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If a closed oriented smooth four-manifold splits as a connected sum $X_1\#X_2$ with both $b_2^{+}(X_i)>0$, its ordinary Seiberg–Witten invariants of a four-manifold vanish. Combined with Taubes nonvanishing theorem, this obstructs a symplectic structure in that orientation.

For a closed oriented smooth four-manifold, $b_2^{+}$ is the dimension of a maximal positive-definite subspace of its real intersection form. A symplectic form forces $b_2^{+}\ge 1$, because its cohomology class has positive square. Reversing orientation exchanges the positive and negative indices.

A closed symplectic manifold of real dimension four cannot be a connected sum of two oriented smooth four-manifolds each with positive positive index of the intersection form. The total $b_2^{+}$ exceeds one; Taubes nonvanishing theorem and connected-sum vanishing of the Seiberg–Witten invariant would force the same invariant to be both nonzero and zero.