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Q1. So what is the "simplest example" of a compact complex manifold of dimenension $2$, say $X$, for which $H_B^2(X,\mathbb{Z})$ has non-trivial torsion.

Q2. How do we think about these torsion elements? What is the geometrical content behind it?

flag	asked Jan 6 2011 at 15:09 Hugo Chapdelaine 3,337●3●18

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An Enriques surface. Torsion in $H^2$ equals torsion in $H_1$ which comes from etale covers with abelian Galois group. – Donu Arapura Jan 6 2011 at 15:19

Thnaks Donu. But I guess that in general there is no reason why the torsion in $H^1$ should inject in $H^2$. May be I should also require $X$ to be simply connected. In any case, thanks for your example. – Hugo Chapdelaine Jan 6 2011 at 15:31

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Hugo, I realize I was bit too concise (but I'm a bit rushed). The identification with $H^2(X,\Z)_{torsion}\cong H_1(X,\Z)_{torsion}$ comes from he universal coefficient theorem. So for simply connected surfaces, there is no torsion. One can also see that $Pic$ surjects onto the torsion in $H^2$, and then take the Kummer cover associated to the corresponding line bundle. – Donu Arapura Jan 6 2011 at 15:42

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Another nice example is the Godeaux surface. See book by Barth, Peters and Van de Venn. – Donu Arapura Jan 6 2011 at 15:44

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Donu is saying that the torsion in $H^2$ is isomorphic to the torsion in $H_1$. More precisely, by universal coefficients the torsion in $H^2$ is isomorphic to the torsion in $Ext(H_1,\mathbb Z)$, which if $H_1$ is finitely generated is $Hom((H_1)_{tors},\mathbb Q/\mathbb Z)$ and isomorphic to $(H_1)_{tors}$. If $X$ is simply connected then $H^2$ is torsion-free. – Tom Goodwillie Jan 6 2011 at 16:09

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BS · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-06 15:38:21Z UTC

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The torsion of $H_B^2(X,\mathbb{Z})$ is that of $H_1(X,\mathbb{Z})=\pi_1(X)^{ab}$ (universal coefficient theorem for cohomology), so the simplest case should be a simply connected complex surface quotiented by a fixed point free holomorphic involution (or a prime order automorphism).

I would propose an Enriques surface, but I'm not at all convinced it is "simplest".

answered Jan 6 2011 at 15:38

BS
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My answer crossed Donu's comments. Sorry. – BS Jan 6 2011 at 15:45

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No problem. Perhaps evidence that Enriques surfaces are the most obvious examples, although perhaps not the simplest. – Donu Arapura Jan 6 2011 at 15:50

Tom Goodwillie · Answer 2 · 2011-01-06 21:21:13Z UTC

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Are you interested in a complex manifold which is not Kaehler? $\mathbb RP^3\times S^1$ admits a complex structure. Remove the origin from $\mathbb C^2$, and then divide by the free action of $\mathbb Z\times \mathbb Z/2$ generated by $(x,y)\mapsto (2x,2y)$ and $(x,y)\mapsto (-x,-y)$.

answered Jan 6 2011 at 21:21

Tom Goodwillie
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Thanks Tom, yes if you don't take the involution then this is the classical example of an Hopf surface! – Hugo Chapdelaine Jan 6 2011 at 21:26

Torsion in the Betti cohomology of complex surfaces

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