Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2015 / iii / Paper 18 / 1

A holomorphic atlas on a real smooth manifold of dimension $2n$ consists of compatible smooth charts ${\phi }_a:U_a\to V_a\subseteq {\mathbb{C}}^n$ whose transition maps ${\phi }_b{\phi }_a^{-1}$ are biholomorphic on their domains. An almost complex structure is a smooth real vector bundle endomorphism $J:TX\to TX$ with $J^2=-\mathrm{id}$. In each chart defineThe differential of a holomorphic map is a complex-linear map, so the transition differentials commute with multiplication by $i$. Consequently the local definitions agree on overlaps. They are smooth and square to $-\mathrm{id}$, yielding the natural almost complex structure induced by a complex atlas. This construction uses the atlas, rather than an arbitrary choice of coordinates on the underlying real smooth manifold.

Extend $J$ complex-linearly to the complexification of a real vector bundle $T_{\mathbb{C}}X=TX{\otimes }_{\mathbb{R}}\mathbb{C}$. Since $J^2=-\mathrm{id}$, its $+i$ and $-i$ eigenbundles have smooth projectionsEach has complex rank $n$: complex conjugation interchanges them, and together they have rank $2n$. These are the type decomposition of the complexified tangent bundle. For an arbitrary almost complex structure, they are smooth complex vector bundles; a holomorphic vector bundle structure requires integrability.

When $J$ comes from a holomorphic atlas, write a holomorphic coordinate as $z_j=x_j+i{y}_j$. Its Wirtinger derivatives areThe induced almost complex structure has $J{\partial }_{x_j}={\partial }_{y_j}$ and $J{\partial }_{y_j}=-{\partial }_{x_j}$. Hence the displayed vector fields are respectively $+i$ and $-i$ eigenvectors. They are linearly independent, and each collection has $n$ elements. Thus they give local frames for $T^{1,0}X$ and $T^{0,1}X$ respectively, with $T^{1,0}X$ the holomorphic tangent bundle. The repeated $T^{0,1}X$ in the first sentence of the printed item must be read as the two complementary eigenbundles.

With the normalization used here, $N=2N_J$, where $N_J$ is the standard Nijenhuis tensor. First check that it is a tensor: the Lie bracket identity $[fU,V]=f[U,V]-V(f)U$ givesSkew symmetry gives the same $C^{\infty }$-linearity in the second input. In coordinates from a holomorphic atlas, the real coordinate vector fields ${\partial }_{x_j},{\partial }_{y_j}$ commute, and $J$ sends each to another such field with a constant sign. Every Lie bracket in $N_J$ therefore vanishes on these coordinate fields. Tensoriality then gives $\boxed{N=0}$ on all smooth vector fields. The factor two in this paper does not change this vanishing conclusion.

Use the complex-bilinear extension of the Nijenhuis tensor expression to complex vector fields. If $U,V\in T^{1,0}X$, then $JU=iU$ and $JV=iV$, soFor $U,V\in T^{0,1}X$, the same substitution with $-i$ gives $N(U,V)=-8[U,V{]}^{1,0}$. For inputs of opposite types, the two leading Lie brackets cancel, as do the two terms involving $J$, so $N(U,V)=0$. Applying the type decomposition of the complexified tangent bundle to both inputs consequently givesThus $N=0$ precisely when the Lie bracket of any two sections of either eigenbundle remains in that same eigenbundle. In other words, $N=0$ if and only if both tangent-type distributions are involutive distributions. This proves the equivalence directly and does not assume that an arbitrary almost complex structure already has holomorphic coordinates.