Posted: February 23, 2026 | Updated: September 11, 2026
Let X be a variety. A symplectic structure on a holomorphic manifold/algebraic variety is a nondegenerate 2-form ω∈Γ(X,ΩX2) (where ΩX2 is the sheaf of holomorphic or algebraic 2-forms on X) satisfying dω=0.
Example: Let M be a manifold, X=T∗M its cotangent bundle. We construct a symplectic form ω as dλ for some λ:TX→C, which ensures dω=0. Let x∈M and α∈Xx, the fibre over x. The projection map π:X→M induces a tangent map π∗:TαX→TxM , and we define λ by setting
λ(ξ)=α(π∗ξ),where ξ∈Tα(X).
In this description we can see naturality of λ, but for nondegeneracy and understanding how to evaluate the form an expression in coordinates is preferable.
Let q1,…,qn be local coordinates on M, and let p1,…,pn be the corresponding dual coordinates on T∗M, so that pi(∂qi∂)=δij and (q1,…,qn,p1,…,pn) gives coordinates for X. Then elements of the tangent space TX have the form
ξ=i=1∑nbi∂qi∂(α,x)+ci∂pi∂(α,x)
with bi,ci∈C and (x,α)∈X (so x∈M,α∈Tx∗M). The map π projects onto the q-coordinates, so the corresponding tangent map does the same:
using our dual coordinates, which identifies λ with ∑ipidqi and hence ω with ∑idpi∧dqi. Now X, being a holomorphic manifold, is locally isomorphic to C2n and the local form of ω is nondegenerate here: