Positivity and $\mathbf{L^2}$ Extension

Abstract: We examine the relationship between positivity of a vector bundle E and the problem of $L^2$ extension of holomorphic E-valued forms of top degree. In particular, we show by example that Griffiths positivity is not enough. Though the sufficiency of Nakano positivity of E has been known for some time, we provide another proof along the lines of Berndtsson and Lempert. For such a proof we establish a vector bundle analogue of a well-known result of Berndtsson. This result is of independent interest and should have many other useful applications.