For a nonzero primitive class of degree on a compact Kähler manifold of complex dimension , 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.
Fix a finite-rank free abelian group . A pure integral Hodge structure of weight is a decomposition
Its Hodge numbers are , and its Hodge filtration is . Equivalently, the filtration has these dimensions and satisfies
The decomposition is recovered as .
A polarized Hodge structure additionally has a nondegenerate integral bilinear form satisfying , extended complex-bilinearly, with
We choose the geometric sign convention in which the positivity condition is
The expression is real by the symmetry and conjugation conditions. In particular it is on a weight-one summand. Other conventions absorb the constant factor into ; a consistent choice matters in weight two.
Fix , and the Hodge numbers. The compact dual of a period domain is the projective flag variety
The orthogonality conditions are algebraic. The Griffiths domain is the subset whose filtrations also satisfy real opposition and the displayed positivity. It is open in the usual complex topology of ; the inequalities are not additional complex algebraic equations. Thus retains the complex flag conditions, whereas retains genuine polarized Hodge structures.