Complex vector bundles that are not holomorphic

2009-11-30T19:00:59Z

Is there an example of a complex bundle on $CP^n$ or on a Fano variety (defined over complex numbers), that does not admit a holomorphic structure? We impose of course that the Chern classes of the bundle are $k,k$ Hodge classes (which is automatic for $CP^n$ or Fanos of dimension<4). If by any chance such examples are known, what is the smallest dimension of the variety (or the bundle)?

For $CP^1$ it is elementary to see that all bundles are holomorphic. In the book of Okonek and Schneider it is stated, that all complex bundles on $CP^2$ and $CP^3$ are also holomorphic. But for $CP^n$, $n\ge 4$ this is stated as an open problem (as for 1980).

Answer by Dmitri for Complex vector bundles that are not holomorphic

2009-12-02T17:39:25Z

Here is the answer to the question, kindly explained to me by Burt Totaro.

EDITED. This is an OPEN PROBLEM.

0) Apperently in the case of CP^n exitence of a complex bundle without holomorphic structure is still an OPEN PROBLEM. Though it is belived that there should be plenty of examples starting from $n\ge 5$, coming from topologically indecomposable rank two bundles, apperently no such bundle was proven to be non-holomorphic as for today.

1) A toplologically non-trivial rank 2 complex bundle with $c_1=0$, $c_2=0$ was constructed in

Rees, Elmer, Some rank two bundles on $P_{n}C$, whose Chern classes vanish. Variétés analytiques compactes (Colloq., Nice, 1977).

It was also claimed in this article that this bundle does not admit a holomorphic structure. But this claim was deduced from an article that contained a gap. So it is yet unknown if this particular bundle has holomorphic strucutre or not. This is discussed in M. Schneider. Holomorphic vector bundles on P^n. Seminaire Bourbaki 1978/79, expose 530.

This is why Okonek and Schneider write in their book p. 137 that this is an open problem.

2) On the positive side it is proven that every complex vector bundle on a smooth projective rational 3-fold has an holomorphic structure.

C. Banica and M. Putinar. On complex vector bundles on projective threefolds. Invent. Math. 88 (1987), 427-438.

3) If one wants to construct examples of bundles on projective manifolds that are not necesserely Fanos it is possible to use the fact that the integral Hodge conjecture fails. Namelly there are elements in $H^{2p}(X,Z)$ which are in $H^{p,p}$ but which are not represented by an algebraic cycle. Kollar gave such examples with $dim(X)=3$. A recent reference, which refers back to earlier results, is:

C. Soule and C. Voisin. Torsion cohomology classes and algebraic cycles on complex projective manifolds. Adv. Math. 198 (2005), 107-127

4) One reason to expect examples of such bundles in higher dimensions is Schwarzenberger's conjecture that every rank-2 algebraic vector bundle E, on $P^n$ with $n\ge 5$ is a direct sum of two line bundles. So, for example, if $c_1(E)=0$ then $c_2(E)=-d^2$ for some integer d, according to the conjecture.

Complex vector bundles that are not holomorphic - MathOverflow

Complex vector bundles that are not holomorphic

Answer by Dmitri for Complex vector bundles that are not holomorphic