Projective uniformization, extremal Chern classes and quaternionic Shimura curves

Abstract: Projective structures on compact real manifolds are classical objects in real differential geometry. Complex manifolds with a holomorphic projective structure on the other hand form a special class as soon as the dimension is greater than one. In the K\"ahler Einstein case, projective space, tori and ball quotients are essentially the only examples. They can be described purely in terms of Chern class conditions. We give a complete classification of all projective manifolds carrying a projective structure. The only additional examples are modular abelian families over quaternionic Shimura curves. They can also be described purely in terms of Chern class conditions.