Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2023 / iii / Paper 118 / 4 / Solution

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.