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Calabi-Yau variety
Contents Context
Complex geometry
1. Idea
2. Definition
3. Examples
4. Properties
In terms of 𝐺-structure
In SU-bordism theory
Artin-Mazur formal group
As supersymmetric compactification spaces in string theory
5. Related concepts
6. References

1. Idea
An 𝑛-dimensional Calabi-Yau variety is an 𝑛-dimensional Kähler manifold with (holomorphically, rather

manifold of even dimension 2𝑁 which has special holonomy in the subgroup SU(𝑁) ⊂ 𝑂(2𝑁, ℝ ).
than just topologically) trivial canonical bundle. This is equivalent to saying that it is real Riemannian

For compact Kähler manifolds, Yau's theorem? (also known as the Calabi conjecture?) states any of the
above conditions implies the vanishing of the first Chern class.

Is it also true for non-compact?

Note that 𝑐1 (𝑋) = 0 implies in general that the canonical bundle is topologically trivial. But if 𝑋 is a simply
connected compact Kähler manifold, 𝑐1 (𝑋) = 0 implies further that the canonical bundle is holomorphically
trivial.

The language used in this article is implicitly analytic, rather than algebraic. Is this OK? Or
should I make this explicit?

2. Definition
A Calabi-Yau variety can be described algebraically as a smooth proper variety 𝑋 of dimension 𝑛 over a
field 𝑘 (not necessarily algebraically closed and not necessarily of characteristic 0) in which
𝜔𝑋 = ∧ 𝑛 𝛺1 ≃ 𝒪𝑋 and also 𝐻𝑗 (𝑋, 𝒪𝑋 ) = 0 for all 1 ≤ 𝑗 ≤ 𝑛 − 1.

If the base field is ℂ , then one can form the analyticification of 𝑋 and obtain a compact manifold that
satisfies the first given definition.

the trivialization of the canonical bundle is required, but not the vanishing of the 𝐻0 < • < 𝑛 (𝑋, 𝒪𝑋 ). To be
Beware that there are slightly different (and inequivalent) definitions in use. Notably in some contexts only

explicit on this one sometimes speaks for emphasis of “strict” CY varieties when including this condition.

3. Examples
in dimension 1: elliptic curve
In dimension 2: K3 surface.

4. Properties
In terms of 𝐺 -structure
Calabi-Yau structure is equivalently integrable G-structure for 𝐺 = SU(n).

Details are in Prins 16, Prop. 1.3.2. See also Vezzoni 06, p. 24.

In SU-bordism theory
We discuss the classes of Calabi-Yau manifolds seen in SU-bordism theory. For more see Calabi-Yau
manifolds in SU-bordism theory.

Proposition 4.1. (K3-surface spans SU-bordism ring in degree 4)

The degree-4 generator 𝑦4 ∈ 𝛺SU

4 in the SU-bordism ring (Prop. ) is represented by minus the class of
any (non-torus) K3-surface:

1
𝛺4SU ≃ ℤ [ ]⟨ −[𝐾3]⟩ .
2
(LLP 17, Lemma 1.5, Example 3.1, CLP 19, Theorem 13.5a)

Proposition 4.2. (Calabi-Yau manifolds generate the SU-bordism ring away from 2)

The SU-bordism ring away from 2 is multiplicatively generated by Calabi-Yau manifolds.

(LLP 17, Theorem 2.4)

Proposition 4.3. (Calabi-Yau manifolds in complex dim ≤ 4 generate the SU-bordism ring in deg ≤ 8
away from 2)

There are Calabi-Yau manifolds of complex dimension 3 and 4 whose whose SU-bordism classes equal
the generators ±𝑦6 and ±𝑦8 in Prop. .

(CLP 19, Theorem 13.5b,c)

Artin-Mazur formal group

Over an algebraically closed field of positive characteristic an 𝑛-dimensional Calabi-Yau variety 𝑋 has an
Artin-Mazur formal group 𝛷𝑛𝑋 which gives the deformation theory of the trivial line n-bundle over 𝑋.

See also (Geer-Katsura 03).

As supersymmetric compactification spaces in string theory

supersymmetry and Calabi-Yau manifolds
heterotic string theory on CY3-manifolds

5. Related concepts
classification of special holonomy manifolds by Berger's theorem:

special dimension
G-structure preserved differential form
holonomy

ℂ Kähler manifold U(n) 2𝑛 Kähler forms 𝜔2

Calabi-Yau manifold SU(n) 2𝑛

ℍ 4𝑛 𝜔4 = 𝜔1 ∧ 𝜔1 + 𝜔2 ∧ 𝜔2 + 𝜔3 ∧ 𝜔3
quaternionic Kähler
Sp(n).Sp(1)
manifold

𝜔 = 𝑎𝜔2 + 𝑏𝜔2 + 𝑐𝜔2

(1) (2) (3)
4𝑛
𝑎2 + 𝑏 + 𝑐2 = 1)
2
(
hyper-Kähler manifold Sp(n)

𝕆 Spin(7) manifold Spin(7) 8 Cayley form

G2 manifold G2 7 associative 3-form

Calabi-Yau object
Calabi-Yau algebra, Calabi-Yau manifold, generalized Calabi-Yau manifold
Calabi-Yau cohomology
moduli space of Calabi-Yau spaces
SU-cobordism theory

6. References
The original articles are

Shing-Tung Yau, …

(…)

Surveys and review:

Scholarpedia, Calabi-Yau manifold

Motivated from the relation between supersymmetry and Calabi-Yau manifolds:

Tristan Hübsch, Calabi-Yau Manifolds – A Bestiary for Physicists, World Scientific 1992
(doi:10.1142/1410)

In terms of G-structure:

Luigi Vezzoni, The geometry of some special SU(𝑛)-structure, 2006 (pdf, pdf)
Daniël Prins, Section 1.3 of: On flux vacua, SU(𝑛)-structures and generalised complex geometry,
Université Claude Bernard – Lyon I, 2015. (arXiv:1602.05415, tel:01280717)

Discussion of the case of positive characteristic includes

Gerard van der Geer, T. Katsura, On the height of Calabi-Yau varieties in positive characteristic
(arXiv:math/0302023)

The following page collects information on Calabi-Yau manifolds with an eye to application in string theory
(e.g. supersymmetry and Calabi-Yau manifolds):

Sheldon Katz, Rolf Schimmrigk, Andreas Wißkirchen, CALABI-YAU

Discussion of the relation between the various shades of definitions includes

MathOverflow: Calabi-Yau manifolds

Mathematical review of the relation to quiver representations and mirror symmetry includes

Yang-Hui He, Calabi-Yau Varieties: from Quiver Representations to Dessins d’Enfants

(arXiv:1611.09398)

Discussion of CYs in positive characteristic includes

Philip Candelas, Xenia de la Ossa, Fernando Rodriguez-Villegas, Calabi-Yau Manifolds Over Finite
Fields, I (arXiv:hep-th/0012233)
Philip Candelas, Xenia de la Ossa, Fernando Rodriguez-Villegas, Calabi-Yau Manifolds Over Finite
Fields, II (arXiv:hep-th/0402133)

Discussion of Calabi-Yau orbifolds:

Dominic Joyce, On the topology of desingularizations of Calabi-Yau orbifolds (arXiv:math/9806146,

spire:485280)
Dominic Joyce, Deforming Calabi-Yau orbifolds, Asian Journal of Mathematics 3.4 (1999): 853-868
(doi:10.4310/AJM.1999.v3.n4.a7 pdf)
Dominic Joyce, Section 6.5.1 of: Compact Manifolds with Special Holonomy, Oxford Mathematical
Monographs, Oxford University Press (2000) (ISBN:9780198506010)
Wei-Dong Ruan, Yuguang Zhang, Convergence of Calabi-Yau manifolds, Advances in Mathematics
Volume 228, Issue 3, 20 October 2011, Pages 1543-1589 (arXiv:0905.3424,
doi:10.1016/j.aim.2011.06.023)
Ronan J. Conlon, Anda Degeratu, Frédéric Rochon, Quasi-asymptotically conical Calabi-Yau
manifolds. Geom. Topol. 23 (2019) 29-100 (arXiv:1611.04410)

and in view of mirror symmetry:

Shi-Shyr Roan, The mirror of Calabi-Yau orbifold, International Journal of Mathematics Vol. 02, No.
04, pp. 439-455 (1991) (doi:10.1142/S0129167X91000259)
Alan Stapledon, New mirror pairs of Calabi-Yau orbifolds, Adv. Math. 230 (2012), no. 4-6, 1557-1596
(arXiv:1011.5006)

On Calabi-Yau manifolds in SU-bordism theory:

Ivan Limonchenko, Zhi Lu, Taras Panov, Calabi-Yau hypersurfaces and SU-bordism, Proceedings of
the Steklov Institute of Mathematics 302 (2018), 270-278 (arXiv:1712.07350)
Georgy Chernykh, Ivan Limonchenko, Taras Panov, SU -bordism: structure results and geometric
representatives, Russian Math. Surveys 74 (2019), no. 3, 461-524 (arXiv:1903.07178)
Taras Panov, A geometric view on SU -bordism, talk at Moscow State University 2020 (webpage, pdf,
pdf)

Last revised on December 4, 2020 at 06:07:37. See the history of this page for a list of all contributions to it.

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