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# Hamiltonian 2-forms in Kähler geometry, I General theory

## 1. The curvature of a Kähler manifold

In this section we review some background material in order to fix notation, and to present the notions of Bochner-flat, weakly Bochner-flat, and conformally Einstein Kähler metrics. Our conventions mainly follow .

### 1.1. Riemannian curvature

The curvature $`R`$ of a $`n`$-dimensional riemannian manifold $`(M,g)`$ is defined by

$$R_{X,Y}Z=_{[X,Y]}Z[_X,_Y]Z,$$

for all vector fields $`X,Y,Z`$, where $``$ denotes the Levi-Civita connection. It is a $`2`$-form with values in the adjoint bundle $`AM`$ (the bundle of skew endomorphisms of the tangent bundle $`TM`$) and satisfies the algebraic Bianchi identity: $`R_{X,Y}Z+R_{Y,Z}X+R_{Z,X}Y=0`$. Via the metric $`g`$, $`AM`$ can be identified with the bundle $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^2M`$ of $`2`$-forms and $`R`$ can be viewed as a section of $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^2M\mathrm{\Lambda }^2M`$. Then, the algebraic Bianchi identity is equivalent to the following two conditions:

* $`R`$ belongs the the symmetric part, $`S^2\mathrm{\Lambda }^2M`$, of $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^2M\mathrm{\Lambda }^2M`$;
* $`R`$ belongs to the kernel of the linear map, $`\beta `$, from $`S^2\mathrm{\Lambda }^2M`$ to $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^4M`$ determined by the wedge product.

$`M:=\mathrm{ker}\beta S^2\mathrm{\Lambda }^2M`$ is called the bundle of (abstract) curvature tensors.

The Ricci contraction is the linear map $`c`$ from $`M`$ to the bundle $`SM`$ of symmetric bilinear forms of $`M`$ sending $`R`$ to the bilinear form $`\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}`$ defined by $`\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}_{X,Y}=tr(ZR_{X,Z}Y)`$. We thus obtain an orthogonal decomposition:

$$M=c^{}(SM)𝒲M,$$

where $`𝒲M`$, called the bundle of (abstract) Weyl tensors of $`(M,g)`$, denotes the kernel of $`c`$ in $`M`$. Accordingly, the curvature $`R`$ splits as $`R=c^{}(h)+W`$, where $`W`$ is the Weyl tensor of $`(M,g)`$, whereas $`h`$ satisfies $`cc^{}(h)=\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}`$. For $`n3`$, $`c`$ is surjective; its adjoint $`c^{}`$ is then injective and $`h`$ is determined by

$$h=\frac{\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}}{2n(n1)}g+\frac{\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}_0}{n2},$$

where $`\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}`$ is the scalar curvature of $`g`$, i.e., the trace of $`\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}`$ with respect to $`g`$, and $`\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}_0`$ denotes the traceless part of $`\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}`$ (so that $`\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}=\frac{1}{n}\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}g+\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}_0`$), which is a section of $`S_0M`$, the bundle of symmetric traceless bilinear forms. For $`n=2`$, $`c^{}`$ has kernel $`S_0M`$ so that $`\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}_0=0`$ and the tracefree part of $`h`$ is undetermined.

Finally, the curvature $`R`$, viewed as a symmetric endomorphism of $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^2M`$ using $`g`$, splits into three orthogonal pieces as follows:

(2)
$$R=\frac{\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}}{n(n1)}\mathrm{𝐼𝑑}|_{\mathrm{\Lambda }^2M}^{}+\frac{1}{n2}\{\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}_0,\}+W,$$

where $`\{\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}_0,\}`$ acts on $`\psi \mathrm{\Lambda }^2M`$ to give the anticommutator $`\{\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}_0,\psi \}:=\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}_0\psi +\psi \mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}_0`$ of $`\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}_0`$ and $`\psi `$, which are viewed, via $`g`$, as endomorphisms, respectively symmetric and skew, of $`TM`$. When $`n=2`$, the second term is zero.

Each piece of (2) is an element of $`M`$. The corresponding subbundle of $`M`$ is associated to an irreducible representation of the orthogonal group $`O(n)`$, respectively the trivial representation, the Cartan product $`^n^n`$, the Cartan product $`𝔬(n)𝔬(n)`$, where $`𝔬(n)\mathrm{\Lambda }^2^n`$ denotes the Lie algebra of $`O(n)`$. (The Cartan product of two irreducible representations with dominant weights $`\lambda _1`$ and $`\lambda _2`$ is the irreducible sub-representation of the tensor product with dominant weight $`\lambda _1+\lambda _2`$.)

### 1.2. The Bochner tensor of a Kähler manifold

Let $`(M,g,J,\omega )`$ be a Kähler manifold of dimension $`n=2m`$. By definition, $`J`$ is an orthogonal complex structure which is parallel with respect to the Levi-Civita connection $``$. The Kähler form $`\omega `$ is defined by $`\omega (X,Y)=g(JX,Y)`$. The Ricci form $`\rho `$ and its primitive part $`\rho _0`$ are defined in a similar way: $`\rho (X,Y)=\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}(JX,Y)`$ and $`\rho _0(X,Y)=\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}_0(JX,Y)`$. The Ricci tensor is $`J`$-invariant, and so $`\rho `$ and $`\rho _0`$ are $`2`$-forms. We denote by

$$\mathrm{\Lambda }^2M=\mathrm{\Lambda }^{J,+}M\mathrm{\Lambda }^{J,}M,$$

the (orthogonal) decomposition of $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^2M`$ into its $`J`$-invariant part, $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^{J,+}M`$, and its $`J`$-anti-invariant part, $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^{J,}M`$. The riemannian curvature $`R`$ has values in $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^{J,+}M`$ and therefore acts trivially on $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^{J,}M`$. More generally, we call an element of $`M`$ kählerian if it acts trivially on $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^{J,}M`$. The set of abstract kählerian curvature tensors is a vector subbundle of $`M`$, denoted by $`𝒦M`$; thus $`𝒦M`$ is the kernel of the linear map from $`S^2\mathrm{\Lambda }^{J,+}M`$ to $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^4M`$ determined by the wedge product.

The curvature tensor $`R`$ of a Kähler manifold $`(M,g,J)`$ is a section of $`𝒦M`$, but in general none of its components in (2) is. Indeed, the first component of $`R`$ in (2) is only an element of $`𝒦M`$ if it is zero or $`n=2`$, while the second component is only an element of $`𝒦M`$ if it is zero or $`n=4`$. We define the Bochner tensor $`W^𝒦`$ to be the orthogonal projection of the third component, the Weyl tensor $`W`$, onto $`𝒲M𝒦M`$. We thus obtain a new decomposition of the curvature $`R`$ inside $`𝒦M`$.

(3)
$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill R& =\frac{\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}}{2m(m+1)}(\mathrm{𝐼𝑑}|_{\mathrm{\Lambda }^{J,+}M}^{}+\omega \omega )\hfill \\ & +\frac{1}{m+2}\left(\{\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}_0,\}|_{\mathrm{\Lambda }^{J,+}M}^{}+\rho _0\omega +\omega \rho _0\right)\hfill \\ & +W^𝒦.\hfill \end{array}$$

Here $`|_{\mathrm{\Lambda }^{J,+}M}^{}`$ has to be interpreted as the orthogonal projection $`\psi \psi ^{J,+}`$ of $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^2M`$ onto its $`J`$-invariant part $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^{J,+}M`$, and $`\rho _0\omega `$ acts on $`\psi \mathrm{\Lambda }^2M`$ to give $`\rho _0,\psi \omega `$, where the inner product on $`2`$-forms is normalized so that $`\omega ,\omega =m=n/2`$.

The three pieces of $`R`$ appearing in (3) are sections of subbundles of $`𝒦M`$ associated to irreducible representations of the unitary group $`U(m)`$, viewed as a subgroup of $`O(n)`$, namely: the trivial representation, the Cartan product $`^m^m`$, the Cartan product $`𝔰𝔲(m)𝔰𝔲(m)`$ respectively, $`𝔰𝔲(m)`$ being the Lie algebra of $`SU(m)`$.

If $`\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}`$ is a positive constant, then the first component of $`R`$ in (3) agrees with the curvature of the complex projective space $`P^m`$ with the Fubini–Study metric of holomorphic sectional curvature equal to $`\frac{\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}}{m(m+1)}`$.

The second component in (3) agrees with the second component in (2) when $`n=4`$, since then $`\{\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}_0,\psi ^{J,}\}=[J\psi ^{J,},\rho _0]=0`$, whereas $`\{\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}_0,\psi ^{J,+}\}=\psi ,\rho _0\omega +\psi ,\omega \rho _0`$. The four dimensional case is also special because the Weyl tensor $`W`$ splits into selfdual and antiselfdual parts as $`W=W^++W^{}`$, and on a Kähler $`4`$-manifold the selfdual part is identified with the scalar curvature by

$$W^+=\frac{\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}}{12}\left(\frac{3}{2}\omega \omega \mathrm{𝐼𝑑}|_{\mathrm{\Lambda }^{J,+}M}^{}\right).$$

Bringing together $`W^+`$ and the scalar part of $`R`$ in (2), we deduce that $`W^𝒦=W^{}`$.

In higher dimensions, the Weyl tensor $`W`$ of a Kähler manifold splits into three pieces: one is the Bochner tensor $`W^𝒦`$, while the other two are identified with $`\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}_0`$ and $`\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}`$. In other words, on a Kähler manifold of dimension $`n6`$ the information given by the riemannian curvature is already contained in the Weyl tensor; in particular, for $`n6`$, a locally conformally flat Kähler metric is flat.

### 1.3. The differential Bianchi identity in Kähler geometry

The differential Bianchi identity

(4)
$$_XR_{Y,Z}+_YR_{Z,X}+_ZR_{X,Y}=0,$$

easily implies the following one, known as the Matsushima identity:

(5)
$$(\delta R)_{JX}=_X\rho .$$

(We specialize (4) by $`X=e_j`$, $`Y=Je_j`$, where $`\{e_j\}`$ is a local, $`J`$-adapted, orthonormal frame and we observe that $`\rho =\frac{1}{2}_{j=1}^nR_{e_j,Je_j}`$; here we define $`(\delta R)_{JX}:=_{j=1}^n_{e_i}R_{e_i,JX}`$.) The Matsushima identity immediately implies that the Ricci tensor of a Kähler manifold is parallel if and only if the curvature is co-closed, as a $`2`$-form with values in $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^2M`$. The Ricci form $`\rho `$ may also be expressed as $`\rho (X,Y)=\frac{1}{2}_{j=1}^nR_{X,Y}e_j,Je_j`$, and so it is closed by (4). Hence from (3) and (5), we infer the following expression for the codifferential of the Bochner tensor:

(6)
$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill (\delta W^𝒦)_{JX}=\frac{m}{m+2}_X\rho _0& \frac{1}{2(m+1)(m+2)}d\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}(X)\omega \hfill \\ & +\frac{m}{4(m+1)(m+2)}(d\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}JXd^c\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}X).\hfill \end{array}$$

Here $`d^c=Jd`$, $`X`$ is any vector field, and we identify vector fields and $`1`$-forms via $`g`$. In view of this identity, we introduce a normalized Ricci form $`\stackrel{~}{\rho }`$ defined by

$$\stackrel{~}{\rho }=\rho _0+\frac{\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}}{2m(m+1)}\omega .$$

Then, identity (6) reduces to

(7)
$$\frac{m+2}{m}(\delta W^𝒦)_{JX}=_X\stackrel{~}{\rho }+\frac{1}{2}(dsJXd^csX),$$

where the normalized scalar curvature $`s=\frac{\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}}{2(m+1)}`$ is the trace of $`\stackrel{~}{\rho }`$ with respect to $`\omega `$: $`s=\stackrel{~}{\rho },\omega `$.

###### Definition 1.

A Kähler manifold $`(M,g,J)`$ is called Bochner-flat (or Bochner–Kähler) if the Bochner tensor vanishes, $`W^𝒦=0`$, and weakly Bochner-flat if the Bochner tensor is co-closed, $`\delta W^𝒦=0`$.

By (7), a Kähler manifold is weakly Bochner-flat if and only if it satisfies the following weak Einstein condition:

(8)
$$_X\stackrel{~}{\rho }=\frac{1}{2}(dsJXd^csX).$$

### 1.4. Conformally Einstein Kähler metrics

A Kähler manifold $`(M,g,J,\omega )`$ of dimension $`n=2m4`$ is said to be conformally Einstein if there is a nonvanishing function $`\tau `$ such that $`\stackrel{~}{g}:=\tau ^2g`$ is an Einstein metric, i.e., $`\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}_0^{\stackrel{~}{g}}=0`$. A straightforward and standard computation of the conformal change of the Ricci tensor shows that $`g`$ is conformally Einstein with conformal factor $`\tau `$ if and only if

(9)
$$2(m1)Jd\tau =\tau \rho +\lambda \omega $$

for some function $`\lambda `$—the trace of this equation then determines that

$$\lambda =\frac{m1}{m}\mathrm{\Delta }\tau +\frac{1}{2m}\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}\tau ,$$

where $`\mathrm{\Delta }\tau =tr_gd\tau =dd^c\tau ,\omega `$.

We recall that a hamiltonian vector field $`K=Jgrad_gf`$ is Killing if and only if it preserves $`J`$, if and only if the hessian $`df`$ is $`J`$-invariant, if and only if $`Jdf=\frac{1}{2}dd^cf`$, in which case $`f`$ is said to be a Killing potential.

Clearly equation (9) implies that $`2(m1)Jd\tau =(m1)dd^c\tau `$, so that by differentiating (9), we obtain $`d\tau \rho d\lambda \omega =0`$ and hence $`d\tau d\lambda \omega =0`$. We shall say that $`g`$ is strongly conformally Einstein if $`d\tau d\lambda =0`$; this is automatic if $`n6`$ since the wedge product with $`\omega `$ is then injective on $`2`$-forms.

The fact that conformally Einstein Kähler metrics are strongly conformally Einstein in $`6`$ or more dimensions was first observed by Derdziński and Maschler , who used this to obtain an explicit description of such metrics. A key step is essentially equivalent to the following.

###### Lemma 1.

 Suppose that $`g`$ is strongly conformally Einstein, with conformal factor $`\tau `$. Then on the open set where $`d\tau `$ is nonzero,

(10)
$$2Jd\tau =p\omega +qd\tau d^c\tau $$

for some functions $`p,q`$ with $`dpd\tau =0`$.

###### Proof.

On the open set where $`d\tau `$ is nonzero, we may write $`d\lambda =\lambda _\tau d\tau `$, so that $`d\tau (\rho \lambda _\tau \omega )=0`$. It follows that the $`J`$-invariant $`2`$-form $`\rho \lambda _\tau \omega `$ is equal to $`fd\tau d^c\tau `$ for some function $`f`$. Therefore:

$$2(m1)Jd\tau =(\lambda \tau \lambda _\tau )\omega \tau fd\tau d^c\tau $$

and clearly $`d(\lambda \tau \lambda _\tau )d\tau =0`$. ∎

###### Remark 1.

More generally, the conclusions of this lemma hold on the open set where $`d\tau ,\xi _\tau 0`$ if $`2Jd\tau =\xi (\tau )\rho +\eta (\tau )\omega `$, with essentially the same proof .

In order to interpret the work of Derdziński and Maschler in the present work, we reformulate equation (10). We first note that if $`\tau `$ is any function satisfying (10), for some functions $`p,q`$ with $`dpd\tau =0`$, then in fact we have

$$d(|d\tau |^2)d\tau =0,dqd\tau =0,\text{and}p=\frac{a}{a\tau +b}|d\tau |^2$$

for some constants $`a`$ and $`b`$ not both zero. Indeed, contracting (10) with $`Jd\tau `$ we obtain $`d(|d\tau |^2)=(p+q|d\tau |^2)d\tau `$ which gives the first two observations. Hence $`dd^c\tau =f|d\tau |^2\omega +qd\tau d^c\tau `$, where $`dfd\tau =0`$. The exterior derivative of this equation gives $`|d\tau |^2(df+f^2d\tau )\omega =0`$, so that $`f=a/(a\tau +b)`$.

###### Lemma 2.

A Killing potential $`\tau `$ satisfies the equation

$$dd^c\tau =\frac{a}{a\tau +b}|d\tau |^2\omega +qd\tau d^c\tau $$

(for some function $`q`$ and constants $`a,b`$ not both zero) if and only if the $`2`$-form $`\chi :=(a\tau +b)d\tau d^c\tau /|d\tau |^2`$ satisfies

(11)
$$_X\chi =\frac{a}{2}(d\tau JXd^c\tau X).$$

###### Proof.

If $`\chi =(a\tau +b)d\tau d^c\tau /|d\tau |^2`$, then

$$\begin{array}{c}_X\chi =ad\tau (X)\frac{d\tau d^c\tau }{|d\tau |^2}(a\tau +b)\iota _Xdd^c\tau ,d^c\tau \frac{d\tau d^c\tau }{|d\tau |^4}\hfill \\ \hfill +(a\tau +b)\frac{\iota _{JX}dd^c\tau d^c\tau +d\tau \iota _Xdd^c\tau }{2|d\tau |^2}.\end{array}$$

This can only equal $`\frac{a}{2}(d\tau JXd^c\tau X)`$, if $`dd^c\tau `$ is of the form $`f|d\tau |^2\omega +qd\tau d^c\tau `$ for some functions $`f,q`$, in which case we obtain

$$_X\chi =(a(a\tau +b)f)d\tau (X)\frac{d\tau d^c\tau }{|d\tau |^2}+\frac{1}{2}(a\tau +b)f(d\tau JXd^c\tau X).$$

The result is now immediate. ∎

## 2. Hamiltonian $`2`$-forms

In this section we introduce the notion of a hamiltonian $`2`$-form and develop the most basic general properties and the simplest examples.

### 2.1. Hamiltonian $`2`$-forms and Killing vector fields

The definition of hamiltonian $`2`$-forms is motivated both by weakly Bochner-flat Kähler manifolds and by strongly conformally Einstein Kähler manifolds. The reason for the terminology will shortly become apparent.

###### Definition 2.

Let $`\varphi `$ be any (real) $`J`$-invariant $`2`$-form on the Kähler manifold $`(M,g,J,\omega )`$. We say $`\varphi `$ is hamiltonian if there is a function $`\sigma `$ on $`M`$ such that

(12)
$$_X\varphi =\frac{1}{2}(d\sigma JXd^c\sigma X)$$

for any vector field $`X`$. When $`M`$ is a Riemann surface, we require in addition that $`\sigma `$ is a Killing potential.

It follows immediately from the definition that $`d\sigma =dtr\varphi `$, where $`tr\varphi =\varphi ,\omega `$ is the trace of $`\varphi `$ with respect to $`\omega `$, so without loss of generality, we may take $`\sigma =tr\varphi `$. The defining equation for hamiltonian $`2`$-forms is therefore linear. Note that, for a general hamiltonian $`2`$-form $`\varphi `$, $`A=\varphi +\sigma \omega `$ is closed, $`dA=0`$.

###### Example 1.

On any Kähler manifold, any $`J`$-invariant parallel $`2`$-form is hamiltonian. In particular, a constant multiple of the Kähler form $`\omega `$ is hamiltonian. It follows that if $`\varphi `$ is hamiltonian, then so is $`\varphi _t:=\varphi t\omega `$ for any constant $`t`$.

###### Example 2.

We shall be particularly interested in the hamiltonian $`2`$-forms arising from the following immediate consequence of equation (8).

###### Proposition 1.

A Kähler manifold of dimension $`2m4`$ is weakly Bochner-flat if and only if the normalized Ricci form $`\stackrel{~}{\rho }=\rho _0+\frac{1}{m}s\omega =\rho s\omega `$ is hamiltonian.

###### Example 3.

In view of equation (11), we also have the following result.

###### Proposition 2.

On any strongly conformally Einstein Kähler manifold of dimension $`2m4`$, with conformal factor $`\tau `$, there are constants $`a,b`$ not both zero, such that $`\chi =(a\tau +b)d\tau Jd\tau /|d\tau |^2`$ is hamiltonian on the open set where $`d\tau `$ is nonzero.

The equation for hamiltonian $`2`$-forms is overdetermined. By differentiating and skew-symmetrizing (12), we get

(13)
$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill R_{X,Y}\varphi =[R_{X,Y},\varphi ]& =\frac{1}{2}(_Yd\sigma JX_Xd\sigma JY\hfill \\ & J_Yd\sigma X+J_Xd\sigma Y).\hfill \end{array}$$

This formula underlies most of the basic theory of hamiltonian $`2`$-forms. In particular, we shall use it to explain the use of the term “hamiltonian” in this context.

To do that, we first recall that the pfaffian of a $`2`$-form $`\varphi `$ is defined by

(14)
$$pf\varphi =\frac{1}{m!}(\varphi \mathrm{}\varphi ),$$

where $``$ denotes the Hodge star operator. The normalization is chosen so that $`pf\omega =1`$ and thus $`\varphi \mathrm{}\varphi =(pf\varphi )\omega \mathrm{}\omega `$. We let $`\varphi _t=\varphi t\omega `$ as in Example 1 above, and (following Bryant ) define the momentum polynomial of $`\varphi `$ to be

(15)
$$p(t):=(1)^mpf\varphi _t=t^m(tr\varphi )t^{m1}+\mathrm{}+(1)^mpf\varphi .$$

###### Proposition 3.

If $`\varphi `$ is a hamiltonian $`2`$-form, then the functions $`p(t)`$ on $`M`$ (for each $`t`$) are Poisson-commuting hamiltonians for Killing vector fields $`K(t):=Jgrad_gp(t)`$ which preserve $`\varphi `$. In particular, the vector fields $`K(t)`$ all commute.

###### Proof.

We first prove that $`K:=Jgrad_g\sigma `$ is Killing, i.e., $`d\sigma `$ is $`J`$-invariant. Since $`R_{X,Y}`$ is $`J`$-invariant in $`X`$ and $`Y`$, equation (13) implies that

(16)
$$S(X)JYJS(X)YS(Y)JX+JS(Y)X=0,$$

where
$$S(X)=_Xd\sigma +J_{JX}d\sigma .$$

Contracting (16) with a vector field $`Z`$ and taking the trace over $`Y`$ and $`Z`$ yields $`2(1m)JS(X)=0`$ and hence $`d\sigma `$ is $`J`$-invariant—by definition when $`m=1`$.

We now show that the other hamiltonian vector fields are Killing. To do this we differentiate $`pf\varphi _t`$, using the fact that $`\varphi _t`$ is hamiltonian with $`tr\varphi _t=tr\varphi mt`$ and hence $`dtr\varphi _t=d\sigma `$. Therefore, from (12) and (14), we get

(17)
$$dpf\varphi _t=\frac{1}{(m1)!}(Jd\sigma \varphi _t\mathrm{}\varphi _t).$$

Using (12) again, we then obtain

(18)
$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill _Xdpf\varphi _t& =\frac{1}{(m1)!}(_XJd\sigma \varphi _t\mathrm{}\varphi _t)\hfill \\ & +\frac{1}{2(m2)!}(JXd\sigma Jd\sigma \varphi _t\mathrm{}\varphi _t).\hfill \end{array}$$

The second term on the right hand side is automatically $`J`$-invariant, while the first one is also $`J`$-invariant since $`K`$ is Killing. Hence $`Jgrad_gp(t)`$ is Killing for all $`t`$.

It remains to prove that the Killing vector fields preserve $`\varphi `$ and that their momentum maps Poisson-commute. Contracting equation (17) with $`Jd\sigma `$, we deduce that $`Jdpf\varphi _t,d\sigma =0`$ and hence $`K(t)`$ preserves $`\sigma `$ for all $`t`$. It follows that $`_{K(t)}\varphi =_{K(t)}(\varphi _t+\sigma \omega )=d\iota _{K(t)}(\varphi _t+\sigma \omega )`$, since $`\varphi _t+\sigma \omega `$ is closed.

Now equation (17) also implies that

$$\varphi _t(grad_g(pf\varphi _t),)=\frac{1}{m!}\underset{j=1}{\overset{2m}{}}Jd\sigma ,\iota _{e_j}(\varphi _t\mathrm{}\varphi _t)\epsilon _j=(pf\varphi _t)Jd\sigma $$

(using a local frame $`e_j`$ with dual frame $`\epsilon _j`$) so that

(19)
$$\varphi _t(Jgrad_gp(t),)=p(t)d\sigma .$$

Hence $`\iota _{K(t)}(\varphi _t+\sigma \omega )=d(\sigma p(t))`$ is closed and so $`K(t)`$ preserves $`\varphi `$. It follows that $`K(t)`$ preserves $`p(s)`$ for all $`s,t`$ and $`\{p(s),p(t)\}=JK(s),K(t)=d(p(s))(K(t))=0`$ for all $`s,t`$; thus $`p(s)`$ and $`p(t)`$ Poisson-commute. ∎

Obviously $`p(t)`$ is a Killing potential for all $`t`$ if and only if its coefficients are all Killing potentials.

### 2.2. The connection on $`2`$-jets of hamiltonian $`2`$-forms

We have noted already that the equation for hamiltonian $`2`$-forms is overdetermined. In fact it has finite type, i.e., the space of local solutions is finite dimensional, being given by the parallel sections for a connection on the $`2`$-jets of hamiltonian $`2`$-forms.

###### Proposition 4.

If $`\varphi `$ is a hamiltonian $`2`$-form then

(20)
$$\varphi +\frac{1}{2}(K\mathrm{𝐼𝑑}+JKJ)=0$$

(21)
$$K+\frac{1}{2m}(2u\omega J\{\rho ,\varphi \}2R(\varphi ))=0$$

(22)
$$du+\rho (K)=0.$$

(Here, as elsewhere, we identify vectors with $`1`$-forms and bilinear forms with endomorphisms using $`g`$, and we recall that $`\{,\}`$ denotes the anticommutator.)

Thus $`(\varphi ,K,u)`$—with $`K=Jgrad_g\sigma `$, $`u=\frac{1}{2}\mathrm{\Delta }\sigma `$ and $`\sigma =tr\varphi `$—is parallel with respect to a natural covariant derivative $`𝒟`$ on $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^{J,+}MTMM\times `$.

The integrability condition $`F^𝒟(\varphi ,K,u)=0`$ is equivalent to the equations

(23)
$$m[R(\psi ),\varphi ][R(\varphi )+\frac{1}{2}J\{\rho ,\varphi \},\psi ^{J,+}]=0$$

(24)
$$(m+1)R_{K,X}\rho (K,X)\omega +\frac{1}{2}J\{\rho ,KX^{J,+}\}\frac{1}{2}J\{_X\rho ,\varphi \}_XR(\varphi )=0$$

(25)
$$m_K\rho +[R(\varphi ),\rho ]=0.$$

for any $`2`$-form $`\psi `$ and vector field $`X`$. Note that (23) with $`\psi =\omega `$ gives $`[\rho ,\varphi ]=0`$.

###### Proof.

Equation (20) is immediate by definition. Contracting (13) with a vector field $`Z`$ and taking the trace over $`Y`$ and $`Z`$ gives $`_{j=1}^{2m}R_{X,e_j}\varphi (e_j)+\varphi (\mathrm{𝑅𝑖𝑐}(X))=\frac{1}{2}(\mathrm{\Delta }\sigma )JXmJ_Xd\sigma `$ (for a local orthonormal frame $`e_j`$) and (21) is the $`J`$-invariant part of this (as $`d\sigma `$ is $`J`$-invariant). Since $`K`$ is a Killing vector field, $`_XK=R_{K,X}`$ , and (22) is obtained by contracting this with $`\omega `$.

The first integrability condition (23) follows from (13) by substituting for $`K=Jd\sigma `$. Differentiating (21) using $`_XK=R_{K,X}`$ and the equations for $`_X\varphi `$ and $`du(X)`$ gives (24). Finally, from equation (22), $`0=d(\rho (K))=_K\rho =_K\rho [K,\rho ]`$, which yields (25) by substituting for $`K`$.

The three components of $`F^𝒟(\varphi ,K,u)`$ are the left hand sides of (23)–(25) divided by $`m`$, after applying the isomorphism $`\mathrm{alt}:T^{}M\mathrm{\Lambda }^2M\mathrm{\Lambda }^2MTM`$ to (24). ∎

###### Remark 2.

It follows that hamiltonian $`2`$-forms enjoy the properties of parallel sections, such as unique continuation, extendibility to submanifolds of codimension at least two, and an upper bound, here equal to $`m^2+2m+1`$, on the dimension of space of hamiltonian $`2`$-forms.

We now expand the curvature $`R`$ using (3), which may be rewritten

(26)
$$R(\psi )=W^𝒦(\psi )J\{\widehat{\rho },\psi ^{J,+}\}+\widehat{\rho },\psi \omega +(tr\psi )\widehat{\rho }$$

for any $`2`$-form $`\psi `$, where $`\widehat{\rho }=\frac{1}{m+2}\left(\stackrel{~}{\rho }+\frac{1}{2}s\omega \right)=\frac{1}{m+2}\left(\rho \frac{1}{2}s\omega \right)`$. Then (21) reads

(27)
$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill K& =\frac{1}{2}J\{\widehat{\rho },\varphi \}+\frac{1}{m}\left(W^𝒦(\varphi )+(tr\varphi )\widehat{\rho }(tr\widehat{\rho })\varphi +(\widehat{\rho },\varphi u)\omega \right).\hfill \end{array}$$

Using $`[\rho ,\varphi ]=0`$, equation (23) implies

(28)
$$[W^𝒦(\psi ),\varphi ]=\frac{1}{m}[W^𝒦(\varphi ),\psi ^{J,+}]+J\left(\widehat{\rho }_0\psi ^{J,+}\varphi _0\varphi _0\psi ^{J,+}\widehat{\rho }_0\right)$$

$`(\widehat{\rho }_0=\frac{\rho _0}{m+2})`$. Equation (24) is complicated when fully expanded. Instead we use the fact that the $`J`$-invariant part of $`KX`$ is $`_X\varphi `$ to obtain

$$R_{K,X}=W_{K,X}^𝒦+J\{\widehat{\rho },_X\varphi \}\widehat{\rho },_X\varphi \omega d\sigma (X)\widehat{\rho }$$

and $`du(X)=\rho (K,X)=(m+2)\widehat{\rho },_X\varphi +d\sigma (X)tr\widehat{\rho }`$. Substituting these into the covariant derivative of (27) (using $`_XK=R_{K,X}`$ as before) we have

(29)
$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill W_{K,X}^𝒦\frac{1}{m}_X(W^𝒦(\varphi ))& =\frac{1}{2}J\{_X\widehat{\rho }_0,\varphi _0\}+\frac{1}{m}_X\widehat{\rho }_0,\varphi _0\omega \frac{1}{m}ds(X)\varphi _0\hfill \\ & \frac{1}{2}J\{\widehat{\rho }_0,_X\varphi _0\}\frac{1}{m}\widehat{\rho }_0,_X\varphi _0\omega +\frac{1}{m}d\sigma (X)\rho _0\hfill \end{array}$$

The important point we shall need later is that the right hand side vanishes if $`\stackrel{~}{\rho }`$ is a constant linear combination of $`\varphi `$ and $`\omega `$.

### 2.3. The differential system in the weakly Bochner-flat case

On a weakly Bochner-flat Kähler manifold, the normalized Ricci form $`\stackrel{~}{\rho }`$ is hamiltonian. We also want to study hamiltonian $`2`$-forms on Kähler–Einstein manifolds. These cases can be considered together by supposing that $`(g,J,\omega )`$ is a weakly Bochner-flat Kähler metric with a hamiltonian $`2`$-form $`\varphi `$ such that $`\stackrel{~}{\rho }`$ is a constant linear combination of $`\varphi `$ and $`\omega `$. We set $`\stackrel{~}{\rho }=(m+2)a\varphi +b\omega `$, and find that (27) may be written

$$K=\frac{1}{m}W^𝒦(\varphi )+aJ\varphi ^2(a\sigma +b)\varphi +\frac{1}{m}\left(a(\sigma ^2+\varphi ,\varphi )+b\sigma \frac{1}{2}\mathrm{\Delta }\sigma \right)\omega .$$

Let us put $`\tau _0=2a`$, $`\tau _1=2(a\sigma +b)`$ and $`\tau _2=\frac{2}{m}\left(a(\sigma ^2+\varphi ,\varphi )+b\sigma \frac{1}{2}\mathrm{\Delta }\sigma \right)`$. Then, as $`d\varphi ,\varphi =2\varphi (K)`$, we obtain the following formulation of the system (20)–(22):

(30)
$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill \varphi & =\frac{1}{2}(K\mathrm{𝐼𝑑}+JKJ),\hfill \\ \hfill K& =\frac{1}{m}W^𝒦(\varphi ),\frac{1}{2}\tau _0J\varphi ^2+\frac{1}{2}\tau _1\varphi +\frac{1}{2}\tau _2\omega ,\hfill \\ \hfill d\tau _2& =\tau _0\varphi (K)\tau _1JK,d\tau _1=\tau _0JK,d\tau _0=0.\hfill \end{array}$$

When $`W^𝒦(\varphi )=0`$ this system yields an invariant polynomial—in particular for $`\tau _00`$ and $`W^𝒦=0`$, such a polynomial was found by Bryant  and is the basis for his classification of Bochner-flat Kähler metrics.

###### Proposition 5.

Let $`(\varphi ,K,\tau _0,\tau _1,\tau _2)`$ be a solution of (30) with $`W^𝒦(\varphi )=0`$ and define a polynomial

(31)
$$F_\mathrm{c}(t):=(\tau _0t^2+\tau _1t+\tau _2)p(t)K,K(t).$$

Then $`F_\mathrm{c}(t)`$ has constant coefficients. (Recall that $`K(t)=Jgrad_gp(t)`$, where $`p(t)=(1)^mpf\varphi _t`$ and $`\varphi _t=\varphi t\omega `$.)

###### Proof.

Equation (17) implies that $`K,JXp(t)=\varphi _t(X),K(t)`$. Hence differentiating $`(\tau _0t^2+\tau _1t+\tau _2)p(t)`$ along a vector field $`X`$, using the system (30), gives

$`K,\tau _0tJXp(t)+K,\tau _0\varphi (X)+\tau _1JXp(t)+(\tau _0t^2+\tau _1t+\tau _2)JX,K(t)`$
$`=(\tau _0t\varphi _t\tau _0\varphi _t\varphi J+\tau _1\varphi _t+\tau _0t^2J+\tau _1tJ+\tau _2J)(X),K(t)`$
$`=(\tau _0J\varphi ^2+\tau _1\varphi +\tau _2J)(X),K(t)=2_XK,K(t).`$
Now (18) gives $`K,_X\left(K(t)\right)=_XK,K(t)`$, which proves the proposition. ∎

Following Bryant, we refer to $`F_\mathrm{c}`$ as the characteristic polynomial of $`(g,J,\omega ,\varphi )`$.

### 2.4. Complex projective, hyperbolic and euclidean space

A Kähler metric $`g`$ has constant holomorphic sectional curvature if and only if it is Bochner-flat and Kähler–Einstein (and we require constant scalar curvature when $`m=1`$). It follows from (23)–(25) that the connection $`𝒟`$ is flat in this case; hence on any simply connected domain, the space of hamiltonian $`2`$-forms has dimension $`(m+1)^2`$. Conversely, if $`𝒟`$ is flat, then $`\rho _0=0`$ (as $`[\rho _0,\varphi ]=0`$ for all $`\varphi \mathrm{\Lambda }^{J,+}M`$); now (28) implies that $`W^𝒦=0`$ (since $`[W^𝒦(\varphi ),\psi ]=0`$ for all $`\varphi ,\psi \mathrm{\Lambda }^{J,+}M`$); finally (29) gives $`ds=0`$ (even if $`m=1`$), so $`g`$ has constant holomorphic sectional curvature.

Hamiltonian $`2`$-forms on constant holomorphic sectional curvature manifolds correspond to solutions of (30) with $`W^𝒦=0`$, $`\tau _0=0`$ and $`\tau _1=2s/m`$. We first consider the case that $`s`$ is nonzero, i.e., up to scale, the Kähler metric is the Fubini–Study metric of complex projective space, or the Bergman metric of complex hyperbolic space. If we put $`\tau _2=2s\tau /m`$, the system (30) becomes

(32)
$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill \varphi & =\frac{1}{2}(K\mathrm{𝐼𝑑}+JKJ)\hfill \\ \hfill K& =\frac{s}{m}(\varphi \tau \omega )\hfill \\ \hfill d\tau & =JK.\hfill \end{array}$$

The last two equations show that $`\tau `$ is a Killing potential for $`K`$, and that the hamiltonian $`2`$-form $`\varphi `$ is completely determined by $`\tau `$. Furthermore, the Kostant identity $`_XK=R_{K,X}`$ shows that any Killing potential defines a hamiltonian $`2`$-form in this way. Hence there is a bijection $`\varphi \frac{1}{m}\sigma \frac{1}{2s}\mathrm{\Delta }\sigma `$ (with inverse $`\tau \frac{m}{2s}dd^c\tau +\tau \omega `$) from the space hamiltonian $`2`$-forms to the space of Killing potentials, which may be identified with the unitary Lie algebra $`𝔲(m+1)`$ or $`𝔲(m,1)`$, using the Poisson bracket. We remark, though we shall not make use of this, that the Lie bracket, Killing form and (monic, degree $`m+1`$) characteristic polynomial can be computed and turn out to be given by

$`[(\varphi ,K,\tau ),(\widehat{\varphi },\widehat{K},\widehat{\tau })]`$ $`=([\varphi ,\widehat{\varphi }]+\frac{m}{s}K\widehat{K}{}_{}{}^{J,+},\iota _{\widehat{K}}(\varphi \tau \omega )\iota _K(\widehat{\varphi }\widehat{\tau }\omega ),\frac{m}{s}\omega (K,\widehat{K}))`$
$`(\varphi ,K,\tau ),(\widehat{\varphi },\widehat{K},\widehat{\tau })`$ $`=\varphi ,\widehat{\varphi }+\tau \widehat{\tau }+\frac{m}{s}K,\widehat{K}`$
$`bP_{(\varphi ,K,\tau )}(t)`$ $`=\frac{m}{2s}F_\mathrm{c}(t)=(t\tau )p(t)+\frac{m}{2s}K,K(t).`$
On a flat Kähler manifold (e.g., on complex euclidean space $`^m`$) the system (30) reduces to

(33)
$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill \varphi & =\frac{1}{2}(K\mathrm{𝐼𝑑}+JKJ)\hfill \\ \hfill K& =\frac{1}{2}\kappa \omega .\hfill \end{array}$$

with $`\kappa `$ constant. Thus inside the space of hamiltonian $`2`$-forms we have the parallel $`2`$-forms ($`K=0`$); modulo such parallel $`2`$-forms, we then have the parallel vector fields ($`\kappa =0`$); then finally, the space of hamiltonian $`2`$-forms on $`^m`$, modulo those with $`K`$ parallel, is one dimensional, a representative element being $`dtd^ct`$, where $`t`$ is the distance squared to the origin. The characteristic polynomial is now

$$F_\mathrm{c}(t)=\kappa p(t)+\frac{1}{2}K,K(t)$$

which has degree $`m`$ if $`\kappa 0`$, degree $`m1`$ if $`\kappa =0`$ and $`K0`$, and is zero if $`K=0`$.

We shall obtain an explicit description of the hamiltonian 2-forms on complex projective, hyperbolic and euclidean space, with a given characteristic polynomial $`F_\mathrm{c}(t)`$, in section 5.4 below.

## 3. Hamiltonian torus actions

We have seen that on a Kähler $`2m`$-manifold with a hamiltonian $`2`$-form, there is a family of Poisson-commuting hamiltonian Killing vector fields $`K(t)=Jgrad_gp(t)`$. Since $`p(t)`$ is a monic polynomial of degree $`m`$, the span of the $`K(t)`$ is at most $`m`$-dimensional. If they are not all zero, then on an open set where the span has rank $`\mathrm{}`$, $`1\mathrm{}m`$, the $`K(t)`$ generate a local action of an $`\mathrm{}`$-dimensional torus.

We next study hamiltonian $`\mathrm{}`$-torus actions in general. Our discussion is independent of the theory of hamiltonian $`2`$-forms, but is strongly motivated by it. Roughly speaking, there are three aspects to the description of such torus actions: first, the toric geometry of the fibres of the complexified action; second, the geometry of the base of this action, the local Kähler quotient; third, the way the fibre and base geometries fit together. In full generality, these structures are quite difficult to handle. However, there is a class of toric manifolds, called orthotoric, of Kähler quotients, called semisimple, and of fibrations, called rigid, which are more amenable to computation. It will turn out that the hamiltonian torus actions induced by hamiltonian $`2`$-forms are always rigid with semisimple base and orthotoric fibres.

### 3.1. The Pedersen–Poon construction

###### Definition 3.

A local (isometric) hamiltonian $`\mathrm{}`$-torus action on a Kähler $`2m`$-manifold $`(M,g,J,\omega )`$ is an $`\mathrm{}`$-dimensional family of holomorphic Killing vector fields $`𝑲C^{\mathrm{}}(M,TM)^{\mathrm{}}`$ which are linearly independent on a dense open set $`M^0`$ and isotropic in the sense that $`\omega (𝑲,𝑲)=0`$. The last condition means that every component of $`J𝑲`$ is orthogonal to every component of $`𝑲`$. It follows that $`\mathrm{}m`$—if equality holds, we say that $`(M,g,J,\omega )`$ is a toric Kähler manifold.

For clarity, we write $`K_r=𝑲(e_r)`$ ($`r=1,\mathrm{}\mathrm{}`$) for the components of $`𝑲`$ with respect to a basis $`e_r`$ of $`^{\mathrm{}}`$—this could also be interpreted as an abstract index notation. In this subsection and the next two (only) we adopt the summation convention, i.e., repeated indices imply contraction.

Since $`_{K_r}\omega =0`$ for all $`r`$ and $`\omega `$ is closed, we have $`d(\iota _{K_r}\omega )=0`$ and $`\iota _{[K_r,K_s]}\omega =d(\omega (K_r,K_s))=0`$. Furthermore, since $`_{K_r}J=0`$ for all $`r`$ and $`J`$ is integrable, we have $`_{JK_r}J=0`$ and $`[JK_r,JK_s]=J[JK_r,K_s]=0`$.

###### Remark 3.

Definition 3 can be extended to almost hermitian manifolds, but if $`\omega `$ is not closed, we assume a priori that $`[K_r,K_s]=0`$ for all $`r,s`$, while if $`J`$ is not integrable, we assume that $`[JK_r,JK_s]`$ is in the span of $`J𝑲`$ for all $`r,s`$.

To obtain a local description of these metrics, valid near any point in $`M^0`$, we may assume that $`𝑲`$ generates a free $`\mathrm{}`$-torus action, so that $`M`$ is a principal $`\mathrm{}`$-torus bundle over a $`(2m\mathrm{})`$-dimensional manifold $`B`$, and that the foliation generated by $`𝑲,J𝑲`$ descends to a fibration of $`B`$ over a $`2(m\mathrm{})`$-dimensional manifold $`S`$.

Since $`J`$ is integrable and $`𝑲`$-invariant, the components of $`J𝑲`$ are holomorphic vector fields, so that $`S`$ is a complex manifold.

Further, since $`\omega `$ is closed and $`𝑲`$-invariant, we may locally write $`\iota _𝑲\omega =d𝝈`$ where $`𝝈:M^{\mathrm{}}`$ is a $`𝑲`$-invariant momentum map for the torus action. Thus we may locally identify $`B`$ with $`S\times U`$, where $`U`$ is an open subset of $`^{\mathrm{}}`$ and $`𝝈`$ is given by projection to $`U`$. $`S`$ is then the Kähler quotient of $`M`$: it is a complex manifold equipped with a family of compatible Kähler structures parameterized by $`U`$.

It is useful to split the exterior derivative on $`B`$ into horizontal and vertical parts:

$$d\alpha =d_h\alpha +d\sigma _r_{/\sigma _r}\alpha .$$

(Note $`_{/\sigma _r}`$ commutes with $`d_h`$. We write $`\alpha /\sigma _r`$ as a shorthand for $`_{/\sigma _r}\alpha `$.)

Let $`𝜽C^{\mathrm{}}(M,\mathrm{\Lambda }^1M)^{\mathrm{}}`$ be the connection $`1`$-forms dual to $`𝑲`$ and let $`J𝜽=𝜽J`$; thus $`\theta _r(K_s)=\delta _{rs}`$ and $`\theta _r`$ vanishes on the horizontal distribution of $`MB`$ . (We may locally write $`\theta _r=dt_r+\alpha _r`$ where $`𝒕:M^{\mathrm{}}`$ and $`\alpha _r(K_s)=0=\alpha _r(JK_s)`$.)

The two families of $`1`$-forms $`J𝜽`$ and $`\iota _𝑲\omega `$ span the same $`\mathrm{}`$-dimensional space. Hence we may write

$$J\theta _r=G_{rs}\iota _{K_s}\omega \text{and}\iota _{K_r}\omega =H_{rs}J\theta _s,$$

where $`G_{rs}`$ and $`H_{rs}`$ are mutually inverse and $`𝑲`$-invariant. Since $`K_r,K_s=\omega (K_r,JK_s)=H_{rs}`$, we deduce that $`G_{rs}`$ and $`H_{rs}`$ are symmetric and positive definite.

###### Proposition 6.

 Let $`(S,J)`$ be a complex $`2(m\mathrm{})`$-manifold, let $`B=S\times U`$ with $`U`$ open in $`^{\mathrm{}}`$, and let $`M`$ be a principal $`\mathrm{}`$-torus bundle over $`B`$. Denote the components of the projection $`𝛔:B^{\mathrm{}}`$ by $`\sigma _r`$. Now suppose that:

* $`(h,\omega _h)`$ is family of compatible Kähler metrics on the level surfaces of $`𝝈`$ in $`B`$;
* $`G_{rs}`$ is a symmetric positive definite matrix of functions on $`B`$, with inverse matrix $`H_{rs}`$, satisfying the equations

(34)
$$\frac{G_{rs}}{\sigma _t}=\frac{G_{rt}}{\sigma _s}\text{and}d_hd_h^cG_{rs}+\frac{^2\omega _h}{\sigma _r\sigma _s}=0;$$
* $`𝜽:M^{\mathrm{}}`$ is the connection $`1`$-form of a principal connection on $`M`$ over $`B`$ whose curvature satisfies the equation

(35)
$$d\theta _r=\frac{\omega _h}{\sigma _r}+d_h^cG_{rs}d\sigma _s.$$

Then the almost hermitian structure

(36)
$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill g& =h+G_{rs}d\sigma _rd\sigma _s+H_{rs}\theta _r\theta _s\hfill \\ \hfill \omega & =\omega _h+d\sigma _r\theta _r\hfill \\ \hfill J\theta _r& =G_{rs}d\sigma _s\hfill \end{array}$$

on $`M`$ is Kähler with a free hamiltonian $`\mathrm{}`$-torus action and Kähler quotient $`S`$.

Any Kähler manifold with a local hamiltonian $`\mathrm{}`$-torus action arises locally in this way on the dense open set $`M^0`$ where the Killing vector fields are independent.

###### Proof.

We have seen already that any Kähler structure with a local hamiltonian $`\mathrm{}`$-torus action can be written in the form (36), where $`(h,J,\omega _h)`$ is Kähler for each fixed $`𝝈`$ and $`d\theta _r(JK_s,JK_t)=\theta _r([JK_s,JK_t])=0`$. Now under these conditions, $`\zeta _r=G_{rs}d\sigma _s+i\theta _r`$ generate the $`(1,0)`$-forms on the fibres, so $`(g,J,\omega )`$ is Kähler if and only if the $`\zeta _r`$ generate a differential ideal modulo horizontal forms and $`\omega `$ is closed. Since $`d\omega =(\omega _h/\sigma _rd\theta _r)d\sigma _r`$, and $`d\zeta _r=d_hG_{rs}d\sigma _s(G_{rs}/\sigma _t)d\sigma _sd\sigma _t+id\theta _r`$, it follows easily that $`(g,J,\omega )`$ is Kähler if and only if $`G_{rs}`$ satisfies (34) and $`\theta _r`$ satisfies (35): the second part of (34) follows from the integrability of (35). ∎

###### Remark 4.

It is crucial here that the local torus action is hamiltonian in the strong sense that the components of $`𝝈`$ Poisson-commute, i.e., $`d\sigma _r(K_s)=0`$. This condition is often missed in the literature, since if $`K_r`$ and $`K_s`$ commute, $`d\sigma _r(K_s)`$ is constant, and on a compact manifold $`\sigma _r`$ must have a critical point, so the constant is zero. However, we are not assuming compactness: indeed, the above local description is only valid on an open set where $`\sigma _r`$ has no critical points!

Proposition 6 shows that a Kähler metric with a local hamiltonian $`\mathrm{}`$-torus action may be specified by essentially free data. Indeed (35) is integrable by virtue of (34). To solve the latter, observe that the first part implies we can write $`G_{rs}=u_r/\sigma _s`$, and since $`G_{rs}`$ is symmetric, $`u_r=G/\sigma _r`$ for some function $`G`$ on $`B`$ such that the $`d_h`$-closed $`J`$-invariant $`2`$-form $`\omega _h+d_hd_h^cG`$ depends affinely on $`𝝈`$. Since we can add a $`d_hd_h^c`$ potential for this $`2`$-form to $`G`$ without altering $`G_{rs}`$, we can assume (locally) that for each fixed $`𝝈`$, $`\omega _h+d_hd_h^cG=0`$. Thus $`G`$ determines $`\omega _h`$ and $`G_{rs}`$ and is now subject only to the open condition that these are positive definite.

In fact $`G`$ is a fibrewise Legendre transform of a Kähler potential, generalizing work of Guillemin in the toric case  (see also ). Observe first that $`d^cu_r=d_h^cu_r+\theta _r`$, and so $`dd^cu_r=\omega _h/\sigma _r+d_hd_h^cu_r=0`$, i.e., $`u_r`$ is pluriharmonic. Now $`dd^c(\sigma _ru_rG)=d(\sigma _rd^cu_rd_h^cG)=d\sigma _r\theta _rd_hd_h^cG=\omega `$, so $`H:=\sigma _ru_rG`$ is a Kähler potential. Since $`G_{rs}`$ is nondegenerate, the $`u_r`$ also form a coordinate system on each fibre of $`B`$ over $`S`$, and we let $`/u_r=H_{rs}/\sigma _s`$ be the coordinate vector fields tangent to the fibres, so that $`H_{rs}=\sigma _s/u_r`$ and $`\sigma _s=H/u_r`$. If we locally set $`d^cu_r=dt_r`$ then $`𝒖+i𝒕:M^{\mathrm{}}`$ is holomorphic and $`\theta _r=dt_r+\alpha _r`$ with $`\alpha _r=d_h^cu_r`$. This is the fibrewise Legendre dual coordinate system to $`(𝝈,𝒕):M^{\mathrm{}}\times ^{\mathrm{}}`$, and we refer to $`G`$ as a dual potential.

It is convenient to introduce a fixed ($`𝝈`$-independent) volume form $`vol_S`$ on $`S`$ and write $`vol_{\omega _h}=Qvol_S`$. Observe in particular that

(37)
$$\omega _h,\frac{\omega _h}{\sigma _r}_h=\omega _h^1,\frac{\omega _h}{\sigma _r}=\frac{1}{Q}\frac{Q}{\sigma _r}.$$

###### Proposition 7.

Let $`(M,g,J,\omega )`$ be Kähler with a local hamiltonian $`\mathrm{}`$-torus action.

* Let $`f`$ be any invariant function on $`M`$. Then

$`dd^cf`$ $`=d_hd_h^cf+{\displaystyle \frac{f}{u_r}}{\displaystyle \frac{\omega _h}{\sigma _r}}`$
(38) $`+d_h\left({\displaystyle \frac{f}{u_r}}\right)\theta _r+d_h^c\left({\displaystyle \frac{f}{u_r}}\right)J\theta _r`$
$`+{\displaystyle \frac{}{\sigma _r}}\left({\displaystyle \frac{f}{u_s}}\right)d\sigma _r\theta _s,`$
(39) $`\mathrm{\Delta }f`$ $`=\mathrm{\Delta }_hf{\displaystyle \frac{1}{Q}}{\displaystyle \frac{}{\sigma _r}}\left(Q{\displaystyle \frac{f}{u_r}}\right).`$
It follows that $`dd^cf=0`$ if and only if $`f=A_ru_r+B`$ where the $`A_r`$ are constant, and $`B`$ is a pluriharmonic function on $`S`$.
* Suppose that $`\kappa _h`$ is a Ricci potential for $`\omega _h`$ for each fixed $`𝝈`$, i.e., $`d_hd_h^c\kappa _h=\rho _h`$ where $`\rho _h`$ is the Ricci form of $`\omega _h`$. Then $`\kappa =\kappa _h+\frac{1}{2}\mathrm{log}detG_{rs}`$ is a Ricci potential for $`g`$, and we have

(40) $`d_hd_h^c\kappa `$ $`=\rho _h+{\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}d_h(H_{rs}d_h^cG_{rs}),`$
(41) $`{\displaystyle \frac{\kappa }{u_r}}`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{1}{2Q}}{\displaystyle \frac{}{\sigma _t}}(QH_{rt}).`$

###### Proof.

* Expanding $`d`$ into horizontal and vertical parts, we get

$$dd^cf=d_hd_h^cf+\frac{f}{u_r}d\theta _r+d\sigma _r\frac{}{\sigma _r}d_h^cf+d_h\frac{f}{u_r}\theta _r+\frac{}{\sigma _s}\frac{f}{u_r}d\sigma _s\theta _r.$$

The second term in the equation (35) for $`d\theta _r`$ combines with the third term in the above equation to give $`d_h^c(f/u_r)J\theta _r`$. The formula for the laplacian (39) follows by contracting with $`\omega `$, using (37).

Now $`dd^cf=0`$ if and only if the three lines on the right hand side of (38) are separately zero. Hence $`f/u_r`$ must be constant, i.e., $`f=A_ru_r+B`$ with $`A_r`$ constant and $`B/u_r=0`$, and so $`dd^cf=0`$ if and only if $`dd^cB=d_hd_h^cB=0`$.
* A Ricci potential has the form $`\frac{1}{2}\mathrm{log}(vol_\omega /vol_J)`$ where $`vol_\omega =\frac{1}{m!}\omega \mathrm{}\omega `$ and $`vol_J`$ is a holomorphic volume form. We first observe (see ) that if $`dz_\mu `$ is a local frame of holomorphic $`(1,0)`$-forms on $`S`$, then there are functions $`B_{r\mu }`$ such that $`_\mu B_{r\mu }dz_\mu +G_{rs}d\sigma _s+i\theta _r`$, together with $`dz_\mu `$, form a local holomorphic frame of $`M`$. Since $`\omega =\omega _h+d\sigma _r\theta _r`$, the formula for $`\kappa `$ is immediate.

Equation (40) follows easily using the fact that for any matrix valued function $`A`$, $`d\mathrm{log}detA=trA^1dA`$. For (41) we also note that $`\kappa _h=\frac{1}{2}\mathrm{log}(Qvol_S/vol_{J_h})`$, where $`vol_{J_h}`$ is a ($`𝝈`$-independent) holomorphic volume form on $`S`$, and so

$`{\displaystyle \frac{\kappa }{u_r}}`$ $`=H_{rt}{\displaystyle \frac{\kappa }{\sigma _t}}={\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}H_{rt}\left(H_{pq}{\displaystyle \frac{G_{pq}}{\sigma _t}}{\displaystyle \frac{1}{Q}}{\displaystyle \frac{Q}{\sigma _t}}\right)={\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}\left(H_{rt}{\displaystyle \frac{G_{tp}}{\sigma _q}}H_{pq}{\displaystyle \frac{1}{Q}}{\displaystyle \frac{Q}{\sigma _t}}H_{rt}\right)`$
$`={\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}\left({\displaystyle \frac{H_{rt}}{\sigma _t}}+{\displaystyle \frac{1}{Q}}{\displaystyle \frac{Q}{\sigma _t}}H_{rt}\right),`$
where we use the symmetry of $`G_{pq}/\sigma _t`$ in $`p,q,t`$. ∎

This result provides conditions for $`M`$ to be Kähler–Einstein, using the fact that invariant Ricci and Kähler potentials then differ by an invariant pluriharmonic function. More generally, substituting (40) and (41) into (38) and (39) gives the Ricci form and scalar curvature. These expressions are rather complicated in general. However, if we suppose that $`d_hG_{rs}=0`$ and $`d_hQ=0`$ then

$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill \rho & =\rho _h\frac{1}{2Q}\frac{(QH_{rt})}{\sigma _t}\omega _h\frac{}{\sigma _s}\left(\frac{1}{2Q}\frac{(QH_{rt})}{\sigma _t}\right)d\sigma _s\theta _r,\hfill \\ \hfill \mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}& =\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}_h\frac{1}{Q}\frac{^2}{\sigma _r\sigma _s}(QH_{rs}).\hfill \end{array}$$

Note that these expressions depend linearly in $`H_{rs}`$: this fact was emphasised by Abreu  in the toric case, and by Hwang–Singer  in the case of circle symmetry: we have just combined their arguments. We shall see the significance of the conditions $`d_hG_{rs}=0`$ and $`d_hQ=0`$ shortly.

We remark that when $`m=2`$, $`\mathrm{}=1`$, the Pedersen–Poon construction reduces to LeBrun’s construction :

$$g=we^u(dx^2+dy^2)+wdz^2+w^1\theta ^2,\omega =we^udxdy+dz\theta ,$$

where $`w_{xx}+w_{yy}+(we^u)_{zz}=0`$, which is the integrability condition for $`d\theta =w_xdydzw_ydxdz+(we^u)_zdxdy`$. Here $`d_hw=w_xdx+w_ydy`$. Note $`\kappa =\frac{1}{2}u`$ is a Ricci potential for $`g`$.

### 3.2. Rigid hamiltonian torus actions

Kähler manifolds with a hamiltonian $`\mathrm{}`$-torus action are too complicated, in their fullest generality, for constructing interesting Kähler metrics. Indeed most applications, including those in , use only Kähler metrics in the following subclass.

###### Proposition 8.

Suppose the Kähler manifold $`(M,g,J,\omega )`$ has a local (isometric) hamiltonian $`\mathrm{}`$-torus action $`𝐊=Jgrad_g𝛔`$, for $`𝛔:M^{\mathrm{}}`$, and let $``$ be the foliation generated by $`K_r,JK_r`$ $`(r=1,\mathrm{}\mathrm{})`$. Then on the open dense set $`M^0`$, where the action is locally free, the following are equivalent:

* the leaves of $``$ are totally geodesic;
* the connection $`𝜽:TM^0^{\mathrm{}}`$, with $`\mathrm{ker}𝜽=(\mathrm{span}𝑲)^{}`$, is $`J𝑲`$-invariant;
* $`K_r,K_s`$ is constant on the level surfaces of $`𝝈`$ for all $`r,s`$;
* the family of Kähler forms $`\omega _h=\omega d\sigma _r\theta _r`$ on the local leaf space of $``$ depends affinely on $`𝝈`$ and the linear part pulls back to the curvature of $`𝜽`$;
* there is a (local) $`𝑲`$-invariant Kähler potential of the form $`H=H_0+H_\sigma `$ where $`H_0`$ is constant on the leaves of $``$ and $`H_\sigma `$ is constant on the level surfaces of $`𝝈`$.

###### Proof.

The conditions (i)–(iii) are all equivalent to the fact that $`_{K_r}K_s,X=0`$ for all $`r,s`$ and all $`X`$ orthogonal to $``$. Indeed, since $`J`$ is parallel and $`K_r`$ is holomorphic this says that $``$ is totally geodesic. On the other hand, $`_{JK_r}(JX),K_s=J_{JK_r}(X),K_s=J_{JK_r}X+_XK_r,K_s=2_{K_r}K_s,X`$, so it also says that the connection $`𝜽`$ is $`JK_r`$-invariant. Finally, it means that $`_XK_r,K_s=2_{K_r}K_s,X=0`$ for all $`X`$ orthogonal to $``$.

To establish the equivalence of the local conditions (iii)–(v), we use the Pedersen–Poon construction, Proposition 6. (iii) means that $`d_hH_{rs}=0`$, or equivalently $`d_hG_{rs}=0`$, which by (35) is equivalent to $`d\theta _r=\omega _h/\sigma _r`$; this is (iv), since (34) then shows that $`\omega _h`$ is affine in $`𝝈`$. (v) gives that $`H_{rs}`$ is the hessian of $`H_\sigma `$ which implies (iii). Conversely (iii) implies that the dual potential $`G`$ is an affine function of $`𝝈`$, so that $`d_hH=\sigma _r(/\sigma _r)(d_hG)d_hG`$ is independent of $`𝝈`$; then it has a local $`𝝈`$-independent $`d_h`$-potential $`H_0`$, and $`d_hH_\sigma =0`$ where $`H_\sigma =HH_0`$. ∎

If $`M`$ is given by the Pedersen–Poon construction (as it is locally), then (i) means that the fibres of $`MS`$ (the complex orbits) are totally geodesic, (ii) that $`MB`$ is the pullback of a principal bundle with connection over $`S`$, and (iii) that the metric on the fibres of $`MB`$ (the torus orbits) depends only on the momentum map; the condition (iv) on the Kähler quotient is a kind of rigid Duistermaat–Heckman property (it holds in cohomology by ), while (v) generalizes Calabi’s Ansatz  for Kähler metrics on holomorphic bundles.

###### Definition 4.

A local hamiltonian $`\mathrm{}`$-torus action $`𝑲=Jgrad_g𝝈`$ on a Kähler manifold will be called rigid if $`K_r,K_s`$ is constant on the level surfaces of $`𝝈`$.

###### Proposition 9.

Suppose that $`M`$ arises from the Pedersen–Poon construction for a rigid hamiltonian $`\mathrm{}`$-torus action, and let $`^{}`$ and $`^H`$ be respectively the Levi-Civita connection on the fibres of $`M`$ over $`S`$, and the Levi-Civita connection on the level surfaces of $`𝛔`$ in $`B`$, lifted to the horizontal distribution of $`MS`$. Let $`X,Y`$ be horizontal vector fields and $`U,V`$ be vertical vector fields. Then

(42) $`_XY`$ $`=`$ $`_X^HY`$ $`C(X,Y)`$
(43) $`_XU`$ $`=`$ $`C(X,),U`$ $`+[X,U]^{}`$
(44) $`_UX`$ $`=`$ $`[U,X]^H+C(X,),U`$
(45) $`_UV`$ $`=`$ $`_U^{}V,`$
where <sup>H</sup> and  denote the horizontal and vertical components, and the O’Neill tensor $`C`$ is given by

(46)
$$2C(X,Y)=\mathrm{\Omega }_r(X,Y)K_r+\mathrm{\Omega }_r(JX,Y)JK_r.$$

###### Proof.

These observations all follow from the Koszul formula

(47)
$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill 2_XY,Z& =_XY,Z+_YX,Z_ZX,Y\hfill \\ & +[X,Y],Z[X,Z],Y[Y,Z],X.\hfill \end{array}$$

The contraction of (42) with a horizontal vector field $`Z`$ is immediate because $`MB`$ is a riemannian submersion. For the vertical component, (47) gives

$$2_XY,Z=(_Zg)(X,Y)+[X,Y],Z.$$

(with $`Z`$ vertical). Taking $`Z=/\sigma _r`$ and $`Z=K_r`$ we obtain (42) with $`C`$ given by (46), since $`[X,Y]^{}=\mathrm{\Omega }_r(X,Y)K_r`$, $`JK_r=grad_g\sigma _r`$ and

$$\frac{g}{\sigma _r}(X,Y)=\frac{\omega _h}{\sigma _r}(JX,Y)=\mathrm{\Omega }_r(JX,Y).$$

The remaining three equations are much easier: $`_XU,Y=_XY,U`$, $`_UX_XU=[U,X]`$ and $`_UX,V=_UV,X`$, so we only need to check $`_XU,V=[X,U],V`$ and (45). These follow immediately because the metric on the fibres is constant along horizontal curves and the fibres are totally geodesic. ∎

### 3.3. Semisimple Kähler quotients

###### Definition 5.

A complex manifold $`(S,J)`$ with a family of Kähler metrics $`(h,\omega _h)`$ (with parameter $`𝝈`$) is semisimple if there is a Kähler form $`\mathrm{\Omega }_S`$ on $`S`$ with respect to which the $`\omega _h`$ are simultaneously diagonalizable and parallel. A local hamiltonian torus action is semisimple if its local Kähler quotient is.

We can of course take $`\mathrm{\Omega }_S`$ to be $`\omega _h`$ for some fixed $`𝝈`$, but it will be convenient later to make a different choice.

###### Proposition 10.

If $`(S,J)`$ is semisimple then $`(S,\mathrm{\Omega }_S)`$ is a locally a Kähler product of $`(S_a,\omega _a)`$ $`(a=1,\mathrm{}N,N1)`$ such that $`\omega _h=_{a=1}^Nc_a(𝛔)\omega _a`$, where $`c_a(𝛔)`$ is constant on $`S`$. The Levi-Civita connection of $`\omega _h`$ is independent of $`𝛔`$, being equal to the Levi-Civita connection of $`\mathrm{\Omega }_S`$.

###### Proof.

As $`\omega _h`$ is a parallel $`(1,1)`$-form on $`S`$, the ($`J`$-invariant, simultaneous) eigendistributions of $`\omega _h`$ are parallel, and $`S`$ splits as a local Kähler product by the deRham theorem. The Levi-Civita connections of $`\omega _h`$ and $`\mathrm{\Omega }_S`$ agree, because on each factor $`S_a`$ of the local Kähler product they are related by a constant multiple. ∎

In the case of local hamiltonian $`\mathrm{}`$-torus actions, the semisimplicity condition implies in particular that the quantity $`Q`$ defined by $`vol_{\omega _h}=Qvol_S`$, where $`vol_S`$ is the volume form of $`\mathrm{\Omega }_S`$, is constant on $`S`$, being given by

(48)
$$Q=_{a=1}^Nc_a(𝝈)^{m_a},\text{where}dimS_a=2m_a.$$

If the action is also rigid, $`\omega _h`$ depends affinely on $`𝝈^{\mathrm{}}`$, so we can write $`\omega _h=\mathrm{\Omega }_0+𝝈,𝛀`$ where $`\mathrm{\Omega }_0`$ and $`𝛀`$ are closed $`J`$-invariant ($`𝝈`$-independent) $`2`$-forms on $`S`$, the latter with values in $`^{\mathrm{}}`$. Letting $`\mathrm{\Omega }_r`$ denote the components of $`𝛀`$, we have $`\mathrm{\Omega }_r=_{a=1}^Nc_{ar}\omega _a`$ for $`r=0,\mathrm{}\mathrm{}`$, where $`c_a(𝝈)=c_{a0}+c_{ar}\sigma _r`$.

### 3.4. Orthotoric Kähler metrics

###### Definition 6.

A Kähler $`2m`$-manifold $`(M,g,J,\omega )`$ is orthotoric if it is equipped with $`m`$ Poisson-commuting functions $`\sigma _1,\mathrm{}\sigma _m`$ such that $`K_r=J\mathrm{grad}_g\sigma _r`$ are Killing vector fields and, on a dense open set $`M^0`$, the roots $`\xi _j`$ of $`_{r=0}^m(1)^r\sigma _rt^\mathrm{}r`$ $`(\sigma _0=1`$) are smoothly defined, with linearly independent, orthogonal gradients.

Note that an orthotoric Kähler manifold is toric, and any toric Riemann surface is orthotoric. For a higher dimensional toric manifold it is hard to detect whether it is orthotoric, since the condition depends on a choice of basis for Lie algebra of the torus. Because of this choice, we abandon the summation convention.

The exterior derivative of the identity

$$\underset{k=1}{\overset{m}{}}(t\xi _k)=\underset{r=0}{\overset{m}{}}(1)^r\sigma _rt^{mr}$$

at $`t=\xi _j`$ yields

(49)
$$d\xi _j=\frac{1}{\mathrm{\Delta }_j}\underset{r=0}{\overset{m}{}}(1)^{r1}\xi _j^{mr}d\sigma _r,$$

where $`\mathrm{\Delta }_j=_{kj}(\xi _j\xi _k)`$. This is inverse to the identity

(50)
$$d\sigma _r=\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)d\xi _j,$$

where $`\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)`$ denote the elementary symmetric functions of the $`m1`$ functions $`\xi _k`$ with $`\xi _j`$ deleted (with the convention that $`\sigma _0=1`$). Hence the coordinate systems given by $`\xi _j`$ and $`\sigma _r`$ are related by the Vandermonde matrix and its inverse. We have collected some Vandermonde identities that we need in Appendix B.

###### Proposition 11.

Let $`(M,g,J,\omega )`$ be an orthotoric Kähler $`2m`$-manifold. Then, on any simply connected domain $`U`$ in $`M^0`$, there are $`m`$ functions $`t_r`$, each determined up to an additive constant, and $`m`$ functions $`\mathrm{\Theta }_j`$ of one variable, such that $`\{\xi _1,\mathrm{}\xi _m,t_1,\mathrm{}t_m\}`$ form a coordinate system with respect to which the Kähler structure may be written

(51)
$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill g& =\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{\mathrm{\Delta }_j}{\mathrm{\Theta }_j(\xi _j)}d\xi _j^2+\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{\mathrm{\Theta }_j(\xi _j)}{\mathrm{\Delta }_j}\left(\underset{r=1}{\overset{m}{}}\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)dt_r\right)^2,\hfill \\ \hfill \omega & =\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}d\xi _j\left(\underset{r=1}{\overset{m}{}}\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)dt_r\right)=\underset{r=1}{\overset{m}{}}d\sigma _rdt_r,\hfill \\ \hfill Jd\xi _j& =\frac{\mathrm{\Theta }_j(\xi _j)}{\mathrm{\Delta }_j}\underset{r=1}{\overset{m}{}}\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)dt_r,Jdt_r=(1)^r\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{\xi _j^{mr}}{\mathrm{\Theta }_j(\xi _j)}d\xi _j.\hfill \end{array}$$

Conversely, for any $`m`$ real functions $`\mathrm{\Theta }_j`$ of one variable, the almost-hermitian structure defined by (51) is Kähler and orthotoric with dual potential

(52)
$$G=\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}^{\xi _j}\frac{_k(t\xi _k)}{\mathrm{\Theta }_j(t)}𝑑t=\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}^{\xi _j}\frac{_{r=0}^m(1)^r\sigma _rt^{mr}}{\mathrm{\Theta }_j(t)}𝑑t$$

and Kähler potential

(53)
$$H=\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}^{\xi _j}\frac{t^m}{\mathrm{\Theta }_j(t)}𝑑t.$$

###### Proof.

We apply Proposition 6 to obtain the local expression. The condition that the $`\xi _j`$ have orthogonal gradients means that

(54)
$$H_{rs}=\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)\sigma _{s1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)|d\xi _j|^2$$

and hence

(55)
$$G_{rs}=\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{(1)^{r+s}\xi _j^{mr}\xi _j^{ms}}{\mathrm{\Delta }_j^2|d\xi _j|^2}.$$

We set $`\mathrm{\Theta }_j=\mathrm{\Delta }_j|d\xi _j|^2`$ so that

(56)
$$\underset{s=1}{\overset{m}{}}G_{rs}d\sigma _s=\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{(1)^{r1}\xi _j^{mr}}{\mathrm{\Theta }_j}d\xi _j.$$

If $`G_{rs}`$ is the hessian of a function $`G`$, this must be closed, i.e.,

$$\xi _j^{mr}\frac{\mathrm{\Theta }_j}{\xi _k}=\xi _k^{mr}\frac{\mathrm{\Theta }_k}{\xi _j},$$

for all $`j,k,r=1,\mathrm{}m`$. Multiplying this by $`(1)^rd\sigma _r`$ and using (49) to sum over $`r`$ (which amounts to inverting the above Vandermonde system) shows that $`\mathrm{\Delta }_j\mathrm{\Theta }_j/\xi _k`$ vanishes for $`jk`$; it follows that each $`\mathrm{\Theta }_j`$ only depends on $`\xi _j`$. Changing coordinates from Proposition 6 yields (51).

Conversely if $`\mathrm{\Theta }_j`$ is a function only of $`\xi _j`$ then (56) is equal to $`du_r`$ where

(57)
$$u_r=\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}^{\xi _j}\frac{(1)^rt^{mr}}{\mathrm{\Theta }_j(t)}𝑑t.$$

Since the integrand in (52) vanishes when $`t=\xi _j`$, the derivative of $`G`$ with respect to $`\sigma _r`$ is $`u_r`$, so its hessian is $`G_{rs}`$; $`_{r=1}^mu_r\sigma _rG`$ then gives (53). Since the $`d\xi _j`$ are evidently pairwise orthogonal, the structure is orthotoric. ∎

We end with an alternative characterization of orthotoric Kähler metrics.

###### Proposition 12.

A toric Kähler structure $`(g,J,\omega )`$ is orthotoric if and only if there is a momentum map $`(\sigma _1,\mathrm{}\sigma _m)`$ such that $`_{r=1}^m(\sigma _1\sigma _r\sigma _{r+1})du_r`$ is a closed $`1`$-form, where $`u_r=G/\sigma _r`$ for a dual potential $`G`$.

###### Proof.

Let $`\xi _j`$ be the roots of the polynomial $`_{r=0}^m(1)^r\sigma _rt^{mr}`$. Then

$`{\displaystyle \underset{r=1}{\overset{m}{}}}d(\sigma _1\sigma _r\sigma _{r+1})du_r`$ $`={\displaystyle \underset{r,s}{}}G_{rs}(\sigma _rd\sigma _1d\sigma _{r+1})d\sigma _s`$
$`={\displaystyle \underset{r,s,j,k}{}}G_{rs}(\xi _j\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)d\xi _j)(\sigma _{s1}(\widehat{\xi }_k)d\xi _k),`$
which is zero if and only if $`_{r,s}G_{rs}(\xi _j\xi _k)\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)\sigma _{s1}(\widehat{\xi }_k)=0`$ for all $`j,k`$. The left hand side is $`(\xi _j\xi _k)/\xi _j,/\xi _k`$, so the result follows. ∎

## 4. Classification of hamiltonian $`2`$-forms

### 4.1. Rough classification of hamiltonian $`2`$-forms

On any Kähler manifold, any $`J`$-invariant parallel $`2`$-form is hamiltonian. However, in this case the Killing vector fields $`K(t)`$ are all identically zero. For a general hamiltonian $`2`$-form $`\varphi `$, it is important to know how many of the $`K(t)`$ are linearly independent. To do this, we (temporarily) write $`p(t)=_{r=0}^m(1)^r\sigma _rt^{mr}`$ and $`K_r=Jgrad_g\sigma _r`$ for the coefficients of the momentum polynomial and corresponding Killing vector fields. Hence $`K(t)=_{r=1}^m(1)^rK_rt^{mr}`$ is a linear combination of $`K_1,\mathrm{}K_m`$ for any $`t`$.

###### Proposition 13.

Let $`\varphi `$ be a hamiltonian $`2`$-form on a (connected) Kähler $`2m`$-manifold $`M`$. Then there is an integer $`\mathrm{}`$, with $`0\mathrm{}m`$ such that $`K_1\mathrm{}K_{\mathrm{}}`$ is nonzero on a dense open subset, but $`dim\mathrm{span}\{K_1,\mathrm{}K_m\}\mathrm{}`$ on all of $`M`$.

###### Proof.

The coefficient of $`t^{mr}`$ in identity (19) gives

(58)
$$K_{r+1}=\varphi (JK_r)+\sigma _rK_1.$$

Suppose for some $`zM`$ and $`1<s<m`$, $`K_s`$ is a linear combination of $`K_1,\mathrm{}K_{s1}`$ at $`z`$. Then $`K_{s+1}`$ is also a linear combination of $`K_1,\mathrm{}K_{s1}`$ at $`z`$: to see this, use (58) with $`r=s`$, then write $`\varphi (JK_s)`$ as a linear combination of $`\varphi (JK_r)`$ with $`r<s`$ and use (58) again to express these in terms of $`K_1,\mathrm{}K_s`$. Hence, at each $`zM`$, $`dim\mathrm{span}\{K_1,\mathrm{}K_m\}`$ is the largest integer $`\mathrm{}_z`$ such that $`K_1,\mathrm{}K_\mathrm{}_z`$ are linearly independent at $`z`$. However, for any integer $`r`$, $`K_1,\mathrm{}K_r`$ are linearly dependent if and only if the holomorphic $`r`$-vector $`K_1^{1,0}\mathrm{}K_r^{1,0}`$ is zero. Hence the set where $`K_1,\mathrm{}K_r`$ are linearly independent is empty or dense. The result follows. ∎

The integer $`\mathrm{}`$ of this proposition will be called the *order* of $`\varphi `$ and we let $`M^0`$ be the dense open set where $`K_1,\mathrm{}K_{\mathrm{}}`$ are independent. We shall identify the order of $`\varphi `$ with the number of non-constant roots of the momentum polynomial $`p`$.

###### Lemma 3.

If, on an open subset of $`M`$, $`\varphi (Z,)=\xi \omega (Z,)`$ with $`Z`$ nonvanishing, then $`d\xi `$ is the orthogonal projection of $`d\sigma `$ onto the span of $`Z`$ and $`JZ`$.

###### Proof.

Without loss of generality, we can take $`Z`$ to be a unit vector field, and hence $`(_X\varphi )(Z,JZ)=d\xi (X)`$ for all vector fields $`X`$. By (12), this becomes

(59)
$$d\xi =d\sigma (Z)Z+d\sigma (JZ)JZ,$$

which is what we wanted to prove. ∎

The roots of the momentum polynomial are the eigenvalues of $`J\varphi =J\varphi `$, viewed as a $`J`$-commuting symmetric endomorphism of $`TM`$. At each point of $`M`$, these eigenvalues are real and there is an orthogonal $`J`$-invariant direct sum decomposition of the tangent space into eigenspaces. We count an eigenvalue with multiplicity $`k`$ if the corresponding eigenspace has real dimension $`2k`$; for the moment, we denote by $`\xi _1,\mathrm{}\xi _m`$ the $`m`$ (not necessarily distinct) eigenvalues of $`J\varphi `$. It follows that, for any $`t`$,

$$p(t)=\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}(t\xi _j)=t^m\sigma _1t^{m1}+\mathrm{}+(1)^m\sigma _m,$$

where $`\sigma _1,\mathrm{}\sigma _m`$ are the elementary symmetric functions of $`\xi _1,\mathrm{}\xi _m`$. The above lemma, and the independence of $`K_1,\mathrm{}K_{\mathrm{}}`$ on $`M^0`$, yields a fundamental fact.

###### Proposition 14.

Let $`\varphi `$ be a hamiltonian $`2`$-form on $`M`$. Then the roots $`\xi _i`$ of $`p(t)`$ and their derivatives $`d\xi _i`$ may be defined smoothly on the dense open set $`M^0`$ and the roots extend continuously to $`M`$. Furthermore, for $`ij`$, $`d\xi _i`$ and $`d\xi _j`$ are orthogonal on $`M`$. In particular, any repeated root (on an open set) is constant.

If the order of $`\varphi `$ is $`\mathrm{}`$, then there are $`\mathrm{}`$ non-constant roots and they are functionally independent on the dense open set where $`K_1,\mathrm{}K_{\mathrm{}}`$ are independent.

###### Proof.

The ordered roots $`\xi _1\mathrm{}\xi _m`$ are continuous on $`M`$. By the maximality of $`\mathrm{}`$, wherever $`\xi _1,\mathrm{}\xi _m`$ can be smoothly defined, *at most* $`\mathrm{}`$ of the $`d\xi _i`$ are independent. On the other hand, on any open subset of $`M^0`$ where $`\xi _1,\mathrm{}\xi _m`$ are smoothly defined, *at least* $`\mathrm{}`$ of the $`d\xi _i`$ are independent. It follows that the $`\xi _i`$ and $`d\xi _i`$ can be defined smoothly on $`M^0`$, that precisely $`\mathrm{}`$ of the $`\xi _i`$ are functionally independent there. Lemma 3 now shows that for $`ij`$, $`d\xi _i`$ and $`d\xi _j`$ are orthogonal. ∎

The order expresses the extent to which $`\varphi `$ constrains the Kähler geometry of $`M`$. At one extreme, when $`\mathrm{}=0`$, we have an orthogonal $`J`$-invariant decomposition of $`TM`$ into eigenspaces of $`J\varphi `$, and it is easy to see that this makes $`M`$ into a Kähler product: if we write $`\omega =_\xi \omega _\xi `$ and $`\varphi =_\xi \xi \omega _\xi `$ where $`\omega _\xi `$ is the restriction of the Kähler form to the $`\xi `$ eigenspace, then the closedness of $`\varphi `$ and $`\omega `$ is equivalent to $`d\omega _\xi =0`$ for each $`\xi `$—for instance there could be only one eigenspace (in which case $`\varphi `$ is a constant multiple of the Kähler form), or there could be $`m`$ (in which case $`M`$ is an arbitrary Kähler product of Riemann surfaces). At the other extreme, when $`\mathrm{}=m`$, $`M`$ is toric and Lemma 3 shows in fact that it is orthotoric, so has the explicit form of Proposition 11, determined by $`m`$ functions of one variable.

### 4.2. Explicit description of the metric

We now present the general description of Kähler metrics with a hamiltonian $`2`$-form. To do this, it will be convenient to adopt different notation from the previous subsection.

###### Definition 7.

Let $`p(t)=(1)^mpf(\varphi t\omega )`$ be the momentum polynomial of a hamiltonian $`2`$-form $`\varphi `$ of order $`\mathrm{}`$, and let $`\xi _1,\mathrm{}\xi _{\mathrm{}}`$ the *non-constant* roots of $`p`$. We denote by $`\sigma _0,\mathrm{}\sigma _{\mathrm{}}`$ the elementary symmetric functions of these non-constant roots, set $`K_r:=Jgrad_g\sigma _r`$ for $`r=1,\mathrm{}\mathrm{}`$, and write $`p(t)=p_\mathrm{c}(t)p_{\mathrm{nc}}(t)`$, where

(60)
$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill p_{\mathrm{nc}}(t)& :=\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}(t\xi _j)=t^{\mathrm{}}\sigma _1t^\mathrm{}1+\mathrm{}+(1)^{\mathrm{}}\sigma _{\mathrm{}},\hfill \\ \hfill p_\mathrm{c}(t)& :=_\xi (t\xi )^{m_\xi },\hfill \end{array}$$

and the product over $`\xi `$ denotes the product over the different *constant* roots of $`p(t)`$, $`m_\xi `$ being the multiplicity of the root $`\xi `$.

If we denote the $`\sigma `$’s of the previous subsection by $`\stackrel{~}{\sigma }_1,\mathrm{}\stackrel{~}{\sigma }_m`$, then for $`\mathrm{}=m`$ $`\stackrel{~}{\sigma }_r=\sigma _r`$; otherwise, since the roots of $`p_\mathrm{c}`$ are constant, it follows that $`d\stackrel{~}{\sigma }_1,\mathrm{}d\stackrel{~}{\sigma }_m`$ are constant linear combinations of $`d\sigma _1,\mathrm{}d\sigma _{\mathrm{}}`$. Now $`d\stackrel{~}{\sigma }_1,\mathrm{}d\stackrel{~}{\sigma }_{\mathrm{}}`$ are linearly independent. Hence $`d\sigma _1,\mathrm{}d\sigma _{\mathrm{}}`$ are also linearly independent, and $`\sigma _1,\mathrm{}\sigma _{\mathrm{}}`$ are constant affine linear combinations of $`\stackrel{~}{\sigma }_1,\mathrm{}\stackrel{~}{\sigma }_{\mathrm{}}`$. (Note in particular that $`d\sigma _1=d\stackrel{~}{\sigma }_1=d\sigma `$.)

Hence $`K_1,\mathrm{}K_{\mathrm{}}`$ generate a local hamiltonian $`\mathrm{}`$-torus action and $`M^0`$ is locally a bundle over the Kähler quotient $`S`$ with toric fibres. The tangent space $`𝒱`$ to the fibres of $`M`$ over $`S`$ is spanned by $`K_1,\mathrm{}K_{\mathrm{}}`$ and $`JK_1,\mathrm{}JK_{\mathrm{}}`$, while the orthogonal distribution $``$ is the direct sum of the eigendistributions $`_\xi `$ corresponding to the constant eigenvalues $`\xi `$ of $`J\varphi `$. We let $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ be the the $`𝒱`$-valued $`2`$-form on $``$ defined by $`\mathrm{\Omega }(Y,Z)=[Y,Z]^𝒱`$, the orthogonal projection of the Lie bracket onto $`𝒱`$.

###### Lemma 4.

* For all $`\xi `$ and $`r`$, the distribution $`_\xi `$ is $`K_r`$ and $`JK_r`$ invariant, and descends to a parallel distribution on $`S`$ (with respect to each quotient metric).
* If $`Y`$ and $`Z`$ belong to $`_\xi `$ and $`_\eta `$ for distinct constant eigenvalues $`\xi \eta `$ then $`\mathrm{\Omega }(Y,Z)=0`$. If instead $`Y`$ and $`Z`$ both belong to $`_\xi `$, then

(61)
$$\mathrm{\Omega }(Y,Z)=\frac{\omega (Y,Z)}{p_{\mathrm{nc}}(\xi )}\underset{r=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}(1)^{r1}\xi ^\mathrm{}rK_r.$$

###### Proof.

Suppose that $`\varphi (Z)=\xi JZ`$ for a constant root $`\xi `$. Then

$$\varphi (_YZ)=_Y(\xi JZ)(_Y\varphi )(Z)=\xi J_YZ\frac{1}{2}\iota _Z(d\sigma _1JYd^c\sigma _1Y)$$

for any vector field $`Y`$, and hence

(62)
$$2(\varphi \xi J)(_YZ)=\omega (Y,Z)d\sigma _1Y,ZJd\sigma _1$$

since $`d\sigma _1(Z)=0=Jd\sigma _1(Z)`$ (cf. Lemma 3 and equation (59)).

* We apply (62) with $`Z`$ in $`_\xi `$ and $`Y`$ orthogonal to $`_\xi `$ to deduce that $`_YZ`$ also belongs to $`_\xi `$. Now $`_YZ=_YZ_ZY`$, and the first term is in $`_\xi `$ for $`Y=K_r`$ or $`JK_r`$. On the other hand, for $`X`$ orthogonal to $`_\xi `$, $`_ZJK_r,JX=_ZK_r,X=_XK_r,Z=K_r,_XZ=0`$, so that $`_ZY`$ is also in $`_\xi `$ for $`Y=K_r`$ or $`JK_r`$. Thus $`_\xi `$ descends to $`S`$, and since the Levi-Civita connections of the Kähler quotient metrics lift to the horizontal $`()`$ part of $``$, this distribution is parallel by (62).
* This again follows from (62): if $`Y`$ and $`Z`$ belong to distinct eigenspaces, then $`\omega (Y,Z)=Y,Z=0`$, so that $`[Y,Z]`$ is in $``$; otherwise, if they both belong the the $`\xi `$ eigenspace, we have

$`(\varphi \xi J)([Y,Z])`$ $`=\omega (Y,Z)d\sigma _1=\omega (Y,Z){\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}d\xi _j=\omega (Y,Z){\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}{\displaystyle \frac{(\varphi \xi J)Jd\xi _j}{\xi \xi _j}}.`$
Hence $`\mathrm{\Omega }(Y,Z)`$ $`=\omega (Y,Z){\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}{\displaystyle \frac{Jd\xi _j^{\mathrm{}}}{\xi \xi _j}}={\displaystyle \frac{\omega (Y,Z)}{_{k=1}^{\mathrm{}}(\xi \xi _k)}}{\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}\left({\displaystyle \underset{kj}{}}(\xi \xi _k)\right)Jd\xi _j^{\mathrm{}}`$
from which (61) easily follows, since $`K_r=Jd\sigma _r^{\mathrm{}}=_{j=1}^{\mathrm{}}\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)Jd\xi _j^{\mathrm{}}`$. ∎

This lemma, with Propositions 8, 11 and 14, yields our classification.

###### Theorem 1.

Let $`(M,g,J,\omega )`$ be a connected Kähler $`2m`$-manifold with a hamiltonian $`2`$-form $`\varphi `$ of order $`\mathrm{}`$. Then there are functions $`F_1,\mathrm{}F_{\mathrm{}}`$ of one variable such that on a dense open subset $`M^0`$, the Kähler structure may be written

(63)
$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill g& =\underset{\xi }{}p_{\mathrm{nc}}(\xi )g_\xi +\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{p^{}(\xi _j)}{F_j(\xi _j)}d\xi _j^2+\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{F_j(\xi _j)}{p^{}(\xi _j)}\left(\underset{r=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)\theta _r\right)^2,\hfill \\ \hfill \omega & =\underset{\xi }{}p_{\mathrm{nc}}(\xi )\omega _\xi +\underset{r=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}d\sigma _r\theta _r,d\theta _r=\underset{\xi }{}(1)^r\xi ^\mathrm{}r\omega _\xi ,\hfill \\ \hfill Jd\xi _j& =\frac{F_j(\xi _j)}{p^{}(\xi _j)}\underset{r=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)\theta _r,J\theta _r=(1)^r\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{p_\mathrm{c}(\xi _j)}{F_j(\xi _j)}\xi _j^\mathrm{}rd\xi _j.\hfill \end{array}$$

where summation over $`\xi `$ denotes the sum over the different constant roots of $`p(t)`$, $`\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)`$ denote the elementary symmetric functions of the $`\mathrm{}1`$ functions $`\xi _k`$ with $`\xi _j`$ deleted, $`p^{}(t)`$ is the derivative of the momentum polynomial $`p(t)`$ with respect to $`t`$, and $`\pm (g_\xi ,\omega _\xi )`$ is a Kähler metric on a manifold $`S_\xi `$ of the same dimension as the $`\xi `$-eigenspace of $`J\varphi `$. Dual and Kähler potentials for $`(g,J,\omega )`$ are given by

(64) $`G`$ $`={\displaystyle \underset{r=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}H_r\sigma _r{\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}{\displaystyle ^{\xi _j}}{\displaystyle \frac{p(t)}{F_j(t)}}𝑑t,`$
(65) $`H`$ $`=H_0+{\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}{\displaystyle ^{\xi _j}}{\displaystyle \frac{p_\mathrm{c}(t)t^{\mathrm{}}}{F_j(t)}}𝑑t,`$
where $`H_r`$ is a ($`𝝈`$-independent) $`dd^c`$ potential for $`\mathrm{\Omega }_r=_\xi (1)^r\xi ^\mathrm{}r\omega _\xi `$.

Furthermore, in these coordinates, the hamiltonian $`2`$-form may be written

(66)
$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill \varphi & =\underset{\xi }{}\xi p_{\mathrm{nc}}(\xi )\omega _\xi +\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\xi _jd\xi _j\left(\underset{r=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)\theta _r\right)\hfill \\ & =\underset{\xi }{}\underset{r=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}(1)^r\sigma _r\xi ^{\mathrm{}+1r}\omega _\xi +\underset{r=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}(\sigma _rd\sigma _1d\sigma _{r+1})\theta _r.\hfill \end{array}$$

We also have a local $`dd^c`$ potential for the closed form $`\varphi +\sigma _1\omega `$:

(67)
$$\varphi +\sigma _1\omega =\underset{\xi }{}\xi ^{\mathrm{}+1}\omega _\xi +\underset{r=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}d\left((\sigma _1\sigma _r\sigma _{r+1})\theta _r\right)=dd^c\mathrm{\Phi }$$

where

(68)
$$\mathrm{\Phi }=H_1+\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}^{\xi _j}\frac{p_\mathrm{c}(t)t^{\mathrm{}+1}}{F_j(t)}𝑑t$$

and $`H_1`$ is a ($`𝝈`$-independent) $`dd^c`$ potential for $`\mathrm{\Omega }_1=_\xi \xi ^{\mathrm{}+1}\omega _\xi `$.

###### Proof.

By Lemma 4, the distribution $``$ is preserved by $`JK_1,\mathrm{}JK_{\mathrm{}}`$; hence, by Proposition 8, the local fibration of $`M^0`$ over $`S`$ is totally geodesic, and the toric structure on the fibres is constant on the level surfaces of $`𝝈`$. Therefore, the restriction of $`\varphi `$ to any fibre is hamiltonian (even when $`\mathrm{}=1`$ since the trace of $`\varphi `$ is a hamiltonian for a Killing vector field tangent to the fibres). By Proposition 14, the fibres are orthotoric, and the functions $`G_{rs}`$ are independent of the fibre, hence so are the functions $`\mathrm{\Theta }_j=\mathrm{\Delta }_j|d\xi _j|^2`$ defining the orthotoric structure in Proposition 11.

Again using Lemma 4, for the constant eigenvalues $`\xi `$, $`_\xi `$ descends to a $`J`$-invariant distribution on $`S`$, and $`TS`$ is the direct sum of these distributions. For each fixed value of $`𝝈`$, these distributions are parallel with respect to the Kähler quotient metric $`(h,\omega _h)`$ and so $`S`$ splits locally as a Kähler product of manifolds $`S_\xi `$. Furthermore, the curvature $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ of $``$ descends to $`S`$, so that the $`2`$-form $`\omega _\xi =\omega /p_{\mathrm{nc}}(\xi )`$, appearing in the formula (61), descends to give a Kähler structure on $`S_\xi `$, after restricting it to the $`\xi `$-eigenspace distribution. (Note however, that this Kähler structure will be negative definite if $`p_{\mathrm{nc}}(\xi )`$ is negative.)

Clearly $`\omega _h=_\xi p_{\mathrm{nc}}(\xi )\omega _\xi =_{r=0}^{\mathrm{}}\sigma _r\mathrm{\Omega }_r`$ with

(69)
$$\mathrm{\Omega }_r=_\xi (1)^r\xi ^\mathrm{}r\omega _\xi $$

($`r=0,\mathrm{}\mathrm{}`$). The explicit form of the metric on $`M^0`$ easily follows: we define $`F_j(t)=p_\mathrm{c}(t)\mathrm{\Theta }_j(t)`$, and observe that $`p^{}(\xi _j)=p_\mathrm{c}(\xi _j)\mathrm{\Delta }_j`$, since $`\mathrm{\Delta }_j=_{kj}(\xi _j\xi _k)`$.

It remains to establish the explicit form of the potentials: observe that

$$\omega =\mathrm{\Omega }_0+\underset{r=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}d(\sigma _r\theta _r)=dd^cH_0+\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}dJ\left(\frac{\xi _j^{\mathrm{}}p_\mathrm{c}(\xi _j)d\xi _j}{F_j(\xi _j)}\right)=dd^cH.$$

The equation $`H=_{r=1}^{\mathrm{}}\sigma _rG/\sigma _rG`$ determines $`G`$ up to a linear combination of the $`\sigma _r`$ with basic coefficients. We also require $`d_hd_h^cG=\omega _h`$ so the functions $`u_r=G/\sigma _r`$ are pluriharmonic; $`G`$ given by (64) has the required properties with

(70)
$$u_r=H_r\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}^{\xi _j}\frac{(1)^rp_\mathrm{c}(t)t^\mathrm{}r}{F_j(t)}𝑑t$$

for $`r=1,\mathrm{}\mathrm{}`$, where $`H_r`$ is a $`dd^c`$-potential for $`\mathrm{\Omega }_r`$ on $`S`$.

In the formula for $`\varphi `$, we have used the fact that $`\xi _j\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)=\sigma _r\sigma _r(\widehat{\xi }_j)`$. It is then straightforward to check that $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ is a $`dd^c`$ potential for $`\varphi +\sigma _1\omega `$. ∎

###### Remark 5.

Formally, we set $`u_0=H`$, so that $`G=_{r=1}^{\mathrm{}}\sigma _ru_rH=_{r=0}^{\mathrm{}}\sigma _ru_r`$. Similarly, we can write $`u_1=\mathrm{\Phi }`$, and in general extend (69)–(70) to all $`r\mathrm{}`$, where $`dd^cH_r=\mathrm{\Omega }_r`$. For $`r>0`$ $`dd^cu_r=0`$, while for $`r=k0`$ we have $`dd^cu_k=(1)^{k+1}\varphi _k`$ where

$`\varphi _k`$ $`={\displaystyle \underset{\xi }{}}\xi ^{\mathrm{}+k}\omega _\xi +{\displaystyle \underset{j,r=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}d\left({\displaystyle \frac{\xi _j^{\mathrm{}+k}\sigma _{r1})(\widehat{\xi }_j)}{\mathrm{\Delta }_j}}Jd\xi _j\right)`$
$`={\displaystyle \underset{\xi }{}}\left({\displaystyle \frac{\xi ^{\mathrm{}+k}}{_{k=1}^{\mathrm{}}(\xi \xi _k)}}+{\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}{\displaystyle \frac{\xi _j^{\mathrm{}+k}}{\mathrm{\Delta }_j(\xi _j\xi )}}\right)p_{\mathrm{nc}}(\xi )\omega _\xi `$
$`+{\displaystyle \underset{i,j,r=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}{\displaystyle \frac{}{\xi _i}}\left({\displaystyle \frac{\xi _j^{\mathrm{}+k}\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)}{\mathrm{\Delta }_j}}\right)d\xi _i\theta _r.`$
Using (95) and (97) from Appendix B, this may be written

$$J\varphi _k=\underset{s=0}{\overset{k}{}}h_{ks}(J\varphi )^s$$

and $`h_p`$ is the $`p`$th complete symmetric function in $`\xi _1,\mathrm{}\xi _{\mathrm{}}`$.

### 4.3. The hamiltonian $`2`$-form

In order to complete the classification of Kähler metrics with a hamiltonian $`2`$-form, we must show that the explicit metric of Theorem 1 actually admits a hamiltonian $`2`$-form, with no further constraints.

###### Theorem 2.

Let $`(g,J,\omega )`$ be a Kähler structure given explicitly by (63). Then the $`J`$-invariant $`2`$-form $`\varphi `$ defined by (66) is a hamiltonian $`2`$-form of order $`\mathrm{}`$.

###### Proof.

Obviously (for the case $`m=1`$), the trace of $`\varphi `$ is a Killing potential. Hence, in order to show that $`\varphi `$ is hamiltonian, we must show that

$$A=d\sigma _1\omega +\frac{1}{2}(d\sigma _1Jd^c\sigma _1\mathrm{𝐼𝑑})$$

where $`A=\varphi +\sigma _1\omega `$. Since $`A`$ is manifestly closed, we only need to check the equation for $`(_XA)(Y,Z)`$, $`(_XA)(Y,U)`$, $`(_UA)(V,X)`$ and $`(_UA)(V,W)`$, where $`X,Y,Z`$ and $`U,V,W`$ are arbitrary horizontal and vertical vector fields respectively. Two of these equations are immediate: $`(_XA)(Y,Z)=0`$ and $`(_UA)(V,X)=0`$.

We next consider the equation for $`(_XA)(Y,U)`$, which reduces, using Proposition 9, to the equation

(71)
$$2[\varphi ,C(X)]=X,Jd\sigma _1^{\mathrm{}}\omega (X,)d\sigma _1^{\mathrm{}}.$$

Here the left hand side is the commutator of $`\varphi `$ with

$$2C(X)=\underset{r=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\left(\mathrm{\Omega }_r(X)Jd\sigma _r^{\mathrm{}}\mathrm{\Omega }_r(JX)d\sigma _r^{\mathrm{}}\right).$$

Decomposing into the eigenspaces of $`J\varphi `$, we compute that

$`2[\varphi ,C(X)]`$ $`={\displaystyle \underset{r,j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}{\displaystyle \underset{\xi }{}}(1)^r\xi ^\mathrm{}r\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)(\xi _j\xi )\left(\omega _\xi (X)d\xi _j^{\mathrm{}}+\omega _\xi (JX)Jd\xi _j^{\mathrm{}}\right)`$
$`={\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}{\displaystyle \underset{\xi }{}}\left(\xi ^{\mathrm{}}+{\displaystyle \underset{r=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}(1)^r\xi ^\mathrm{}r\left(\xi _j\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)+\sigma _r(\widehat{\xi }_j)\right)\right)`$
$`\left(\omega _\xi (X)d\xi _j^{\mathrm{}}+\omega _\xi (JX)Jd\xi _j^{\mathrm{}}\right)`$
$`={\displaystyle \underset{r=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}{\displaystyle \underset{\xi }{}}(1)^r\sigma _r\xi ^\mathrm{}r\left(\omega _\xi (X)d\sigma _1^{\mathrm{}}+\omega _\xi (JX)Jd\sigma _1^{\mathrm{}}\right).`$
This proves (71), by the definition of $`g`$ and $`\omega `$.

It remains to verify the equation for $`(_UA)(V,W)`$. Since the fibres are totally geodesic, this amounts to showing that $`\varphi `$ is a hamiltonian $`2`$-form on the fibres. Hence it suffices to prove the result in the orthotoric case, when we have $`\varphi +\sigma _1\omega =_rd(f_rd^cu_r)`$, with $`f_r=\sigma _1\sigma _r\sigma _{r+1}`$.

To do this we shall use only the fact that $`_rf_rdu_r=d\mathrm{\Phi }`$ is closed—equivalently $`A`$ is $`J`$-invariant: $`A(JK_r,K_s)=df_r(JK_s)=df_s(JK_r)=A(JK_s,K_r)`$, cf. Proposition 12. We define $`\mathrm{\Phi }_{rs}:=A(JK_r,K_s)`$ and recall that $`K_r,K_s=H_{rs}`$.

Since $`A`$ is closed and $`J`$-invariant, it suffices to check

(72) $`(_{K_r}A)(JK_s,K_t)`$ $`=0`$
(73) $`(_{JK_r}A)(JK_s,K_t)`$ $`=d\sigma _1(JK_r)K_s,K_t`$
$`\frac{1}{2}d\sigma _1(JK_s)K_r,K_t\frac{1}{2}d\sigma _1(JK_t)K_s,K_r.`$
Equation (72) follows immediately: the left hand side is

$$K_r\left(A(JK_s,K_t)\right)A(J_{K_r}K_s,K_t)A(JK_s,_{K_r}K_t)$$

and all three terms are zero here, since $`A(JK_s,K_t)`$ is $`K_r`$-invariant, $`J_{K_r}K_s`$ is a linear combination of the $`K_t`$’s and $`A(K_r,K_s)=0`$ for all $`r,s`$.

On the other hand, for equation (73) we have

$$(_{JK_r}A)(JK_s,K_t)=JK_r\left(df_s(JK_t)\right)+df_t(_{K_r}K_s)+df_s(_{K_r}K_t).$$

Now

$$_{K_r}K_s=\frac{1}{2}gradK_r,K_s=\frac{1}{2}\underset{p}{}\frac{H_{rs}}{u_p}du_p^{\mathrm{}}$$

and $`H_{rs}=^2H/u_ru_s`$, so (73) holds if and only if

(74)
$$\frac{\mathrm{\Phi }_{st}}{u_r}\frac{1}{2}\underset{p,q}{}G_{pq}\left(\mathrm{\Phi }_{tp}\frac{H_{sq}}{u_r}+\mathrm{\Phi }_{sp}\frac{H_{tq}}{u_r}\right)=H_{1r}H_{st}+\frac{1}{2}(H_{1s}H_{rt}+H_{1t}H_{rs}).$$

This simplifies once we observe that $`\mathrm{\Phi }_{st}=_{p,q}G_{pq}\mathrm{\Phi }_{tp}H_{sq}=_{p,q}G_{pq}\mathrm{\Phi }_{sp}H_{tq}`$, so that the product rule reduces the left hand side to

(75)
$$\frac{1}{2}\underset{p,q}{}\left(H_{sq}\frac{}{u_r}(G_{pq}\mathrm{\Phi }_{tp})+H_{tq}\frac{}{u_r}(G_{pq}\mathrm{\Phi }_{sp})\right).$$

Now we use the fact that $`f_s=\sigma _1\sigma _s\sigma _{s+1}`$ and $`\sigma _s/u_r=H_{rs}`$ to deduce that

$$\underset{p}{}\frac{}{u_r}(G_{pq}\mathrm{\Phi }_{tp})=H_{rt}\delta _{1q}+H_{1r}\delta _{tq}.$$

Substituting this into (75) yields (74), and hence (73). ∎

## 5. The curvature of Kähler manifolds with a hamiltonian $`2`$-form

### 5.1. The Ricci potential and scalar curvature

In this section we compute the Ricci potential and scalar curvature for any Kähler manifold $`(M,g,J,\omega )`$ given by (63), using the formulae obtained in section 3. In terms of the Vandermonde matrix $`V_{rj}`$ and its inverse $`W_{jr}`$ (see Appendix B), we have

(76)
$$G_{rs}=\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{p_\mathrm{c}(\xi _j)V_{rj}V_{sj}}{F_j(\xi _j)\mathrm{\Delta }_j},H_{rs}=\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{W_{jr}W_{js}F_j(\xi _j)\mathrm{\Delta }_j}{p_\mathrm{c}(\xi _j)},$$

and hence, up to a sign, $`detG_{rs}`$ is $`_{j=1}^{\mathrm{}}p_\mathrm{c}(\xi _j)F_j(\xi _j)^1`$. Also, the formula $`\omega _h=_\xi p_{\mathrm{nc}}(\xi )\omega _\xi `$ for the Kähler quotient gives $`Q=_\xi p_{\mathrm{nc}}(\xi )^{m_\xi }=\pm _{j=1}^{\mathrm{}}p_\mathrm{c}(\xi _j)`$, cf. (48). It follows immediately from Proposition 7 that if $`\kappa _\xi `$ is a Ricci potential for $`(S_\xi ,\omega _\xi )`$, then a Ricci potential for $`(M,\omega )`$ is

(77)
$$\kappa =\underset{\xi }{}\kappa _\xi \frac{1}{2}\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\mathrm{log}|F_j(\xi _j)|.$$

In order to obtain the scalar curvature from this, we need a formula for the laplacian in the $`\xi _j`$ coordinates.

###### Lemma 5.

For any function $`f`$, we have

(78)
$$\mathrm{\Delta }f=\mathrm{\Delta }_hf\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{1}{\mathrm{\Delta }_jp_\mathrm{c}(\xi _j)}\frac{}{\xi _j}\left(F_j(\xi _j)\frac{f}{\xi _j}\right).$$

###### Proof.

We just need to change coordinates in equation (39). For this observe that

$$\frac{}{\sigma _r}=\underset{k=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{V_{rk}}{\mathrm{\Delta }_k}\frac{}{\xi _k}\text{and}\frac{}{u_r}=\underset{s=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}H_{rs}\frac{}{\sigma _s}=\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{W_{jr}F_j(\xi _j)}{p_\mathrm{c}(\xi _j)}\frac{}{\xi _j},$$

so that
$$\mathrm{\Delta }f=\mathrm{\Delta }_hf\frac{1}{Q}\underset{r,j,k=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{V_{rk}}{\mathrm{\Delta }_k}\frac{}{\xi _k}\left(\frac{QW_{jr}F_j(\xi _j)}{p_\mathrm{c}(\xi _j)}\frac{f}{\xi _j}\right).$$

Since $`Q=\pm _{i=1}^{\mathrm{}}p_\mathrm{c}(\xi _i)`$, this agrees with (78) once we observe that

$$\underset{k,r=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{V_{rk}}{\mathrm{\Delta }_k}\frac{W_{jr}}{\xi _k}=\underset{r,k=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{W_{jr}}{\mathrm{\Delta }_k}\frac{V_{rk}}{\xi _k}=\underset{r=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}1}{}}\underset{k=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{W_{jr}}{\mathrm{\Delta }_k}(1)^r(\mathrm{}r)\xi _k^{\mathrm{}r1}=0$$

by the Vandermonde identity. ∎

Applying this formula to the Ricci potential, we deduce immediately that

(79)
$$\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}=\underset{\xi }{}\frac{\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}_{g_\xi }}{p_{\mathrm{nc}}(\xi )}\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{F_j^{\prime \prime }(\xi _j)}{\mathrm{\Delta }_jp_\mathrm{c}(\xi _j)},$$

where $`\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}_{g_\xi }`$ is the scalar curvature of the (possibly negative definite) metric $`g_\xi `$.

###### Lemma 6.

Suppose that $`\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}`$ depends polynomially on $`\xi _1,\mathrm{}\xi _{\mathrm{}}`$. Then

* for all $`j`$, $`F_j^{\prime \prime }(t)=\stackrel{ˇ}{p}_\mathrm{c}(t)R(t)`$, where $`\stackrel{ˇ}{p}_\mathrm{c}(t)=_\xi (t\xi )_{}^{m_\xi 1}`$ and $`R(t)`$ is a polynomial independent of $`j`$;
* for all $`\xi `$, $`(g_\xi ,\omega _\xi )`$ has $`\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}_{g_\xi }=R(\xi )/_{\eta \xi }(\xi \eta )`$.

We then have

(80)
$$\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}=\underset{\xi }{}\frac{R(\xi )}{_{\eta \xi }(\xi \eta )_k(\xi \xi _k)}\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{R(\xi _j)}{_{kj}(\xi _j\xi _k)_\eta (\xi _j\eta )},$$

where $`\stackrel{ˇ}{m}=\mathrm{}+_\xi 1=m_\xi (m_\xi 1)`$.

Furthermore, if $`\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}`$ has degree $`q`$ in each variable $`\xi _j`$, then $`R(t)`$ has degree at most $`\stackrel{ˇ}{m}+q1`$. Hence, for each $`j`$, $`F_j(t)`$ is a polynomial of degree at most $`m+q+1`$.

###### Proof.

We multiply the formula (79) by $`\mathrm{\Delta }_kp_\mathrm{c}(\xi _k)`$ to obtain an equality between polynomials in $`\xi _k`$ (on a nonempty open set, hence everywhere):

$$\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{\Delta }_kp_\mathrm{c}(\xi _k)\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}\hfill \\ \hfill =\underset{\xi }{}\frac{\mathrm{\Delta }_k\stackrel{ˇ}{p}_\mathrm{c}(\xi _k)_{\eta \xi }(\xi _k\eta )}{_{jk}(\xi \xi _j)}\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}_{g_\xi }F_k^{\prime \prime }(\xi _k)\underset{jk}{}\frac{\mathrm{\Delta }_kp_\mathrm{c}(\xi _k)}{\mathrm{\Delta }_jp_\mathrm{c}(\xi _j)}F_j^{\prime \prime }(\xi _j).\end{array}$$

This clearly shows that $`F_k^{\prime \prime }`$ is a polynomial with $`\stackrel{ˇ}{p}_\mathrm{c}`$ as a factor. Evaluating at $`\xi _k=\xi _j`$ for some fixed $`j`$, we obtain $`F_k^{\prime \prime }(\xi _j)=F_j^{\prime \prime }(\xi _j)`$ for all $`\xi _j`$ (in a nonempty open set, hence everywhere). Dividing through by $`\stackrel{ˇ}{p}_\mathrm{c}(\xi _k)`$ we now have

$$\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{\Delta }_k\underset{\eta }{}(\xi _k\eta )\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}\hfill \\ \hfill =\underset{\xi }{}\frac{\mathrm{\Delta }_k_{\eta \xi }(\xi _k\eta )}{_{jk}(\xi \xi _j)}\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}_{g_\xi }R(\xi _k)\underset{jk}{}\frac{\mathrm{\Delta }_k_\eta (\xi _k\eta )}{\mathrm{\Delta }_j_\eta (\xi _j\eta )}R(\xi _j).\end{array}$$

Evaluating at $`\xi _k=\xi `$ gives the formula for $`\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}_{g_\xi }`$, and it is straightforward to count the degree in $`\xi _k`$. Dividing by $`\mathrm{\Delta }_k_\eta (\xi _k\eta )`$ now gives (80). ∎

To interpret (80), we adjoin the distinct constant roots to the variables $`\xi _1,\mathrm{}\xi _{\mathrm{}}`$. If we label these $`\xi _1,\mathrm{}\xi _{\mathrm{}},\xi _{\mathrm{}+1},\mathrm{}\xi _{\stackrel{ˇ}{m}}`$, and let $`\mathrm{\Delta }_j^{}=_{kj}(\xi _j\xi _k)`$, where the product is over $`k=1,\mathrm{}\stackrel{ˇ}{m}`$, then the right hand side of (80) is just $`_{j=1}^{\stackrel{ˇ}{m}}R(\xi _j)/\mathrm{\Delta }_j^{}`$ which is a polynomial of degree at most $`q`$ in each $`\xi _j`$, by the Vandermonde identity.

### 5.2. Extremal Kähler metrics

Recall that a Kähler metric is called extremal if the scalar curvature is a Killing potential . Weakly Bochner-flat Kähler metrics of dimension $`2m4`$ are extremal, since the scalar curvature is then the trace of a hamiltonian $`2`$-form. In this section we classify the extremal Kähler metrics with a hamiltonian $`2`$-form such that $`d_h\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}=0`$.

###### Proposition 15.

Let $`(M,g,J,\omega )`$ be Kähler with a hamiltonian $`2`$-form $`\varphi `$. Then $`\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}`$ is a hamiltonian for a Killing vector field tangent to the fibres of $`M`$ over the Kähler quotient $`S`$ if and only if $`(g,J,\omega )`$ has the explicit form (63) where:

* for all $`j`$, $`F_j^{\prime \prime }(t)=\stackrel{ˇ}{p}_\mathrm{c}(t)\left(_{r=0}^{\stackrel{ˇ}{m}}a_rt^{\stackrel{ˇ}{m}r}\right)`$, and $`a_0,\mathrm{}a_{\stackrel{ˇ}{m}}`$ are arbitrary constants (independent of $`j`$);
* for all $`\xi `$, $`(g_\xi ,\omega _\xi )`$ has $`\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}_{g_\xi }=\left(_{r=0}^{\stackrel{ˇ}{m}}a_r\xi ^{\stackrel{ˇ}{m}r}\right)/_{\eta \xi }(\xi \eta )`$.

The scalar curvature of $`(g,J,\omega )`$ is then given by $`\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}=(a_0\stackrel{ˇ}{\sigma }_1+a_1)`$, where $`\stackrel{ˇ}{\sigma }_1:=_{j=1}^{\stackrel{ˇ}{m}}\xi _j=\sigma _1+_\xi \xi `$, so that $`\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}`$ is a hamiltonian for $`a_0K_1`$.

Any constant scalar curvature Kähler metric with a hamiltonian $`2`$-form arises in this way with $`a_0=0`$, and is scalar-flat if and only if $`a_1=0`$.

###### Proof.

Since $`\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}`$ is invariant under $`K_1,\mathrm{}K_{\mathrm{}}`$, it must be a function of $`\sigma _1,\mathrm{}\sigma _{\mathrm{}}`$, and since $`Jgrad_g\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}`$ commutes with $`K_1,\mathrm{}K_{\mathrm{}}`$ and is in their span at each point, it must in fact be a constant linear combination of $`K_1,\mathrm{}K_{\mathrm{}}`$, so that $`\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}`$ is an affine function of $`\sigma _1,\mathrm{}\sigma _{\mathrm{}}`$. Now any such function is a polynomial in $`\xi _1,\mathrm{}\xi _{\mathrm{}}`$ of degree one in each $`\xi _j`$. Hence we can apply Lemma 6.

Conversely, the Vandermonde identities imply that $`\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}=(a_0\stackrel{ˇ}{\sigma }_1+a_1)`$, which is a Killing potential for $`a_0K_1`$, since $`\stackrel{ˇ}{\sigma }_1`$ differs from $`\sigma _1`$ by a constant. ∎

### 5.3. Weakly Bochner-flat Kähler metrics

On a weakly Bochner-flat Kähler manifold of dimension $`2m4`$, $`\stackrel{~}{\rho }`$ is a hamiltonian $`2`$-form, so we obtain a classification by specializing the work of the previous section to the case $`\stackrel{~}{\rho }=\varphi `$. In fact we may as well consider more generally the case that $`\stackrel{~}{\rho }=a\varphi +b\omega `$ for constants $`a,b`$. Then when $`a=0`$, we will have characterized the Kähler–Einstein metrics among Kähler metrics with a hamiltonian $`2`$-form. Note however, that we have fixed $`\varphi `$: it is obviously possible for $`\stackrel{~}{\rho }`$ to be a hamiltonian $`2`$-form without it being equal to $`a\varphi +b\omega `$ for a given $`\varphi `$, but we have nothing to say about this situation.

###### Proposition 16.

Let $`(M,g,J,\omega )`$ be Kähler of dimension $`2m4`$ with a hamiltonian $`2`$-form $`\varphi `$. Then $`M`$ is weakly Bochner-flat with $`\stackrel{~}{\rho }`$ a linear combination of $`\varphi `$ and $`\omega `$ if and only if $`(g,J,\omega )`$ has the explicit form (63) where:

* for all $`j`$, $`F_j^{}(t)=p_\mathrm{c}(t)\left(_{r=1}^{\mathrm{}}b_rt^\mathrm{}r\right)`$, and $`b_1,\mathrm{}b_{\mathrm{}}`$ are arbitrary constants (independent of $`j`$);
* for all $`\xi `$, $`(g_\xi ,\omega _\xi )`$ is Kähler–Einstein with Kähler–Einstein constant

$$\frac{1}{m_\xi }\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}_{g_\xi }=\underset{r=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}b_r\xi ^\mathrm{}r.$$

The Ricci form of $`(g,J,\omega )`$ is then given by $`\rho =\frac{1}{2}\left(b_1(\varphi +\sigma _1\omega )+b_0\omega \right)`$.

Any Kähler–Einstein metric with a hamiltonian $`2`$-form arises in this way with $`b_1=0`$, and is Ricci-flat if and only if $`b_0=0`$.

###### Proof.

$`2\rho =b_1(\varphi +\sigma _1\omega )+b_0\omega `$ if and only if $`dd^c`$ potentials for the two sides differ by a pluriharmonic function. This means that $`2\kappa `$ must be of the form $`_{r=1}^{\mathrm{}}(1)^rb_ru_r`$ where

$$u_r=H_r\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}^{\xi _j}\frac{(1)^rt^\mathrm{}rp_\mathrm{c}(t)}{F_j(t)}𝑑t$$

for $`r=1,\mathrm{}\mathrm{}`$, the $`H_r`$ being functions on $`_\xi S_\xi `$ such that $`H_r`$ is a $`dd^c`$-potential for $`\mathrm{\Omega }_r=_\xi (1)^r\xi ^\mathrm{}r\omega _\xi `$ when $`r=0,\mathrm{}\mathrm{}`$. (So $`u_1`$ is a $`dd^c`$ potential for $`\varphi +\sigma _1\omega `$, $`u_0`$ is a $`dd^c`$ potential for $`\omega `$ and $`u_r`$ is pluriharmonic for $`r1`$—see Remark 5.) Now it follows from (77) that

$$2\kappa =2\underset{\xi }{}\kappa _\xi +\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}^{\xi _j}\frac{F_j^{}(t)}{F_j(t)}𝑑t.$$

Comparing this with

$$\underset{r=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}(1)^rb_rH_r+\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}^{\xi _j}\frac{p_\mathrm{c}(t)\left(_{r=1}^{\mathrm{}}b_rt^\mathrm{}r\right)}{F_j(t)}𝑑t,$$

we obtain the required result. ∎

### 5.4. Bochner-flat Kähler metrics

We now rederive Bryant’s classification of Bochner-flat Kähler metrics in the present framework. One interesting feature of our approach is that we can at the same time explicitly classify hamiltonian $`2`$-forms on Bochner-flat Kähler–Einstein manifolds, i.e., on Kähler manifolds of constant holomorphic sectional curvature, cf. section 2.4.

We set $`\widehat{p}_\mathrm{c}(t)=_\xi (t\xi )^{m_\xi +1}`$ and $`\widehat{m}=\mathrm{}_\xi 1=m_\xi (m_\xi +1)`$.

###### Proposition 17.

 Let $`(M,g,J,\omega )`$ be a Kähler manifold of dimension $`2m4`$ with a hamiltonian $`2`$-form. Then $`M`$ is Bochner-flat with $`\stackrel{~}{\rho }`$ a linear combination of $`\varphi `$ and $`\omega `$ if and only if $`(g,J,\omega )`$ has the explicit form (63) where:

* for all $`j`$, $`F_j(t)=\widehat{p}_\mathrm{c}(t)\left(_{r=2}^{\widehat{m}}c_rt^{\widehat{m}r}\right)`$, and $`c_2,\mathrm{}c_{\widehat{m}}`$ are arbitrary constants (independent of $`j`$);
* for all $`\xi `$, $`(g_\xi ,\omega _\xi )`$ has constant holomorphic sectional curvature

$$\frac{1}{m_\xi (m_\xi +1)}\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}_{g_\xi }=\left(\underset{r=2}{\overset{\widehat{m}}{}}c_r\xi ^{\widehat{m}r}\right)\underset{\eta \xi }{}(\xi \eta ).$$

The curvature of $`(g,J,\omega )`$ is then given by $`R=\{J\widehat{\rho },\}+\widehat{\rho }\omega +\omega \widehat{\rho }`$, where $`\widehat{\rho }=\frac{1}{2}\left(c_2(\varphi +\frac{1}{2}\widehat{\sigma }_1\omega )+\frac{1}{2}c_1\omega \right)`$ and $`\widehat{\sigma }_1=\sigma _1_\xi \xi `$.

Any constant holomorphic sectional curvature Kähler metric with a hamiltonian $`2`$-form arises in this way with $`c_2=0`$, and is flat if and only if $`c_1=0`$.

###### Proof.

By Proposition 16, we may assume that $`(g,J,\omega )`$ is weakly Bochner-flat, with $`F_j^{}`$ a polynomial divisible by $`p_\mathrm{c}`$ and $`S_\xi `$ Kähler–Einstein. Since $`\stackrel{~}{\rho }`$ is a linear combination of $`\varphi `$ and $`\omega `$, we may use the system (30). Integrating the last three equations gives $`\tau _0=C_2`$, $`\tau _1=C_2\sigma _1+C_1`$ and $`\tau _2=C_2(\sigma _1^2\sigma _2)+C_1\sigma _1+C_0`$ for constants $`C_2`$, $`C_1`$ and $`C_0`$. (We have used the fact that $`\sigma \sigma _1`$ and $`\varphi ,\varphi +2\sigma _2\sigma _1^2`$ are constants.) Hence

$`dd^c\sigma _1`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{2}{m}}W^𝒦(\varphi )C_2J\varphi ^2+(C_2\sigma _1+C_1)\varphi +(C_2(\sigma _1^2\sigma _2)+C_1\sigma _1+C_0)\omega `$
$`={\displaystyle \frac{2}{m}}W^𝒦(\varphi )C_2(J\varphi ^2\sigma _1\varphi (\sigma _1^2\sigma _2)\omega )+C_1(\varphi +\sigma _1\omega )+C_0\omega .`$
It follows from Remark 5 that

$$\frac{2}{m}W^𝒦(\varphi )=dd^c(\sigma _1+C_2u_2C_1u_1+C_0u_0).$$

(Here we recall that $`dd^cu_2=J\varphi ^2\sigma _1\varphi (\sigma _1^2\sigma _2)\omega `$.)

Thus $`W^𝒦(\varphi )`$ is basic if and only if $`F_j(t)=p_\mathrm{c}(t)\left(_{r=2}^{\mathrm{}}C_rt^\mathrm{}r\right)`$, where $`C_1,\mathrm{}C_{\mathrm{}}`$ are arbitrary constants. This means that $`F_j`$ is a polynomial divisible by $`p_\mathrm{c}`$. Since $`F_j^{}`$ is also divisible by $`p_\mathrm{c}`$, $`W^𝒦(\varphi )`$ is basic if and only if $`F_j`$ is a polynomial divisible by $`\widehat{p}_\mathrm{c}`$. In particular $`_{r=2}^{\mathrm{}}C_r\xi ^\mathrm{}r=0`$ for each constant root $`\xi `$, and so

$`{\displaystyle \frac{2}{m}}W^𝒦(\varphi )`$ $`=dd^c\left(\sigma _1+{\displaystyle \underset{r=2}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}(1)^rC_ru_r\right)`$
$`={\displaystyle \underset{r=2}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}(1)^rC_rdd^cH_r={\displaystyle \underset{r=2}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}{\displaystyle \underset{\xi }{}}C_r\xi ^\mathrm{}r\omega _\xi =0.`$
Hence we may suppose that $`F_j(t)=\widehat{p}_\mathrm{c}(t)\left(_{r=2}^{\widehat{m}}c_rt^{\widehat{m}r}\right)`$ and that $`W^𝒦(\varphi )=0`$. Note that $`c_2=C_2`$ and $`c_1=C_1+(_\xi \xi )C_2`$, so $`\tau _0=c_2`$ and $`\tau _1=c_2\widehat{\sigma }_1+c_1`$.

Since $`\stackrel{~}{\rho }`$ is an constant linear combination of $`\varphi `$ and $`\omega `$, equation (28) implies that $`[W^𝒦(\psi ),\varphi ]=\frac{1}{m}[W^𝒦(\varphi ),\psi ]=0`$. Also equation (29) implies that $`\iota _KW^𝒦(\psi )=0`$. Now any $`2`$-form commuting with $`\varphi `$ is the sum of a vertical and a horizontal $`2`$-form (i.e., there is no mixed component); then since $`J\varphi `$ has distinct eigenvalues on the fibres of $`M`$ over $`S`$, the vertical component is of the form $`_{j=1}^{\mathrm{}}\mu _jd\xi _jJd\xi _j`$. If also the contraction with $`K`$ is zero, we have $`_{j=1}^{\mathrm{}}\mu _jd\xi _j(X)|d\xi _j|^2=0`$, for each vector field $`X`$, which forces $`\mu _1=\mathrm{}=\mu _r=0`$. We deduce that for any $`2`$-form $`\psi `$, $`W^𝒦(\psi )`$ is horizontal, and, since $`W^𝒦`$ is symmetric, $`W^𝒦(\psi )`$ vanishes unless $`\psi `$ is horizontal.

We next employ the Gray–O’Neill submersion formulae  which apply in this situation (the submersion of $`M`$ over $`S`$ is not riemannian, so we need the framework of Gray). If $`X,Y,Z`$ are horizontal vector fields, we have (see Proposition 9)

$`(R_{X,Y}Z)^H`$ $`=R_{X,Y}^HZC(X),C(Y,Z)^{\mathrm{}}+C(Y),C(X,Z)^{\mathrm{}}`$
$`+C(Z),C(X,Y)^{\mathrm{}}C(Z),C(Y,X)^{\mathrm{}},`$
with $`2C(X,Y)`$ $`={\displaystyle \underset{r=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}\left(\mathrm{\Omega }_r(X,Y)K_r+\mathrm{\Omega }_r(JX,Y)JK_r\right).`$
To compute $`C(X,\stackrel{~}{X}),C(Y,\stackrel{~}{Y})`$ for horizontal vector fields $`X,\stackrel{~}{X},Y,\stackrel{~}{Y}`$, we use the definition of $`C`$, and expand $`\mathrm{\Omega }_r`$ and $`K_r,K_s`$ to get

$$C(X,\stackrel{~}{X}),C(Y,\stackrel{~}{Y})=\frac{1}{4}_{\xi ,\eta }f_{\xi ,\eta }\left(\omega _\xi (X,\stackrel{~}{X})\omega _\eta (Y,\stackrel{~}{Y})+\omega _\xi (JX,\stackrel{~}{X})\omega _\eta (JY,\stackrel{~}{Y})\right),$$

where

$`f_{\xi ,\eta }`$ $`={\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}{\displaystyle \frac{F_j(\xi _j)}{p_\mathrm{c}(\xi _j)\mathrm{\Delta }_j}}\left({\displaystyle \underset{r=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}(1)^r\xi ^\mathrm{}r\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)\right)\left({\displaystyle \underset{s=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}(1)^s\eta ^\mathrm{}s\sigma _{s1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)\right)`$
$`=\left({\displaystyle \underset{k=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}(\xi \xi _k)(\eta \xi _k)\right)\left({\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}{\displaystyle \frac{F_j(\xi _j)}{p_\mathrm{c}(\xi _j)\mathrm{\Delta }_j(\xi _j\xi )(\xi _j\eta )}}\right)`$
$`=p_{\mathrm{nc}}(\xi )p_{\mathrm{nc}}(\eta )\left(C_2(\sigma _1+\xi +\eta )+C_1\delta _{\xi ,\eta }{\displaystyle \frac{\left(_{r=2}^{\widehat{m}}c_r\xi ^{\widehat{m}r}\right)_{\eta \xi }(\xi \eta )}{_{j=1}^{\mathrm{}}(\xi \xi _j)}}\right).`$
For the last line of this calculation, we observe that $`F_j(t)/p_\mathrm{c}(t)`$ is a polynomial of degree $`\mathrm{}+2`$ vanishing when $`t=\xi `$; then if $`\xi \eta `$ we can apply the Vandermonde identity with the variables $`\xi _1,\mathrm{}\xi _{\mathrm{}},\xi ,\eta `$, whereas if $`\xi =\eta `$, we may use the Vandermonde identity for the polynomial $`F_j(t)/\left(p_\mathrm{c}(t)(t\xi )\right)=\left(_{r=2}^{\widehat{m}}c_rt^{\widehat{m}r}\right)_{\eta \xi }(t\eta )`$ of degree $`\mathrm{}+1`$, with the variables $`\xi _1,\mathrm{}\xi _{\mathrm{}},\xi `$.

We expand the curvature $`R`$ using (26) and the fact that

$$\widehat{\rho }=\frac{1}{2}(\tau _0\varphi +\frac{1}{2}\tau _1\omega )=\frac{1}{2}C_2\left(\varphi +\frac{1}{2}\sigma _1\omega \right)\frac{1}{4}C_1\omega =\frac{1}{2}c_2\left(\varphi +\frac{1}{2}\widehat{\sigma }_1\omega \right)\frac{1}{4}c_1\omega .$$

(See section 2.3.) The final ingredient in the computation, from Proposition 16, is the fact that each $`S_\xi `$ is Kähler–Einstein with Kähler–Einstein constant

$$\frac{1}{m_\xi }\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}_{g_\xi }=(m_\xi +1)\left(\underset{r=2}{\overset{\widehat{m}}{}}c_r\xi ^{\widehat{m}r}\right)\underset{\eta \xi }{}(\xi \eta ).$$

Putting these ingredients together, bearing in mind that $`\omega |_{S_\xi }^{}=p_{\mathrm{nc}}(\xi )\omega _\xi `$, we find that a remarkable cancellation occurs (cf. ) and we obtain

$$(W_{X,Y}^𝒦Z)^H=_\xi W_{X,Y}^{𝒦,S_\xi }Z,$$

where $`W^{𝒦,S_\xi }`$ denotes the Bochner tensor of $`S_\xi `$ (pulled back to the Kähler product). We deduce that $`(W_{X,Y}^𝒦Z)^H=0`$ if and only if each $`S_\xi `$ has constant holomorphic sectional curvature given by the stated formula. ∎

Our proof above is very much inspired by \[5, Section 4.5\], where Bryant indicates how to obtain an explicit formula for the general Bochner-flat metric, although he stops short of providing the final formula. Our approach has proceeded in reverse, by first finding the general formula, then showing that it is Bochner-flat. This has permitted us to give a proof using standard methods in Kähler geometry, substituting a linear system for the nonlinear system which Bryant integrates using Cartan’s generalization of Lie’s Third Theorem.

Bryant’s remarkable paper also addresses global questions: the compact Bochner-flat Kähler manifolds are necessarily locally symmetric, but Bryant finds compact orbifold examples, and classifies the complete examples (cf. also  for the case of Kähler surfaces). In forthcoming work, we shall find that there are many compact weakly Bochner-flat Kähler manifolds (see also ).

We now return to the characteristic polynomial of section 2.3. We write $`F`$ for $`F_j`$ (which is independent of $`j`$), and define a minimal polynomial $`F_\mathrm{m}(t):=F(t)/p_\mathrm{c}(t)=\left(_{r=2}^{\widehat{m}}c_rt^{\widehat{m}r}\right)_\xi (t\xi )`$. When $`c_20`$, these polynomials are (up to affine transformation of $`t`$) Bryant’s characteristic and reduced characteristic polynomials.

###### Proposition 18.

Let $`\varphi `$ be a hamiltonian $`2`$-form on a Bochner-flat Kähler manifold $`(M,g,J,\omega )`$ with $`\stackrel{~}{\rho }`$ a linear combination of $`\varphi `$ and $`\omega `$, as in Proposition 17. Then $`F`$ is the characteristic polynomial $`F_\mathrm{c}`$ of $`(g,J,\omega ,\varphi )`$.

###### Proof.

To compute $`(\tau _0t^2+\tau _1t+\tau _2)p(t)K,K(t)`$, observe that

$$K,K(t)=\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}p_\mathrm{c}(t)\left(\underset{kj}{}(t\xi _j)\right)|d\xi _j|^2=p(t)\underset{j=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{F_\mathrm{m}(\xi _j)}{(\xi _jt)\mathrm{\Delta }_j}.$$

Hence, writing $`F_\mathrm{m}(t)=_{r=2}^{\mathrm{}}C_rt^\mathrm{}r`$, Vandermonde identities (with variables $`\xi _1,\mathrm{}\xi _{\mathrm{}},t`$) give

$$\begin{array}{c}K,K(t)=p(t)\left(C_2((\sigma _1+t)^2\sigma _2t\sigma _1)+C_1(\sigma _1+t)+C_0\right)p(t)\frac{F_\mathrm{m}(t)}{p_{\mathrm{nc}}(t)}\hfill \\ \hfill =p(t)(C_2t^2+(C_2\sigma _1+C_1)t+(C_2(\sigma _1^2\sigma _2)+C_1\sigma _1+C_0)F(t).\end{array}$$

Hence $`(\tau _0t^2+\tau _1t+\tau _2)p(t)K,K(t)=F(t)`$. ∎

When $`c_2=0`$ (i.e., $`\tau _0=0`$), Proposition 17 provides a classification of hamiltonian $`2`$-forms on simply-connected manifolds of constant holomorphic sectional curvature in terms of two polynomials $`p_\mathrm{c}`$ and $`F_\mathrm{m}`$ respectively of degrees $`m\mathrm{}`$ (precisely) and $`\mathrm{}+1`$ (at most), such that every root of $`p_\mathrm{c}`$ is a root of $`F_\mathrm{m}`$.

In section 2.4 we showed that hamiltonian $`2`$-forms are then given by parallel sections of a flat connection on a bundle of rank $`(m+1)^2`$. In the simply-connected case, or when the Kähler manifold is an open subset of $`^m`$, $`P^m`$ or $`^m`$, the bundle is trivial, and parallel sections extend globally to $`^m`$, $`P^m`$ or $`^m`$. For $`s0`$, we identified the solution space with the Lie algebra $`𝔲(m+1)`$ or $`𝔲(m,1)`$ of Killing potentials, and we gave an explicit description for $`s=0`$.

The positive-definiteness of the explicit metric $`g`$ implies that $`F_\mathrm{m}(\xi _j)/\mathrm{\Delta }_j`$ must be positive for all $`j`$, so $`F_\mathrm{m}`$ must have at least $`\mathrm{}1`$ distinct roots (without loss of generality $`\xi _1<\mathrm{}<\xi _{\mathrm{}}`$ and $`F_\mathrm{m}`$ has a sign change in each interval). The scalar curvature is nonzero when $`F_\mathrm{m}`$ has exactly degree $`\mathrm{}+1`$. In the positive case ($`C_1<0`$), it changes sign in $`(\mathrm{},\xi _1)`$ and $`(\xi _{\mathrm{}},\mathrm{})`$ and so has $`\mathrm{}+1`$ distinct roots; the roots of $`p_\mathrm{c}`$ are thus the multiple roots of the characteristic polynomial $`F`$, and the order $`\mathrm{}`$ of $`\varphi `$ equals the number of different roots of the characteristic polynomial minus one. (The case of only one root is the trivial case that $`\tau `$ is constant and $`\varphi =\tau \omega `$.) The negative case is more complicated, corresponding to the fact that $`𝔲(m,1)`$ has non-semisimple elements, and $`F`$ alone is not enough to classify them—we also need to know the factorization $`F(t)=F_\mathrm{m}(t)p_\mathrm{c}(t)`$, i.e., the minimal polynomial.

### 5.5. The Calabi-type case

To illustrate the conditions of the previous subsections, and for use in the next subsection, we specialize to the simple, but important case of hamiltonian $`2`$-forms of order one, when the Kähler structure may be written:

$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill g& =_\xi (z\xi )g_\xi +\frac{_\xi (z\xi )^{m_\xi }}{F(z)}dz^2+\frac{F(z)}{_\xi (z\xi )^{m_\xi }}\theta ^2,\hfill \\ \hfill \omega & =_\xi (z\xi )\omega _\xi +dz\theta ,d\theta =_\xi \omega _\xi ,\hfill \\ \hfill Jdz& =\frac{F(z)}{_\xi (z\xi )^{m_\xi }}\theta ,J\theta =\frac{_\xi (z\xi )^{m_\xi }}{F(z)}dz,\hfill \end{array}$$

where $`2m_\xi =dimS_\xi `$ and $`\pm (g_\xi ,\omega _\xi )`$ is a Kähler metric on $`S_\xi `$ (compared to (63), we have reversed the sign of $`(g_\xi ,\omega _\xi )`$). Suppose there are $`N`$ different constant roots $`\xi `$. Then Propositions 1516 and 17 specialize as follows:

* $`g`$ is extremal when $`P_2(t):=F^{\prime \prime }(t)/_\xi (t\xi )^{m_\xi 1}`$ is a polynomial of degree $`N+1`$ and $`g_\xi `$ has constant scalar curvature $`P_2(\xi )/_{\eta \xi }(\xi \eta )`$;

$`g`$ has constant scalar curvature when $`P_2`$ has degree $`N`$;
* $`g`$ is weakly Bochner-flat when $`P_1(t):=F^{}(t)/_\xi (t\xi )^{m_\xi }`$ is a polynomial of degree $`2`$ and $`g_\xi `$ is Kähler–Einstein with Kähler–Einstein constant $`P_1(\xi )`$;

$`g`$ is Kähler–Einstein when $`P_1`$ has degree $`1`$;
* $`g`$ is Bochner-flat when $`P_0(t):=F(t)/_\xi (t\xi )^{m_\xi +1}`$ is a polynomial of degree $`3N`$ and $`S_\xi `$ has constant holomorphic sectional curvature $`P_0(\xi )_{\eta \xi }(\eta \xi )`$;

$`g`$ has constant holomorphic sectional curvature when $`P_0`$ has degree $`2N`$.

Metrics of this form have been used in many places to provide compact or complete examples on (projective) line bundles over Kähler products: see  for Kähler–Einstein metrics, and  for extremal Kähler metrics. We shall explore and generalize these global examples in subsequent work.

The case $`N=1`$ is particularly important: the constant roots are all equal, so without loss of generality we may take them all to be zero. The polynomials $`P_0,P_1,P_2`$ are all quadratic: in case (i), we may write $`F(t)=c_2t^{m+2}+c_1t^{m+1}+c_0t^m+bt+a`$ and the scalar curvature of $`g_0`$ is $`m(m1)c_0`$; then case (ii) has $`b=0`$ and Kähler–Einstein constant $`mc_0`$, while case (iii) has $`a=b=0`$ with holomorphic sectional curvature $`c_0`$. The Kähler structure is

(81)
$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill g& =zg_0+\frac{z^{m1}}{F(z)}dz^2+\frac{F(z)}{z^{m1}}\theta ^2,\omega =z\omega _0+dz\theta ,\hfill \\ \hfill Jdz& =\frac{F(z)}{z^{m1}}\theta ,J\theta =\frac{z^{m1}}{F(z)}dz,d\theta =\omega _0,\hfill \end{array}$$

which is the local form of a Kähler metric of Calabi’s type  on a line bundle over a Kähler manifold $`(S,g_0,\omega _0)`$ of dimension $`2(m1)`$—Calabi’s extremal Kähler metrics  were constructed in this way.

We remark that any such metric (81) is conformal to a Kähler metric of the same form, but with an oppositely oriented complex structure. Indeed we may set $`\stackrel{~}{z}=1/z`$, $`\stackrel{~}{g}=g/z^2`$ and $`\stackrel{~}{F}(\stackrel{~}{z})/\stackrel{~}{z}^m=F(z)/z^m`$.

### 5.6. Strongly conformally Einstein Kähler metrics

We return briefly to the strongly conformally Einstein manifolds of Derdziński–Maschler  and explain how their classification can be derived in a natural way in our framework.

We recall that if $`(M,g,J,\omega )`$ strongly conformally Einstein with conformal factor $`\tau `$, then $`\chi =(a\tau +b)d\tau d^c\tau /|d\tau |^2`$ is a hamiltonian $`2`$-form with trace $`z=a\tau +b`$. If $`a=0`$ then $`\chi `$ is parallel, and $`M`$ is a Kähler product of a Riemann surface and a Kähler manifold of dimension $`2m2`$. We shall concentrate on the more interesting case $`a0`$. We set $`a=1/q`$ and $`b=p/q`$ so that $`\tau =qz+p`$. This allows us to take the limit $`q0`$, when $`\tau `$ is constant and $`(M,g,J,\omega )`$ is Kähler–Einstein. Since $`\chi `$ is hamiltonian of order one, with all constant roots zero, the Kähler structure has the explicit form (81) given in the previous subsection. This will be conformally Einstein with conformal factor $`qz+p`$ if and only if

(82)
$$qdd^cz=\xi (z)dd^c\kappa +\eta (z)\omega ,$$

where $`\kappa =\kappa _0\frac{1}{2}\mathrm{log}|F(z)|`$, $`\kappa _0`$ is a Ricci potential for $`\omega _0`$, $`\xi (z)=(qz+p)/(m1)`$ and $`\eta (z)`$ is an arbitrary function. Such an equation can only hold if $`\omega _0`$ is Kähler Einstein, and we let $`dd^c\kappa _0=c\omega _0`$ so that $`\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}_{g_0}=(m1)c`$. We now compute

$`dd^cz`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{F}{z^{m1}}}\omega _0+{\displaystyle \frac{zF^{}(m1)F}{z^m}}dz\theta `$
$`dd^c\kappa `$ $`=\left(c{\displaystyle \frac{F^{}}{2z^{m1}}}\right)\omega _0{\displaystyle \frac{zF^{\prime \prime }(m1)F^{}}{2z^m}}dz\theta .`$
Substituting in (82), we eliminate $`\eta (z)`$ to obtain a differential equation for $`F(z)`$:

$$\begin{array}{c}qF(z)\xi (z)(cz^{m1}\frac{1}{2}F^{}(z))=\eta (z)z^m\hfill \\ \hfill =q(zF^{}(z)(m1)F(z))+\frac{1}{2}\xi (z)(zF^{\prime \prime }(z)(m1)F^{}(z)).\end{array}$$

A particular integral is $`2cz^m/m`$ (this is the flat metric), and one solution of the homogeneous equation is $`(qzp)(qz+p)^{2m1}`$. We can then reduce the equation to first order to find the general homogeneous solution as an integral:

$$(qzp)(qz+p)^{2m1}\left(a+b^z\frac{t^m}{(qt+p)^{2m}(qtp)^2}𝑑t\right).$$

This is in fact a polynomial in $`z`$, which may be written

$$\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{j}{m}\left(\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{2m}{m+j}\right)(a_+p^{mj}q^{j1}z^{m+j}a_{}p^{j1}q^{mj}z^{mj})$$

for constants $`a_\pm `$. The polynomial reduces to a multiple of $`(qzp)(qz+p)^{2m1}`$ when $`q^{m+1}a_{}=p^{m+1}a_+`$, while for $`a_+a_{}=0`$, but $`p,q`$ nonzero, it is a hypergeometric function of $`qz/p`$, essentially a Gegenbauer polynomial.

In conclusion, then, the Kähler structure (81) is conformally Einstein with conformal factor $`qz+p`$ if and only if

(83)
$$F(z)=\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{j}{m}\left(\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{2m}{m+j}\right)(a_+p^{mj}q^{j1}z^{m+j}a_{}p^{j1}q^{mj}z^{mj})+\frac{2c}{m}z^m$$

for constants $`a_\pm ,c`$ with $`\rho _0=c\omega _0`$. We have

$$\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}=\frac{\mathrm{𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑙}_{g_0}}{z}\frac{F^{\prime \prime }(z)}{z^{m1}}=a_+\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{j}{m}\frac{(2m)!}{(m+j2)!(mj)!}p^{mj}q^{j1}z^{j1}\hfill \\ \hfill +a_{}\underset{j=1}{\overset{m2}{}}\frac{j}{m}\frac{(2m)!}{(m+j)!(mj2)!}p^{j1}q^{mj}z^{j1},\end{array}$$

which is polynomial in $`z`$ if and only if $`a_{}=0`$, $`q=0`$ or $`m=2`$. It is a Killing potential (i.e., affine in $`z`$) if and only if it vanishes or $`q=0`$ or $`m=2`$.

The function $`Q(z)`$ of Derdziński–Maschler is $`F(z)/z^{m1}`$, and writing $`\tau =qz+p`$, we recover their solution, except that we have chosen the basis for the solutions in a way that unifies the cases $`p=0`$ and $`p0`$. We also recall from the previous subsection that $`g`$ is conformal to a Kähler metric $`\stackrel{~}{g}`$ with the opposite orientation. This new Kähler metric is conformally Einstein with conformal factor $`\stackrel{~}{\tau }=q+p\stackrel{~}{z}`$. Just as $`q=0`$ corresponds to the case that $`g`$ is Kähler–Einstein, so $`p=0`$ corresponds to the case that $`\stackrel{~}{g}`$ is Kähler–Einstein.

## Appendix A Conformal Killing forms and hamiltonian $`2`$-forms

We have noted already that for any hamiltonian $`2`$-form $`\varphi `$, $`A=\varphi +\sigma \omega `$ is closed. One also easily observes that $`\varphi m\sigma \omega `$ is co-closed (divergence-free). In this appendix we relate hamiltonian $`2`$-forms to conformal Killing $`2`$-forms, which have been investigated recently by Moroianu and Semmelmann .

###### Definition 8.

A *conformal Killing* or *twistor $`2`$-form* on a riemannian manifold of dimension $`n3`$ is a $`2`$-form $`\psi `$ satisfying the equation

(84)
$$_X\psi =\frac{1}{n1}X\alpha +\frac{1}{3}\iota _X\beta $$

for all vector fields $`X`$, where $`\alpha `$ is a $`1`$-form, $`\beta `$ is a $`3`$-form and $`\iota _X`$ denotes contraction.

It follows immediately from this equation that $`\alpha =\delta \psi :=_i\iota _{e_i}_{e_i}\psi `$ and that $`\beta =d\psi `$. Hence $`\psi `$ is a conformal Killing $`2`$-form if and only if $`\varphi `$, which is a section of $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^1M\mathrm{\Lambda }^2M`$, is in the kernel of the natural projections to $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^1M`$ and $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^3M`$.

The notion of conformal Killing form can be extended to $`p`$-forms and is conformally invariant for $`p`$-forms of weight $`1`$, i.e., for sections of $`L^{p+1}\mathrm{\Lambda }^pM`$, where $`L`$ is the density line bundle, i.e., $`L^n=|\mathrm{\Lambda }^nM|`$.

The following observation is due in part to Sekizawa  and Semmelmann . The essential new ingredient is (85).

###### Proposition 19.

Let $`(M,g,J,\omega )`$ be a Kähler manifold of dimension $`n=2m4`$.

* If $`\varphi `$ is a hamiltonian $`2`$-form, then the $`J`$-invariant $`2`$-form $`\psi =\varphi \frac{1}{2}(tr\varphi )\omega `$ is a conformal Killing $`2`$-form, with $`tr\psi =\left(1\frac{m}{2}\right)tr\varphi `$.
* Conversely, if $`\psi `$ is a $`J`$-invariant conformal Killing $`2`$-form, then

(85)
$$d\psi =\frac{3}{n1}\omega J\delta \psi $$

and

(86)
$$(m2)J\delta \psi =(2m1)dtr\psi .$$

Hence

$$_X\psi =\frac{1}{2m1}(X\delta \psi +JXJ\delta \psi J\delta \psi ,X\omega )$$

and $`J\delta \psi `$ is closed if $`m>2`$, while $`tr\psi `$ is constant if $`m=2`$.
* If $`\psi `$ is a $`J`$-invariant conformal Killing $`2`$-form and $`J\delta \psi =df`$ then $`\varphi =\psi +\frac{1}{2m1}f\omega `$ is a hamiltonian $`2`$-form.

In particular, for $`m>2`$ the map $`\varphi \varphi \frac{1}{2}(tr\varphi )\omega `$ is a bijection from hamiltonian $`2`$-forms to $`J`$-invariant conformal Killing $`2`$-forms, with inverse $`\psi \psi \frac{1}{m2}(tr\psi )\omega `$.

###### Proof.

* If $`\varphi `$ is hamiltonian and $`\psi =\varphi \frac{1}{2}\sigma \omega `$, then

$$_X\psi =\frac{1}{2}\left(d\sigma JXd^c\sigma Xd\sigma (X)\omega \right)=\frac{1}{2}\left(Xd^c\sigma \iota _X(\omega d\sigma )\right).$$

Hence $`\psi `$ is a conformal Killing $`2`$-form with $`\delta \psi =\frac{n1}{2}d^c\sigma `$ and $`d\psi =\frac{3}{2}\omega d\sigma `$.
* Observe that $`_X\psi `$ is $`J`$-invariant and so

$$\begin{array}{c}\frac{1}{3}(d\psi (X,JY,Z)+d\psi (X,Y,JZ))=\frac{1}{n1}\left(X\delta \psi (JY,Z)+X\delta \psi (Y,JZ)\right)\hfill \\ \hfill =\frac{1}{n1}\left(\omega J\delta \psi (X,JY,Z)+\omega J\delta \psi (X,Y,JZ)\right).\end{array}$$

It follows that $`\frac{1}{3}d\psi +\frac{1}{n1}\omega J\delta \psi `$ is a (real) $`J`$-invariant $`3`$-form, and so it must be zero—for instance one can use the identity

$`2\beta (JX,Y,Z)`$ $`=\beta (Z,JX,Y)+\beta (Z,X,JY)`$
$`\beta (X,JY,Z)\beta (X,Y,JZ)`$
$`+\beta (Y,JZ,X)+\beta (Y,Z,JX).`$
Equation (85) follows immediately. Next, the defining equation (84) implies

$$(n1)(_X\psi (JY)+_Y\psi (JX))=\delta \psi (X)JY+\delta \psi (Y)JX2X,YJ\delta \psi .$$

Taking the trace of this formula as a function of $`Y`$ gives

$$(n1)(2dtr\psi (X)+J\delta \psi (X))=3J\delta \psi (X)$$

which is manifestly equivalent to (86).
* This is a simple verification using (85):

$`_X\psi {\displaystyle \frac{1}{n1}}df(X)\omega `$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{1}{n1}}\left(XJdf+\iota _X(\omega df)df(X)\omega \right)`$
$`={\displaystyle \frac{1}{n1}}(dfJXd^cfX).`$
Note that (86) gives $`dtr\varphi =dtr\psi \frac{m}{n1}df=\frac{2}{n1}df`$. ∎

We remark that there is also a connection between hamiltonian $`2`$-forms and Killing tensors (cf. ), i.e., symmetric $`2`$-tensors $`S`$ satisfying $`symS=0`$. Indeed $`\varphi `$ is hamiltonian if and only if $`A=\varphi +\sigma \omega `$ is closed and $`S=J(\varphi \sigma \omega )`$ is a Killing tensor. For the reverse implication, observe that $`dA=0`$ determines $`_X\varphi (Y,Z)+_Y\varphi (X,Z)+_Z\varphi (X,Y)`$ in terms of the $`1`$-form $`d\sigma `$, while $`symS=0`$ determines $`_X\varphi (JY,Z)+_Y\varphi (JZ,X)+_Z\varphi (JX,Y)`$. Replacing $`JY`$ by $`Y`$ in the second expression and adding to the first yields a formula for $`2_X\varphi (Y,Z)+_Y\varphi (Z,X)_{JY}\varphi (JZ,X)`$ and the $`J`$-invariant part (in $`Y,Z`$) is (12).

## Appendix B Vandermonde matrices

### B.1. The inverse of a Vandermonde matrix

A Vandermonde matrix is a $`(m\times m)`$-matrix of the form

$$V=V(\xi _1,\mathrm{}\xi _m)=\left[\begin{array}{ccc}\xi _1^{m1}& \mathrm{}& \xi _m^{m1}\\ \xi _1^{m2}& \mathrm{}& \xi _m^{m2}\\ \mathrm{}& \mathrm{}& \mathrm{}\\ (1)^{m1}& \mathrm{}& (1)^{m1}\end{array}\right],$$

where the $`\xi _j`$’s are $`m`$ independent variables; the entries of the Vandermonde matrix $`V`$ are thus defined by $`V_{rj}=(1)^{r1}\xi _j^{mr}`$.

We denote by $`\sigma _r`$ the elementary symmetric functions of the $`\xi _j`$’s, so that

(87)
$$\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}(t\xi _j)=t^m\sigma _1t^{m1}+\mathrm{}+(1)^m\sigma _m,$$

for any $`t`$. We also define $`\sigma _0=1`$.

Removing the variable $`\xi _j`$ (equivalently, differentiating with respect to $`\xi _j`$) gives

(88)
$$\underset{kj}{}(t\xi _k)=t^{m1}\sigma _1(\widehat{\xi }_j)t^{m1}+\mathrm{}+(1)^{m1}\sigma _{m1}(\widehat{\xi }_j),$$

where the $`\sigma _r(\widehat{\xi }_j)`$ are the elementary symmetric functions of the $`m1`$ variables $`\xi _1,\mathrm{}\widehat{\xi }_j,\mathrm{}\xi _m`$ ($`\xi _j`$ deleted). By putting $`t=\xi _i`$ in the above identity, we get

(89)
$$\xi _i^{m1}\sigma _1(\widehat{\xi }_j)\xi _i^{m2}+\mathrm{}+(1)^{m1}\sigma _{m1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)=\mathrm{\Delta }_j\delta _{ij},$$

where $`\delta _{ij}`$ is the Kronecker symbol and $`\mathrm{\Delta }_j=_{kj}(\xi _j\xi _k)`$.

This means that the matrix $`W`$ whose entries are $`W_{ir}=\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_i)/\mathrm{\Delta }_i`$, i.e.,

$$W=\left[\begin{array}{cccc}\frac{1}{\mathrm{\Delta }_1}& \frac{\sigma _1(\widehat{\xi }_1)}{\mathrm{\Delta }_1}& \mathrm{}& \frac{\sigma _{m1}(\widehat{\xi }_1)}{\mathrm{\Delta }_1}\\ \mathrm{}& \mathrm{}& \mathrm{}& \mathrm{}\\ \frac{1}{\mathrm{\Delta }_m}& \frac{\sigma _1(\widehat{\xi }_m)}{\mathrm{\Delta }_m}& \mathrm{}& \frac{\sigma _{m1}(\widehat{\xi }_m)}{\mathrm{\Delta }_m}\end{array}\right],$$

is a left-inverse of $`V`$:

$$\underset{r=1}{\overset{m}{}}W_{ir}V_{rj}=\delta _{ij}.$$

### B.2. The determinant of a Vandermonde matrix

In order to compute the determinant $`\mathrm{det}V`$ of $`V`$, we use the fact that $`W_{11}=1/\mathrm{\Delta }_1`$ is equal to the determinant of the minor of $`V_{11}`$ in $`V`$ divided by $`detV`$. Now the minor of $`V_{11}`$ is clearly $`V(\xi _2,\mathrm{},\xi _m)`$; we thus get the following induction formula:

$$detV(\xi _1,\mathrm{},\xi _m)=(1)^{m1}(\xi _1\xi _2)\mathrm{}(\xi _1\xi _m)detV(\xi _2,\mathrm{},\xi _m),$$

from which we readily infer that

(90)
$$detV=(1)^{m(m1)/2}\underset{i<j}{}(\xi _i\xi _j).$$

Notice that we also have

(91)
$$(detV)^2=(1)^{m(m1)/2}\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\mathrm{\Delta }_j.$$

Indeed, both sides are products of elements of the form $`\xi _i\xi _j`$: for each $`i<j`$, we get $`(\xi _i\xi _j)^2`$ in the left hand side, and $`(\xi _i\xi _j)(\xi _j\xi _i)=(\xi _i\xi _j)^2`$ in the right hand side.

### B.3. Vandermonde identities

In the ring of $`m\times m`$ matrices, a left inverse is also a right-inverse, so that:

(92)
$$\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}V_{sj}W_{jr}=\delta _{rs};$$

we thus obtain the following Vandermonde identity

(93)
$$\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{(1)^{s1}\xi _j^{ms}\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)}{\mathrm{\Delta }_j}=\delta _{rs},$$

for any pair $`r,s=1,\mathrm{}m`$. In particular, with $`r=1`$, we have that

(94)
$$\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{\xi _j^{ms}}{\mathrm{\Delta }_j}=\delta _{s1}$$

for $`s=1,\mathrm{}m`$. This identity for $`s=1`$ may be extended to all $`s1`$ to give

(95)
$$\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{\xi _j^{m1+p}}{\mathrm{\Delta }_j}=h_p$$

for all $`p0`$, where $`h_p`$ is the $`p`$th complete symmetric function of $`\xi _1,\mathrm{}\xi _m`$. By multiplying by $`t^p`$, for a formal variable $`t`$, and summing over $`p0`$, this equation may be rewritten

$$\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{\xi _j^{m1}}{(1\xi _jt)\mathrm{\Delta }_j}=\underset{k=1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{1}{1\xi _kt}$$

where the right hand side denotes the (formal) product of geometric series. Hence, to prove (95), it suffices to observe that

$$\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\xi _j^{m1}\underset{kj}{}\frac{1\xi _kt}{\xi _j\xi _k}=1.$$

This follows because the left hand side is a polynomial in $`t`$, of degree at most $`m1`$, whose value at $`t=1/\xi _j`$ is equal to $`1`$ for all $`j=1,\mathrm{}m`$. (In fact, this is more or less the Lagrange interpolation formula.)

Similarly, we can extend (93) to obtain

(96)
$$\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{\xi _j^{m+k}\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)}{\mathrm{\Delta }_j}=\underset{s=0}{\overset{k}{}}(1)^sh_{ks}\sigma _{r+s}$$

for all $`r=1,\mathrm{}m`$ and all $`k0`$. Here, by convention, $`\sigma _{r+s}=0`$ for $`r+s>m`$. We reduce (96) to (95) by means of the obvious identity:

$$\xi _j^{m+k}\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)=\underset{s=0}{\overset{mr}{}}(1)^s\xi _j^{m1+ks}\sigma _{r+s}.$$

(Evidently $`\xi _j\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)=\sigma _r\sigma _r(\widehat{\xi }_j)`$.) Substitute this into the left hand side of (96), and note that the summation over $`s`$ can be made from $`0`$ to $`k`$, using the Vandermonde identity (94) to eliminate any extra terms. Now applying (95) for each $`s`$ yields the right hand side of (96).

There is one further identity we shall need, namely

(97)
$$\frac{}{\xi _i}\left(\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{\xi _j^{m+k}\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)}{\mathrm{\Delta }_j}\right)=\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_i)\underset{s=0}{\overset{k}{}}h_{ks}\xi _i^s.$$

We prove this using (96): multiplying by $`t^k`$ and summing over $`k`$, it suffices to show

$$\underset{s0}{}\frac{}{\xi _i}\left(\frac{(1)^s\sigma _{r+s}t^s}{_{j=1}^m(1\xi _jt)}\right)=\frac{\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_i)}{(1\xi _it)_{j=1}^m(1\xi _jt)}.$$

This holds since direct computation of the left hand side gives

$$\underset{s0}{}\frac{(1)^s\sigma _{r+s1}(\widehat{\xi }_i)t^s+(1)^s\sigma _{r+s}(\widehat{\xi }_i)t^{s+1}}{(1\xi _it)_{j=1}^m(1\xi _jt)}$$

using $`\sigma _{r+s}(\widehat{\xi }_i)=\sigma _{r+s}\xi _i\sigma _{r+s1}(\widehat{\xi }_i)`$. All terms now cancel in pairs except the first one with $`s=0`$.

In fact we shall only make serious use of the identities (96) and (97) for $`0k2`$. In particular (96) implies

(98) $`{\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}}{\displaystyle \frac{\xi _j^m}{\mathrm{\Delta }_j}}\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)`$ $`=\sigma _r,`$
(99) $`{\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}}{\displaystyle \frac{\xi _j^{m+1}}{\mathrm{\Delta }_j}}\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)`$ $`=\sigma _1\sigma _r\sigma _{r+1},`$
(100) $`{\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}}{\displaystyle \frac{\xi _j^{m+2}}{\mathrm{\Delta }_j}}\sigma _{r1}(\widehat{\xi }_j)`$ $`=(\sigma _1^2\sigma _2)\sigma _r\sigma _1\sigma _{r+1}+\sigma _{r+2}.`$