We construct a gerbe over a complex reductive Lie group G attached to an invariant bilinear form on a maximal diagonalizable subalgebra which is Weyl group invariant and satisfies a parity condition. By restriction to a maximal compact subgroup K, one then gets a gerbe over K. For a simply-connected group, the parity condition is the same used by Pressley and Segal; in general, it was introduced by Deligne and the author. The gerbe is defined by geometric methods, using the so-called Grothendieck manifold. It is equivariant under the conjugation action of G; its restriction to a semisimple orbit is not always trivial. The paper starts with a discussion of gerbe data (in the sense of Chatterjee and Hitchin) and of gerbes as geometric objects (sheaves of groupoids); the relation between the two approaches is presented. There is an Appendix on equivariant gerbes, discussed from both points of view.
Let $G$ be a compact, simply connected simple Lie group. We give a construction of an equivariant gerbe with connection on $G$, with equivariant 3-curvature representing a generator of $H^3_G(G,\Z)$. Technical tools developed in this context include a gluing construction for gerbes and a theory of equivariant bundle gerbes.
Given a central extension of Lie groups, we study the classification problem of lifting the structure group together with a given connection. For reductive structure groups we introduce a new connective structure on the lifting gerbe associated to this problem. Our main result classifies all connections on the central extension of a given principal bundle. In particular, we find that admissible connections are in one-to-one correspondence with parallel trivializations of the lifting gerbe. Moreover, we prove a vanishing result for Neeb's obstruction classes for finite-dimensional Lie groups.
We give a precise and general description of gerbes valued in arbitrary crossed module and over an arbitrary differential stack. We do it using only Lie groupoids, hence ordinary differential geometry. We prove the coincidence with the existing notions by comparing our construction with non-Abelian cohomology.
Infinitesimal symmetries of $S^1$-bundle gerbes are modelled with multiplicative vector fields on Lie groupoids. It is shown that a connective structure on a bundle gerbe gives rise to a natural horizontal lift of multiplicative vector fields to the bundle gerbe, and that the 3-curvature presents the obstruction to the horizontal lift being a morphism of Lie 2-algebras. Connection-preserving multiplicative vector fields on a bundle gerbe with connective structure are shown to inherit a natural Lie 2-algebra structure; moreover, this Lie 2-algebra is canonically quasi-isomorphic to the Poisson-…
This paper computes the obstruction to the existence of equivariant extensions of basic gerbes over non-simply connected compact simple Lie groups. By modifying a (finite dimensional) construction of Gawȩdzki-Reis [J. Geom. Phys. 50(1):28-55, 2004], we exhibit basic equivariant bundle gerbes over non-simply connected compact simple Lie groups.
We present a review of bundle gerbes, emphasizing their relations to Lie groups. Indeed, compact Lie groups do not only carry the structure of a Riemannian manifold, but also canonical families of bundle gerbes. We recall the construction of these bundle gerbes and their relation to loop groups. We discuss several algebraic structures for bundle gerbes with connection such as Jandl structures, gerbe modules and gerbe bimodules, and indicate their applications to Wess-Zumino terms in two-dimensional field theories.
This thesis introduces the notion of "relative gerbes" for smooth maps of manifolds, and discusses their differential geometry. The equivalence classes of relative gerbes are classified by the relative integral cohomology in degree three. Furthermore, by using the concept of relative gerbes, the pre-quantization of Lie group-valued moment maps is developed, and its equivalence with the pre-quantization of infinite-dimensional Hamiltonian loop group spaces is established.
Given a bundle gerbe on a compact smooth manifold or, more generally, on a compact étale Lie groupoid $M$, we show that the corresponding category of gerbe modules, if it is non-trivial, is equivalent to the category of finitely generated projective modules over an Azumaya algebra on $M$. This result can be seen as an equivariant Serre-Swan theorem for twisted vector bundles.
Our main aim is to associate a holonomy Lie groupoid to the connective structure of an abelian gerbe. The construction has analogies with a procedure for the holonomy Lie groupoid of a foliation, in using a locally Lie groupoid and a globalisation procedure. We show that path connections and 2-holonomy on line bundles may be formulated using the notion of a connection pair on a double category, due to Brown-Spencer, but now formulated in terms of double groupoids using the thin fundamental groupoids introduced by Caetano-Mackaay-Picken. To obtain a locally Lie groupoid to which globalisation a…
By means of cohomology groups, we study relationships between equivariant gerbes with connection over a manifold with a Lie group action and gerbes with connection over the quotient space.
Résumé. Nous définissons un groupoïde de Fréchet-Lie Map(S^1,X) d'ana-foncteurs du cercle vers un groupoïde de Lie X. Ceci fournit une présentation du Hom-champ Hom(S^1,\cX), où \cX est le champ différentiable associé à X. Nous appliquons cette construction au groupoïde de Lie sous-jacent au `gerbe fibré' d'une variété différentiable M; le résultat est un gerbe fibré au-dessus de l'espace des lacets LM de M. Abstract. We define a Fréchet--Lie groupoid Map(S^1,X) of anafunctors from the circle into a Lie groupoid X. This provides a presentation of the Hom-stack Hom(S^1,\cX), where \cX is the di…
Let G be a compact Lie group acting on a smooth manifold M. In this paper, we consider Meinrenken's G-equivariant bundle gerbe connections on M as objects in a 2-groupoid. We prove this 2-category is equivalent to the 2-groupoid of gerbe connections on the differential quotient stack associated to M, and isomorphism classes of G-equivariant gerbe connections are classified by degree three differential equivariant cohomology. Finally, we consider the existence and uniqueness of conjugation-equivariant gerbe connections on compact semisimple Lie groups.
Let $\mathcal{G}$ be a Lie groupoid. The category $B\mathcal{G}$ of principal $\mathcal{G}$-bundles defines a differentiable stack. On the other hand, given a differentiable stack $\mathcal{D}$, there exists a Lie groupoid $\mathcal{H}$ such that $B\mathcal{H}$ is isomorphic to $\mathcal{D}$. Define a gerbe over a stack as a morphism of stacks $F\colon \mathcal{D}\rightarrow \mathcal{C}$, such that $F$ and the diagonal map $Δ_F\colon \mathcal{D}\rightarrow \mathcal{D}\times_{\mathcal{C}}\mathcal{D}$ are epimorphisms. This paper explores the relationship between a gerbe defined above and a Mori…
From a certain strongly equivariant bundle gerbe with connection and curving over a smooth manifold on which a Lie group acts, we construct under some conditions a bundle gerbe with connection and curving over the quotient space. In general, the construction requires a choice, and we can consequently obtain distinct stable isomorphism classes of bundle gerbes with connection and curving over the quotient space. A bundle gerbe naturally arising in Chern-Simons theory provides an example of the reduction.
We define 2-crossed module bundle 2-gerbes related to general Lie 2-crossed modules and discuss their properties. A 2-crossed module bundle 2-gerbe over a manifold is defined in terms of a so called 2-crossed module bundle gerbe, which is a crossed module bundle gerbe equipped with an extra sructure. It is shown that string structures can be described and classified using 2-crossed module bundle 2-gerbes.
We consider groupoids in the category of principal bundles, which we call principal bundles (PB) groupoids. Inspired by work by Th. Nikolaus and K. Waldorf, we generalise bundle gerbes over manifolds to bundle gerbes over groupoids and discuss a functorial correspondence between PB groupoids and bundle gerbes over groupoids. From a PB groupoid over a fibre product groupoid, we build a bundle gerbe over another fibre product groupoid. Conversely, from a bundle gerbe over a Lie groupoid, we build a PB groupoid. It has a trivial base and from any PB groupoid with trivial base, we build a bundle g…
We study non-abelian differentiable gerbes over stacks using the theory of Lie groupoids. More precisely, we develop the theory of connections on Lie groupoid $G$-extensions, which we call "connections on gerbes", and study the induced connections on various associated bundles. We also prove analogues of the Bianchi identities. In particular, we develop a cohomology theory which measures the existence of connections and curvings for $G$-gerbes over stacks. We also introduce $G$-central extensions of groupoids, generalizing the standard groupoid $S^1$-central extensions. As an example, we apply…
We develop the theory of Chern-Simons bundle 2-gerbes and multiplicative bundle gerbes associated to any principal $G$-bundle with connection and a class in $H^4(BG, \ZZ)$ for a compact semi-simple Lie group $G$. The Chern-Simons bundle 2-gerbe realises differential geometrically the Cheeger-Simons invariant. We apply these notions to refine the Dijkgraaf-Witten correspondence between three dimensional Chern-Simons functionals and Wess-Zumino-Witten models associated to the group $G$. We do this by introducing a lifting to the level of bundle gerbes of the natural map from $H^4(BG, \ZZ)$ to $H…
Multiplicative bundle gerbes are gerbes over a Lie group which are compatible with the group structure. In this article connections on such bundle gerbes are introduced and studied. It is shown that multiplicative bundle gerbes with connection furnish geometrical constructions of the following objects: smooth central extensions of loop groups, Chern-Simons actions for arbitrary gauge groups, and symmetric bi-branes for WZW models with topological defect lines.
We present an explicit construction of the basic bundle gerbes with connection over all connected compact simple Lie groups. These are geometric objects that appear naturally in the Lagrangian approach to the WZW conformal field theories. Our work extends the recent construction of E. Meinrenken \cite{Meinr} restricted to the case of simply connected groups.
We study $S^1$-bundles and $S^1$-gerbes over differentiable stacks in terms of Lie groupoids, and construct Chern classes and Dixmier-Douady classes in terms of analogues of connections and curvature.
In the first chapter, we give a precise and general description of gerbes valued in arbitrary crossed module and over an arbitrary differential stack. We do it using only Lie groupoids, hence ordinary differential geometry, by considering differential stacks as being Lie groupoids up to Morita equivalence. We prove the coincidence with the existing notions by comparing our construction with non-Abelian cohomology. More precisely, we introduce the key notion of extension of Lie groupoids valued in a crossed-module. We relate it with Dedecker's non-Abelian 1-cocycles, and we then show that Morit…
Based on the representation theory and the study on the involutions of compact simple Lie groups, we show that $F_4$ admits non-naturally reductive Einstein metrics.
Let $G$ be a Lie group and $G\to\Aut(G)$ be the canonical group homomorphism induced by the adjoint action of a group on itself. We give an explicit description of a 1-1 correspondence between Morita equivalence classes of, on the one hand, principal 2-group $[G\to\Aut(G)]$-bundles over Lie groupoids and, on the other hand, $G$-extensions of Lie groupoids (i.e.\ between principal $[G\to\Aut(G)]$-bundles over differentiable stacks and $G$-gerbes over differentiable stacks). This approach also allows us to identify $G$-bound gerbes and $[Z(G)\to 1]$-group bundles over differentiable stacks, wher…
We show that the distribution of symmetry of a naturally reductive nilpotent Lie group coincides with the invariant distribution induced by the set of fixed vectors of the isotropy. This extends a known result on compact naturally reductive spaces. We also address the study of the quotient by the foliation of symmetry.
We introduce an axiomatic framework for the parallel transport of connections on gerbes. It incorporates parallel transport along curves and along surfaces, and is formulated in terms of gluing axioms and smoothness conditions. The smoothness conditions are imposed with respect to a strict Lie 2-group, which plays the role of a band, or structure 2-group. Upon choosing certain examples of Lie 2-groups, our axiomatic framework reproduces in a systematical way several known concepts of gerbes with connection: non-abelian differential cocycles, Breen-Messing gerbes, abelian and non-abelian bundle…
We give a geometric description of the fusion rules of the affine Lie algebra su(2)_k at a positive integer level k in terms of the k-th power of the basic gerbe over the Lie group SU(2). The gerbe can be trivialised over conjugacy classes corresponding to dominant weights of su(2)_k via a 1-isomorphism. The fusion-rule coefficients are related to the existence of a 2-isomorphism between pullbacks of these 1-isomorphisms to a submanifold of SU(2) x SU(2) determined by the corresponding three conjugacy classes. This construction is motivated by its application in the description of junctions of…
We provide examples of naturally reductive pseudo-Riemannian spaces, in particular an example of a naturally reductive pseudo-Riemannian 2-step nilpotent Lie group $(N, < \,,\,>_N)$, such that $< \,,\,>_N$ is invariant under a left action and for which the center is degenerate. The metric does not correspond to a bi-invariant one.
The study of left-invariant Einstein metrics on compact Lie groups which are naturally reductive was initiated by J. E. D'Atri and W. Ziller in 1979. In 1996 the second author obtained non-naturally reductive Einstein metrics on the Lie group SU(n) for $n \ge 6$, by using a method of Riemannian submersions. In the present work we prove existence of non-naturally reductive Einstein metrics on the compact simple Lie groups SO(n) ($n \geq 11$), $Sp(n)$ ($n \geq 3$), $E_6$, $E_7$, and $E_8$.
We determine, for all three-dimensional non-unimodular Lie groups equipped with a Lorentzian metric, the set of homogeneous geodesics through a point. Together with the results of [C] and [CM2], this leads to the full classification of three-dimensional Lorentzian g.o. spaces and naturally reductive spaces.
Given a compact Lie group $G$ with Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$, we consider its tangent Lie group $TG\cong G\ltimes_{\mathrm{Ad}} \mathfrak{g}$. In this short note, we prove that $TG$ admits a left-invariant naturally reductive Riemannian metric $g$ and a metric connection with skew torsion $\nabla$ such that $(TG,g,\nabla)$ is naturally reductive. An alternative spinorial description of the same connection on the direct product $G\times \mathfrak{g}$ generalizes in a rather subtle way to $TS^7$, which is in many senses almost a tangent Lie group.
Given an exceptional compact simple Lie group $G$ we describe new left-invariant Einstein metrics which are not naturally reductive. In particular, we consider fibrations of $G$ over flag manifolds with a certain kind of isotropy representation and we construct the Einstein equation with respect to the induced left-invariant metrics. Then we apply a technique based on Gröbner bases and classify the real solutions of the associated algebraic systems. For the Lie group ${\rm G}_2$ we obtain the first known example of a left-invariant Einstein metric, which is not naturally reductive. Moreover, f…
We consider the construction of the basic bundle gerbe on SU(n) introduced by Meinrenken and show that it extends to a range of groups with unitary actions on a Hilbert space including U(n), diagonal tori and the Banach Lie group of unitary operators differing from the identity by an element of a Schatten ideal. In all these cases we give an explicit connection and curving on the basic bundle gerbe and calculate the real Dixmier-Douady class. Extensive use is made of the holomorphic functional calculus for operators on a Hilbert space.
Eldredge, Gordina and Saloff-Coste recently conjectured that, for a given compact connected Lie group $G$, there is a positive real number $C$ such that $λ_1(G,g)\operatorname{diam}(G,g)^2\leq C$ for all left-invariant metrics $g$ on $G$. In this short note, we establish the conjecture for the small subclass of naturally reductive left-invariant metrics on a compact simple Lie group.
This paper deals with naturally reductive pseudo-Riemannian 2-step nilpotent Lie groups $(N, \la \,,\,\ra_N)$, such that $\la \,,\,\ra_N$ is invariant under a left action. The case of nondegenerate center is completely characterized. In fact, whenever $\la \,,\, \ra_N$ restricts to a metric in the center it is proved here that the simply connected Lie group $N$ can be constructed starting from a real representation $(π,\vv)$ of a certain Lie algebra $\ggo$. We study the geometry of $(N, \la \,,\,\ra_N)$ and we find the corresponding naturally reductive homogeneous structure. On the other hand,…
We consider topological T-duality of torus bundles equipped with S^{1}-gerbes. We show how a geometry on the gerbe determines a reduction of its band to the subsheaf of S^{1}-valued functions which are constant along the torus fibres. We observe that such a reduction is exactly the additional datum needed for the construction of a T-dual pair. We illustrate the theory by working out the example of the canonical lifting gerbe on a compact Lie group which is a torus bundles over the associated flag manifold. It was a recent observation of Daenzer and van Erp (arXiv1211.0763) that for certain com…
Motivated by the interesting and yet scattered developments in representation theory of Banach-Lie groups, we discuss several functional analytic issues which should underlie the notion of infinite-dimensional reductive Lie group: norm ideals, triangular integrals, operator factorizations, and amenability.
A novel Lie-superalgebraic description of the superstring in the super-Minkowskian background is extracted from the Cartan-Eilenberg super-1-gerbe geometrising the higher gauge field (the Green-Schwarz super-3-cocycle) that couples to the supercharge carried by the superstring. The description assumes the form of a hierarchy of Lie superalgebras integrable to a hierarchy of Lie supergroups and provides a manifestly supersymmetric model of a family of supermanifolds defining a trivialisation of the super-1-gerbe over the embedded superstring worldsheet. The trivialisation, obtained in a purely …
We obtain new invariant Einstein metrics on the compact Lie groups $SO(n)$ ($n \geq 7$) which are not naturally reductive. This is achieved by imposing certain symmetry assumptions in the set of all left-invariant metrics on $SO(n)$ and by computing the Ricci tensor for such metrics. The Einstein metrics are obtained as solutions of systems polynomial equations, which we manipulate by symbolic computations using Gröbner bases.
We study bundle gerbes on manifolds $M$ that carry an action of a connected Lie group $G$. We show that these data give rise to a smooth 2-group extension of $G$ by the smooth 2-group of hermitean line bundles on $M$. This 2-group extension classifies equivariant structures on the bundle gerbe, and its non-triviality poses an obstruction to the existence of equivariant structures. We present a new global approach to the parallel transport of a bundle gerbe with connection, and use it to give an alternative construction of this smooth 2-group extension in terms of a homotopy-coherent version of…
In this article, we achieved several non-naturally reductive Einstein metrics on exceptional simple Lie groups, which are formed by the decomposition arising from general Wallach spaces. By using the decomposition corresponding to the two involutive automorphisms, we calculated the non-zero coefficients in the expression for the components of Ricci tensor with respect to the given metrics. The Einstein metrics are obtained as solutions of systems polynomial equations, which we manipulate by symbolic computations using Gröbner bases.
This work concerns the non-flat metrics on the Heisenberg Lie group of dimension three $\Heis_3(\RR)$ and the bi-invariant metrics on the solvable Lie groups of dimension four. On $\Heis_3(\RR)$ we prove that the property of the metric being naturally reductive is equivalent to the property of the center being non-degenerate. These metrics are Lorentzian algebraic Ricci solitons. We start with the indecomposable Lie groups of dimension four admitting bi-invariant metrics and which act on $\Heis_3(\RR)$ by isometries and we finally study some geometrical features on these spaces.
We give a systematic treatment of the stability theory for action of a real reductive Lie group G on a topological space. More precisely, we introduce an abstract setting for actions of non-compact real reductive Lie groups on topological spaces that admit functions similar to the Kempf-Ness function. The point of this construction is that one can characterize stability, semi-stability and polystability of a point by numerical criteria, that is in terms of a function called maximal weight. We apply this setting to the actions of a real non-compact reductive Lie group G on a real compact subman…
Let $G$ be a complex reductive connected algebraic group equipped with the Sklyanin bracket. A classification of Poisson homogeneous $G$-spaces with connected isotropy subgroups is given. This result is based on Drinfeld's correspondence between Poisson homogeneous $G$-spaces and Lagrangian subalgebras in the double $D(g)$ (here $g = Lie G$). A geometric interpretation of some of Poisson homogeneous $G$-spaces is also proposed.
In this paper, we give a simple formula for sectional curvatures on the general linear group, which is also valid for many other matrix groups. Similar formula is given for a reductive Lie group. We also discuss the relation between commuting matrices and zero sectional curvature.
We show that within the class of left-invariant naturally reductive metrics $\mathcal{M}_{\operatorname{Nat}}(G)$ on a compact simple Lie group $G$, every metric is spectrally isolated. We also observe that any collection of isospectral compact symmetric spaces is finite; this follows from a somewhat stronger statement involving only a finite part of the spectrum.
Reductive G-structures on a principal bundle Q are considered. It is shown that these structures, i.e. reductive G-subbundles P of Q, admit a canonical decomposition of the pull-back vector bundle $i_P^*(TQ) = P \times_Q TQ$ over P. For classical G-structures, i.e. reductive G-subbundles of the linear frame bundle, such a decomposition defines an infinitesimal canonical lift. This lift extends to a prolongation $Γ$-structure on P. In this general geometric framework the theory of Lie derivatives is considered. Particular emphasis is given to the morphisms which must be taken in order to state …
In this PhD thesis, we have studied certain geometric structures over Lie groupoids and differentiable stacks. This thesis is based on the work [arXiv:2103.04560, arXiv:2012.08447, arXiv:2012.08442, arXiv:1907.00375]. In [arXiv:1907.00375], we have discussed the correspondence between two notions of a gerbe over a stack. In [arXiv:2012.08447], we have developed the notion of Chern-Weil map for principal bundles over a Lie groupoid when the Lie groupoid is equipped with a connection. In [arXiv:2012.08442], we discuss the notion of connection on the principal bundle over a Deligne Mumford stack …
The first author defended her doctoral thesis Espacios homogéneos reductivos y álgebras no asociativas in 2001, supervised by P. Benito and A. Elduque. This thesis contained the classification of the Lie-Yamaguti algebras with standard enveloping algebra $\mathfrak{g}_2$ over fields of characteristic zero, which in particular gives the classification of the homogeneous reductive spaces of the compact Lie group $G_2$. In this work we revisit this classification from a more geometrical approach. We provide too geometric models of the corresponding homogeneous spaces and make explicit some relati…
In this paper we determine the at least $4$-dimensional affine reductive homogeneous manifolds for an at most $9$-dimensional simple Lie group or an at most $6$-dimensional semi-simple Lie group. Those reductive spaces among them which admit a sharply transitive differentiable section yield local almost differentiable left A-loops. Using this we classify all global almost differentiable left A-loops $L$ having either a $6$-dimensional semi-simple Lie group or the group $SL_3(\mathbb R)$ as the group topologically generated by their left translations. Moreover, we determine all at most $5$-dime…
