Math 2.0

Several complex variables and analytic spaces Definition

Hermitian symmetric space

Builds on Symmetric spaceHermitian manifoldAlmost complex manifoldIsometry of Riemannian manifolds

Definition

Let (M,g)(M, g) be a connected Hermitian manifold. So MM is a complex manifold with integrable almost complex structure JJ. The Riemannian metric gg satisfies g(JX,JY)=g(X,Y)g(JX, JY) = g(X, Y) for all tangent vectors X,YX, Y. The manifold MM is a Hermitian symmetric space if each point p∈Mp \in M has an isometry sp ⁣:M→Ms_p \colon M \to M with three properties.

  1. sps_p is holomorphic.
  2. sp∘sp=id⁡s_p \circ s_p = \id.
  3. pp is an isolated fixed point of sps_p.

Remarks

Conditions 2 and 3 force (dsp)p=−id⁡(ds_p)_p = -\id, so (M,g)(M, g) is a Riemannian symmetric space and sps_p is its geodesic symmetry. The metric gg is then Kähler.

Example: the unit disc D={z∈ℂ:∣z∣<1}D = \set{z \in \C : \abs{z} < 1} with the metric 4 ∣dz∣2(1−∣z∣2)2\frac{4\,\abs{dz}^2}{(1 - \abs{z}^2)^2}. At 00 take s0(z)=−zs_0(z) = -z: it is holomorphic, an isometry, an involution, and 00 is its only fixed point. The holomorphic isometries z↦eitz−a1−aˉzz \mapsto e^{i t} \frac{z - a}{1 - \bar a z} act transitively, and conjugating s0s_0 by them gives sps_p at every point pp.

Non-example: the round sphere S4S^4 is a Riemannian symmetric space, but it has no almost complex structure at all, so it is not a Hermitian symmetric space.

Each simply connected Hermitian symmetric space is a product of a flat part ℂk\C^k and irreducible ones of compact type, such as ℂPn\C P^n, and of noncompact type, such as DD.

Reading path

To understand this page from the ground up, read these 5 pages in order. The foundations come first.

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  1. Almost complex manifold concept
  2. Hermitian manifold concept
  3. Isometry of Riemannian manifolds concept
  4. Symmetric space concept
  5. Hermitian symmetric space definition

Further reading

  1. Web https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermitian_symmetric_space
About this page
Tag52GCNZ1MZ8
URIm2://52GCNZ1MZ8
Kinddefinition
WritingW0 stub
MSC32M15, 53C35
DefinesHermitian symmetric space
UsesSymmetric space, Hermitian manifold, Almost complex manifold, Isometry of Riemannian manifolds
Changed2 November 2026

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