention used above, areTaking formal adjoints conjugates the scalar and reverses the order in the commutator. Since ${\Lambda }^{\ast }=L$, this givesTo derive the Kähler Laplacian identity, put $P=\partial$ and $B=\bar{\partial }$, so $P^2=B^2=0$ and $PB+BP=0$. Write $\{A,B\}=AB+BA$ for an anticommutator. The Kähler identities say $B^{\ast }=-i[\Lambda ,P]$ and $P^{\ast }=i[\Lambda ,B]$. Thereforebecause expansion leaves only terms containing $P^2$ or $B^2$. Furthermore,Expanding these expressions and using $PB=-BP$ makes them equal. Since $d=P+B$ and $d^{\ast }=P^{\ast }+B^{\ast }$, the mixed anticommutators already vanish, and consequentlyClosedness of the Kähler form implies $[L,P]=[L,B]=0$. Using the adjoint identity above,The equality of the three Laplacians therefore proves each Laplacian commutes with $L$.

For a compact Kähler manifold, the Dolbeault Hodge decomposition is the orthogonal decompositionHere harmonicity for the Dolbeault Laplacian and for the Hodge Laplacian agrees by the preceding identity. If $\bar{\partial }\alpha =0$ and $\alpha =h+\bar{\partial }u+{\bar{\partial }}^{\ast }v$, then $\bar{\partial }{\bar{\partial }}^{\ast }v=0$. Taking its inner product with $v$ gives $\Vert {\bar{\partial }}^{\ast }v{\Vert }^2=0$. Thus $\alpha$ is cohomologous to $h$. Conversely, a harmonic form is $\bar{\partial }$-closed, and a harmonic exact form $h=\bar{\partial }u$ satisfies $\Vert h{\Vert }^2=({\bar{\partial }}^{\ast }h,u)=0$. This proves existence and uniqueness of the harmonic representative and henceThese spaces are finite dimensional by the ellipticity of the Dolbeault Laplacian on the compact manifold.

Complex conjugation commutes with the real operator ${\Delta }_d$ and interchanges the bidegrees $(p,q)$ and $(q,p)$. It is therefore a conjugate-linear bijection of the harmonic spaces, proving Hodge symmetry. The real Hodge star operator commutes with ${\Delta }_d$, as does complex conjugation; hence their composition, our conjugate-linear Hodge star, sends harmonic $(p,q)$-forms bijectively to harmonic $(n-p,n-q)$-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 $k=p+q\le n$ and $r=n-k$. This restriction is necessary to make the displayed power nonnegative. The Hermitian Lefschetz operator raises bidegree by $(1,1)$, and the Lefschetz operator preserves harmonic forms; thereforeis well defined. It is injective by injectivity of powers of the Lefschetz operator, since $r+k=n$. Hodge symmetry and Hodge duality give $h^{n-q,n-p}=h^{q,p}=h^{p,q}$, so it is a bijection between finite-dimensional spaces of equal dimension. Because $[L,\bar{\partial }]=0$, the map on harmonic representatives agrees with exterior multiplication by $[\omega {]}^{n-k}$ on Dolbeault cohomology. We concludeFor $p+q>n$, the corresponding valid statement is the inverse of the positive-power isomorphism from bidegree $(n-q,n-p)$ to $(p,q)$; a negative exterior-multiplication power is not defined.

The Kähler manifold structure gives a Riemannian metric, its volume form, the complex orientation, and a Hermitian inner product on complex differential forms. The complex Hodge star operator is the complex-linear map characterized byOn $r$-forms in real dimension $m=2n$, the codifferential isequivalently the formal adjoint of $d$ for the $L^2$ inner product. Similarly ${\bar{\partial }}^{\ast }$ is the formal adjoint of $\bar{\partial }$. Define the Hodge Laplacian and Dolbeault Laplacian by

Expanding $d=\partial +\bar{\partial }$, the Kähler identities make the mixed anticommutators vanish and imply ${\Delta }_{\partial }={\Delta }_{\bar{\partial }}$. Hence the Kähler Laplacian identity is

Let $L\gamma =\omega \wedge \gamma$ be the Lefschetz operator of a Kähler manifold. The Kähler identities also implyThus, if ${\Delta }_{\bar{\partial }}\alpha =0$, thenThis is the fact that the Lefschetz operator preserves harmonic forms.

The Dolbeault Hodge decomposition on a compact Hermitian manifold states thatan orthogonal direct sum, where ${\mathcal{H}}_{\bar{\partial }}^{p,q}=\ker {\Delta }_{\bar{\partial }}$.

Suppose $\eta =\bar{\partial }\gamma$ has type $(p,q)$. Apply this decomposition to $\gamma \in {\Omega }^{p,q-1}$. The harmonic and $\bar{\partial }$-exact pieces disappear after applying $\bar{\partial }$, so for some $\beta \in {\Omega }^{p,q}$,Put $\theta ={\bar{\partial }}^{\ast }\beta$. If also $\partial \eta =0$, thenThe Kähler anticommutation identity ${\bar{\partial }}^{\ast }\partial +\partial {\bar{\partial }}^{\ast }=0$ and $({\bar{\partial }}^{\ast }{)}^2=0$ giveTherefore $\partial \theta$ is ${\Delta }_{\bar{\partial }}$-harmonic. By ${\Delta }_{\partial }={\Delta }_{\bar{\partial }}$ it is also $\partial$-harmonic, but it is $\partial$-exact; orthogonality of harmonic and exact forms forcesThis proves both requested claims: $\partial {\bar{\partial }}^{\ast }\beta =0$ is harmonic, and ${\bar{\partial }}^{\ast }\beta =\theta$ is $\partial$-closed.

Finally, $\theta \in \mathrm{im}{\bar{\partial }}^{\ast }$ is orthogonal to $\ker \bar{\partial }$, and hence to every $\bar{\partial }$-harmonic form. Since the $\partial$- and $\bar{\partial }$-harmonic spaces agree on a compact Kähler manifold, the $\partial$-closed form $\theta$ has zero harmonic component in its $\partial$-Hodge decomposition. It follows that $\theta =\partial \varphi$ for some $\varphi \in {\Omega }^{p-1,q-1}(X)$. Hencewhich is the ddbar lemma in this case.