Morse theory of harmonic forms (Q1384301)

Let \(M\) be a closed manifold and \(\omega\) a closed Morse 1-form on \(M\). \(\omega\) is called intrinsically harmonic if it is harmonic with respect to some Riemannian metric on \(M\). The main results are: Theorem 1. If \(\omega \) represents a scalar multiple of an integral cohomology class and if \(\omega\) has no critical points of index \(0\) or \(\dim M\), then it is cohomologous to an intrinsically harmonic Morse 1-form \(\tilde{\omega}\) which has the same number of critical points with the same indices as \(\omega\). Theorem 2. If \(\omega\) is generic and all leaves are noncompact then \(\omega\) is intrinsically harmonic. As a corollary of Theorem 1 the authors show that the Morse inequalities for 1-forms due to \textit{S. P. Novikov} [Sov. Math., Dokl. 24, 222-226 (1981); translation from Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 260, 31-35 (1981; Zbl 0505.58011)] cannot be improved for the class of harmonic 1-forms. The proofs are based on a theorem of \textit{E. Calabi} [Global Analysis, Papers in Honour of K. Kodaira, D. C. Spencer and S. Iyanaga, Eds., 101-117 (1969; Zbl 0194.24701)] which determines when a closed Morse 1-form is harmonic.