In this paper, we study pre-Lie analogues of Poisson-Nijenhuis structures and introduce ON-structures on bimodules over pre-Lie algebras. We show that an ON-structure gives rise to a hierarchy of pairwise compatible O-operators. We study solutions of the strong Maurer-Cartan equation on the twilled pre-Lie algebra associated to an O-operator, which gives rise to a pair of ON-structures which are naturally in duality. We show that KVN-structures and HN-structures on a pre-Lie algebra g are corresponding to ON-structures on the bimodule $(\mathfrak g^*;\mathrm{ad}^*,-R^*)$, and $KVΩ$-structures are corresponding to solutions of the strong Maurer-Cartan equation on a twilled pre-Lie algebra associated to an $s$-matrix.
We consider deformations of the differential of a $q$-differential graded algebra. We prove that it is controlled by a generalized Maurer-Cartan equation. We find explicit formulae for the coefficients $c_k$ involved in that equation.
Deformations of the 3-differential of 3-differential graded algebras are controlled by the (3,N) Maurer-Cartan equation. We find explicit formulae for the coefficients appearing in that equation, introduce new geometric examples of N-differential graded algebras, and use these results to study N Lie algebroids.
The Deligne-Getzler-Hinich--$\infty$-groupoid or Maurer-Cartan simplicial set of an $L_\infty$-algebra plays an important role in deformation theory and many other areas of mathematics. Unfortunately, this construction only works over a field of characteristic $0$. The goal of this paper is to show that the notions of Maurer-Cartan equation and Maurer-Cartan simplicial set can be defined for a much larger number of operads than just the $L_\infty$-operad. More precisely, we show that the Koszul dual of every unital Hopf cooperad (a cooperad in the category of unital associative algebras) with …
We show that solving the Maurer-Cartan equations is, essentially, the same thing as performing the Hamiltonian reduction construction. In particular, any differential graded Lie algebra equipped with an even nondegenerate invariant bilinear form gives rise to modular stacks with symplectic structures.
We study Maurer-Cartan moduli spaces of dg algebras and associated dg categories and show that, while not quasi-isomorphism invariants, they are invariants of strong homotopy type, a natural notion that has not been studied before. We prove, in several different contexts, Schlessinger-Stasheff type theorems comparing the notions of homotopy and gauge equivalence for Maurer-Cartan elements as well as their categorified versions. As an application, we re-prove and generalize Block-Smith's higher Riemann-Hilbert correspondence, and develop its analogue for simplicial complexes and topological spa…
We set up a formalism of Maurer-Cartan moduli sets for L-infinity algebras and associated twistings based on the closed model category structure on formal differential graded algebras (a.k.a. differential graded coalgebras). Among other things this formalism allows us to give a compact and manifestly homotopy invariant treatment of Chevalley-Eilenberg and Harrison cohomology. We apply the developed technology to construct rational homotopy models for function spaces.
Given a differential graded Lie algebra (dgla) L satisfying certain conditions, we construct Poisson structures on the gauge orbits of its set of Maurer-Cartan (MC) elements, termed Maurer-Cartan-Poisson (MCP) structures. They associate a compatible Batalin-Vilkovisky algebra to each MC element of L. An MCP structure is shown to exist for a number of dglas associated to commutative Frobenius algebras, deformations of Poisson and symplectic structures, as well as the Chevally-Eilenberg complex. MCP structures yield a notion of hamiltonian flow of MC elements, and also define Lie algebroids on g…
We further develop the asymptotic analytic approach to the study of scattering diagrams. We do so by analyzing the asymptotic behavior of Maurer-Cartan elements of a differential graded Lie algebra constructed from a (not-necessarily tropical) monoid-graded Lie algebra. In this framework, we give alternative differential geometric proofs of the consistent completion of scattering diagrams, originally proved by Kontsevich-Soibelman, Gross-Siebert and Bridgeland. We also give a geometric interpretation of theta functions and their wall-crossing. In the tropical setting, we interpret Maurer-Carta…
We extend the classical characterization of a finite-dimensional Lie algebra g in terms of its Maurer-Cartan algebra-the familiar differential graded algebra of alternating forms on g with values in the ground field, endowed with the standard Lie algebra cohomology operator-to sh Lie-Rinehart algebras. To this end, we first develop a characterization of sh Lie-Rinehart algebras in terms of differential graded cocommutative coalgebras and Lie algebra twisting cochains that extends the nowadays standard characterization of an ordinary sh Lie algebra (equivalently: Linfty algebra) in terms of its…
Let $\mathfrak{g}$ be a curved $L_\infty$-algebra endowed with a complete filtration $\mathfrak{F}\mathfrak{g}$. Suppose there exists an integer $r \in \mathbb{N}_0$ for which the curvature $μ_0$ satisfies $μ_0 \in \mathfrak{F}_{2r+1} \mathfrak{g}$ and the spectral sequence yields $E_{r+1}^{p,q} =0$ for $p,q$ with $p+q=2$. We prove that then a Maurer-Cartan element exists. In addition, we show, as a typical application, that for $P$ a possibly inhomogeneous Koszul operad with generating set in arities 1,2 (e.g. $P$=Com,As,BV,Lie,Ger), a $P_\infty$-algebra $A$ is intrinsically formal if its twi…
First we argue that many BV and homotopy BV structures, including both familiar and new examples, arise from a common underlying construction. The input of this construction is a cyclic operad along with a cyclically invariant Maurer-Cartan element in an associated Lie algebra. Using this result we introduce and study the operad of cyclically invariant operations, with instances arising in cyclic cohomology and $S^1$ equivariant homology. We compute the homology of the cyclically invariant operations; the result being the homology operad of $\mathcal{M}_{0,n+1}$, the uncompactified moduli spac…
In this paper we review the recently proposed path-integral counterpart of the Koopman-von Neumann operatorial approach to classical Hamiltonian mechanics. We identify in particular the geometrical variables entering this formulation and show that they are essentially a basis of the cotangent bundle to the tangent bundle to phase-space. In this space we introduce an extended Poisson brackets structure which allows us to re-do all the usual Cartan calculus on symplectic manifolds via these brackets. We also briefly sketch how the Schouten-Nijenhuis, the Frölicher- Nijenhuis and the Nijenhuis-Ri…
This thesis is divided into two parts. The first one is composed of recollections on operad theory, model categories, simplicial homotopy theory, rational homotopy theory, Maurer-Cartan spaces, and deformation theory. The second part deals with the theory of convolution algebras and some of their applications, as explained below. Suppose we are given a type of algebras, a type of coalgebras, and a relationship between those types of algebraic structures (encoded by an operad, a cooperad, and a twisting morphism respectively). Then, it is possible to endow the space of linear maps from a coalge…
In this review we give a detailed introduction to the theory of (curved) $L_\infty$-algebras and $L_\infty$-morphisms. In particular, we recall the notion of (curved) Maurer-Cartan elements, their equivalence classes and the twisting procedure. The main focus is then the study of the homotopy theory of $L_\infty$-algebras and $L_\infty$-modules. In particular, one can interpret $L_\infty$-morphisms and morphisms of $L_\infty$-modules as Maurer-Cartan elements in certain $L_\infty$-algebras, and we show that twisting the morphisms with equivalent Maurer-Cartan elements yields homotopic morphism…
This note elaborates on Th. Voronov's construction [math/0304038,math/0412202] of $L_\infty$-structures via higher derived brackets with a Maurer-Cartan element. It is shown that gauge equivalent Maurer-Cartan elements induce $L_\infty$-isomorphic structures. Applications in symplectic, Poisson and Dirac geometry are discussed.
We study (quasi-)twilled pre-Lie algebras and the associated $L_\infty$-algebras and differential graded Lie algebras. Then we show that certain twisting transformations on (quasi-)twilled pre-Lie algbras can be characterized by the solutions of Maurer-Cartan equations of the associated differential graded Lie algebras ($L_\infty$-algebras). Furthermore, we show that $\mathcal{O}$-operators and twisted $\mathcal{O}$-operators are solutions of the Maurer-Cartan equations. As applications, we study (quasi-)pre-Lie bialgebras using the associated differential graded Lie algebras ($L_\infty$-algeb…
We construct a noncommutative Cartan calculus on any braided commutative algebra and study its applications in noncommutative geometry. The braided Lie derivative, insertion and de Rham differential are introduced and related via graded braided commutators, also incorporating the braided Schouten-Nijenhuis bracket. The resulting braided Cartan calculus generalizes the Cartan calculus on smooth manifolds and the twisted Cartan calculus. While it is a necessity of derivation based Cartan calculi on noncommutative algebras to employ central bimodules our approach allows to consider bimodules over…
The Yang-Mills equations are formulated in the form of generalized Maurer-Cartan equations, such that the corresponding algebraic operations are shown to satisfy the defining relations of homotopy Lie superalgebra.
We will introduce an operation "twisting" on Hochschild complex by analogy with Drinfeld's twisting operations. By using the twisting and derived bracket construction, we will study differential graded Lie algebra structures associated with bi-graded Hochschild complex. We will show that Rota-Baxter type operators are solutions of Maurer-Cartan equations. As an application of twisting, we will give a construction of associative Nijenhuis operators.
$\mathcal{O}$-operators are important in broad areas in mathematics and physics, such as integrable systems, the classical Yang-Baxter equation, pre-Lie algebras and splitting of operads. In this paper, a deformation theory of $\mathcal{O}$-operators is established in consistence with the general principles of deformation theories. On the one hand, $\mathcal{O}$-operators are shown to be characterized as the Maurer-Cartan elements in a suitable graded Lie algebra. A given $\mathcal{O}$-operator gives rise to a differential graded Lie algebra whose Maurer-Cartan elements characterize deformatio…
In this paper we develop the $A_\infty$-analog of the Maurer-Cartan simplicial set associated to an $L_\infty$-algebra and show how we can use this to study the deformation theory of $\infty$-morphisms of algebras over non-symmetric operads. More precisely, we define a functor from the category of (curved) $A_\infty$-algebras to simplicial sets which sends an $A_\infty$-algebra to the associated simplicial set of Maurer-Cartan elements. This functor has the property that it gives a Kan complex. We also show that this functor can be used to study deformation problems over a field of characteris…
For every compact Kaehler manifold we give a canonical extension of Griffith's period map to generalized deformations, intended as solutions of Maurer-Cartan equation in the algebra of polyvector fields. Our construction involves the notion of Cartan homotopy and a canonical L-infinity structure on mapping cones of morphisms of differential graded Lie algebras.
We review the relation between homotopy algebras of conformal field theory and geometric structures arising in sigma models. In particular we formulate conformal invariance conditions, which in the quasi-classical limit are Einstein equations with extra fields, as generalized Maurer-Cartan equations.
We describe a formalism underlying the renormalization procedure and Batalin-Vilkoviski formalism. In the framework of this formalism, we give a mathematical definition of OPE-algebra and describe an additional natural structure which produces a *-Lie algebra structure on the (cohomologically shifted) D-module of observables, whence an $L_\infty$ algebra structure on the space of global sections of the de Rham complex of this D-module. Given a Maurer-Cartan element in this $L_\infty$ algebra, we construct a deformation of the OPE-algebra, which is exactly the desired renormalization.
Using the symmetry properties of two-dmensional sigma models, we introduce a notion of the Beltrami-Courant differential, so that there is a natural homotopy Gerstenhaber algebra related to it. We conjecture that the generalized Maurer-Cartan equation for the corresponding $L_{\infty}$ subalgebra gives solutions to the Einstein equations.
We give a general treatment of the master equation in homotopy algebras and describe the operads and formal differential geometric objects governing the corresponding algebraic structures. We show that the notion of Maurer-Cartan twisting is encoded in certain automorphisms of these universal objects.
We study the Maurer-Cartan equation of the pre-Lie algebra of graphs controling the deformation theory of associative algebras and prove that there is a canonical solution within the class of graphs without circuits, without assuming the Jacobi identity. The proof is based on the unique factorization property of graph insertions.
We describe a deformation quantization of a modification of Poisson geometry by a closed 3-form. Under suitable conditions it gives rise to a stack of algebras. The basic object used for this aim is a kind of families of Poisson structures given by a Maurer-Cartan equation; they are easily quantized using Kontsevich's Formality theorem.
We construct two algebraic versions of homotopy theory of rational disconnected topological spaces, one based on differential graded commutative associative algebras and the other one on complete differential graded Lie algebras. As an application of the developed technology we obtain results on the structure of Maurer-Cartan spaces of complete differential graded Lie algebras.
In this paper we show that non abelian extensions of an associative algebra $\mathcal{B}$ by an associative algebra $\mathcal{A}$ can be viewed as Maurer-Cartan elements of a suitable differential graded Lie algebra $L$. In particular we show that $\mathcal{MC}(L)$, the Deligne groupoid of $L$, is in 1-1 correspondence with the non-abelian cohomology $H^2_{nab}(\mathcal{B},\mathcal{A})$.
A quantization of classical deformation theory, based on the Maurer-Cartan Equation $dS + \frac{1}{2}[S,S] = 0$ in dg-Lie algebras, a theory based on the Quantum Master Equation $dS + \hbar ΔS + \frac{1}{2} \{S,S\} = 0$ in dg-BV-algebras, is proposed. Representability theorems for solutions of the Quantum Master Equation are proven. Examples of "quantum" deformations are presented.
