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On a nonempty compact $2n$-dimensional symplectic manifold without boundary, with $n\ge 1$, the class $[\omega {]}^n$ in top-degree de Rham cohomology is nonzero, since its integral in the symplectic orientation is positive. In particular $\omega$ cannot be an exact differential form: if $\omega =d\alpha$, then ${\omega }^n=d(\alpha \wedge {\omega }^{n-1})$ and the Generalized Stokes theorem would make that integral zero. Thus vanishing second de Rham cohomology obstructs a closed positive-dimensional symplectic manifold.

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.

A symplectic form on a $2n$-dimensional smooth manifold determines the orientation in which the nowhere-zero volume form ${\omega }^n/n!$ is positive. Consequently every symplectic manifold is orientable. In dimension two this forbids a symplectic form on the Möbius strip.

A symplectic surface is a two-dimensional symplectic manifold. Every embedded curve in it is a Lagrangian submanifold.

A vector field on a symplectic manifold is symplectic when its flow preserves the symplectic form. Infinitesimally this is ${\mathcal{L}}_X\omega =0$. By Cartan's magic formula it is equivalent to $d({\iota }_X\omega )=0$. A Hamiltonian vector field has an exact contraction with the form, so is symplectic. On the standard two-dimensional torus, ${\partial }_x$ contracts to the closed but nonexact form $dy$, providing a symplectic non-Hamiltonian example.

The symplectic form on a $2n$-dimensional symplectic manifold determines the positive volume form ${\omega }^n/n!$ and its total integral, the symplectic volume, using the induced orientation.

The top-degree differential form ${\omega }^n/n!$ on a $2n$-dimensional symplectic manifold. Every canonical transformation preserves this form. For $n>1$, preservation of this volume alone does not imply preservation of the symplectic form.

A closed symplectic manifold of real dimension four with $b_2^{+}>1$ has a nonzero Seiberg–Witten invariant of a four-manifold in its canonical structure, with value $\pm 1$. The positive index of the intersection form hypothesis avoids chamber dependence. This provides the symplectic connected-sum obstruction.