Generalized Kähler Geometry

Generalized Kähler geometry is the natural analogue of Kähler geometry, in the context of generalized complex geometry. Just as we may require a complex structure to be compatible with a Riemannian metric in a way which gives rise to a symplectic form, we may require a generalized complex structure to be compatible with a metric so that it defines a second generalized complex structure. We prove that generalized Kähler geometry is equivalent to the bi-Hermitian geometry on the target of a 2-dimensional sigma model with (2, 2) supersymmetry. We also prove the existence of natural holomorphic Courant algebroids for each of the underlying complex structures, and that these split into a sum of transverse holomorphic Dirac structures. Finally, we explore the analogy between pre-quantum line bundles and gerbes in the context of generalized Kähler geometry.     

Symmetries in Generalized Kähler Geometry

We define the notion of a moment map and reduction in both generalized complex geometry and generalized Kähler geometry. As an application, we give very simple explicit constructions of bi-Hermitian structures on $\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}^{N}We define the notion of a moment map and reduction in both generalized complex geometry and generalized K?hler geometry. As an application, we give very simple explicit constructions of bi-Hermitian structures on , Hirzebruch surfaces, the blow up of at arbitrarily many points, and other toric varieties, as well as complex Grassmannians.     

Instantons, Poisson Structures and Generalized Kähler Geometry

Using the idea of a generalized Kähler structure, we construct bihermitian metrics on CP² and CP¹×CP¹, and show that any such structure on a compact 4-manifold M defines one on the moduli space of anti-self-dual connections on a fixed principal bundle over M. We highlight the role of holomorphic Poisson structures in all these constructions.     

Generalized Kähler Geometry, Gerbes, and all that

We review recent advances in generalized Kähler geometry while stressing the use of Poisson and symplectic geometry. The derivation of a generalized Kähler potential is sketched and relevant global issues are discussed.     

Generalized Kähler Geometry from Supersymmetric Sigma Models

We give a physical derivation of generalized Kähler geometry. Starting from a supersymmetric nonlinear sigma model, we rederive and explain the results of Gualtieri (Generalized complex geometry, DPhil thesis, Oxford University, 2004) regarding the equivalence between generalized Kähler geometry and the bi-hermitean geometry of Gates et al. (Nucl Phys B248:157, 1984). When cast in the language of supersymmetric sigma models, this relation maps precisely to that between the Lagrangian and the Hamiltonian formalisms. We also discuss topological twist in this context.     

Mass in Kähler Geometry

We prove a simple, explicit formula for the mass of any asymptotically locally Euclidean (ALE) Kähler manifold, assuming only the sort of weak fall-off conditions required for the mass to actually be well-defined. For ALE scalar-flat Kähler manifolds, the mass turns out to be a topological invariant, depending only on the underlying smooth manifold, the first Chern class of the complex structure, and the Kähler class of the metric. When the metric is actually AE (asymptotically Euclidean), our formula not only implies a positive mass theorem for Kähler metrics, but also yields a Penrose-type inequality for the mass.     

Generalized Kähler Potentials from Supergravity

We consider supersymmetric \({\mathcal{N} = 2}\) solutions with non–vanishing NS three–form. Building on worldsheet results, we reduce the problem to a single generalized Monge–Ampère equation on the generalized Kähler potential K recently interpreted geometrically by Lindström, Ro?ek, Von Unge and Zabzine. One input in the procedure is a holomorphic function w that can be thought of as the effective superpotential for a D3 brane probe. The procedure is hence likely to be useful for finding gravity duals to field theories with non–vanishing abelian superpotential, such as Leigh–Strassler theories. We indeed show that a purely NS precursor of the Lunin–Maldacena dual to the β–deformed \({\mathcal{N} = 4}\) super–Yang–Mills falls in our class.     

The Einstein–Maxwell Equations and Conformally Kähler Geometry

Page’s Einstein metric on \({{\mathbb{CP}}_2\#\overline{\mathbb{CP}}_2}\) is conformally related to an extremal Kähler metric. Here we construct a family of conformally Kähler solutions of the Einstein–Maxwell equations that deforms the Page metric, while sweeping out the entire Kähler cone of \({{\mathbb{CP}}_2\#\overline{\mathbb{CP}}_2}\). The same method also yields analogous solutions on every Hirzebruch surface. This allows us to display infinitely many geometrically distinct families of solutions of the Einstein–Maxwell equations on the smooth 4-manifolds \({S^2 \times S^2}\) and \({{\mathbb{CP}}_2\#\overline{\mathbb{CP}}_2}\).     

Contact Spheres and Hyperkähler Geometry

A taut contact sphere on a 3-manifold is a linear 2-sphere of contact forms, all defining the same volume form. In the present paper we completely determine the moduli of taut contact spheres on compact left-quotients of SU(2) (the only closed manifolds admitting such structures). We also show that the moduli space of taut contact spheres embeds into the moduli space of taut contact circles.This moduli problem leads to a new viewpoint on the Gibbons-Hawking ansatz in hyperkähler geometry. The classification of taut contact spheres on closed 3-manifolds includes the known classification of 3-Sasakian 3-manifolds, but the local Riemannian geometry of contact spheres is much richer. We construct two examples of taut contact spheres on open subsets of \({\mathbb{R}^3}\) with nontrivial local geometry; one from the Helmholtz equation on the 2-sphere, and one from the Gibbons-Hawking ansatz. We address the Bernstein problem whether such examples can give rise to complete metrics.     

Conification of Kähler and Hyper-Kähler Manifolds

Given a Kähler manifold M endowed with a Hamiltonian Killing vector field Z, we construct a conical Kähler manifold ${\hat{M}}$ such that M is recovered as a Kähler quotient of ${\hat{M}}$ . Similarly, given a hyper-Kähler manifold (M, g, J ₁, J ₂, J ₃) endowed with a Killing vector field Z, Hamiltonian with respect to the Kähler form of J ₁ and satisfying ${\mathcal{L}_ZJ_2 = -2J_3}$ , we construct a hyper-Kähler cone ${\hat{M}}$ such that M is a certain hyper-Kähler quotient of ${\hat{M}}$ . In this way, we recover a theorem by Haydys. Our work is motivated by the problem of relating the supergravity c-map to the rigid c-map. We show that any hyper-Kähler manifold in the image of the c-map admits a Killing vector field with the above properties. Therefore, it gives rise to a hyper-Kähler cone, which in turn defines a quaternionic Kähler manifold. Our results for the signature of the metric and the sign of the scalar curvature are consistent with what we know about the supergravity c-map.     

Generalized Pseudo-Kähler Structures

In this paper we consider pseudo-bihermitian structures – pairs of complex structures compatible with a pseudo-Riemannian metric. We establish relations of these structures with generalized (pseudo-) Kähler geometry and holomorphic Poisson structures similar to that in the positive definite case. We provide a list of compact complex surfaces which could admit pseudo-bihermitian structures and give examples of such structures on some of them. We also consider a naturally defined null plane distribution on a generalized pseudo-Kähler 4-manifold and show that under a mild restriction it determines an Engel structure.     

Instantons and Kähler manifolds

It is shown that for two-dimensional Euclidean chiral models of the field theory with values in arbitrary Kähler manifold duality equations reduce to the Cauchy-Riemann equations on this manifold. A class of models is described possessing such type solutions, the so called instanton solutions.     

On Certain Kähler Quotients of Quaternionic Kähler Manifolds

We prove that, given a certain isometric action of a two-dimensional Abelian group A on a quaternionic Kähler manifold M which preserves a submanifold N ? M, the quotient M′ = N/A has a natural Kähler structure. We verify that the assumptions on the group action and on the submanifold N ? M are satisfied for a large class of examples obtained from the supergravity c-map. In particular, we find that all quaternionic Kähler manifolds M in the image of the c-map admit an integrable complex structure compatible with the quaternionic structure, such that N ? M is a complex submanifold. Finally, we discuss how the existence of the Kähler structure on M′ is required by the consistency of spontaneous ${\mathcal{N} = 2}$ to ${\mathcal{N} = 1}$ supersymmetry breaking.     

Quaternionic Kähler metrics associated with special Kähler manifolds

We give an explicit formula for the quaternionic Kähler metrics obtained by the HK/QK correspondence. As an application, we give a new proof of the fact that the Ferrara–Sabharwal metric as well as its one-loop deformation is quaternionic Kähler. A similar explicit formula is given for the analogous (K/K) correspondence between Kähler manifolds endowed with a Hamiltonian Killing vector field. As an example, we apply this formula in the case of an arbitrary conical Kähler manifold.