The theory of Nambu-Poisson structures on manifolds is extended to the context of Lie algebroids, in a natural way based on the Vinogradov bracket associated with Lie algebroid cohomology. We show that, under certain assumptions, any Nambu-Poisson structure on a Lie algebroid is decomposable.Also, we introduce the concept of a higher order Dirac structure on a Lie algebroid. This allows to describe both Nambu-Poisson structures on Lie algebroids and Dirac structures on manifolds in the same setting.
The notion of Leibniz algebroid is introduced, and it is shown that each Nambu-Poisson manifold has associated a canonical Leibniz algebroid. This fact permits to define the modular class of a Nambu-Poisson manifold as an appropiate cohomology class, extending the well-known modular class of Poisson manifolds.
In this paper, we construct a homotopy Poisson algebra of degree 3 associated to a split Lie 2-algebroid, by which we give a new approach to characterize a split Lie 2-bialgebroid. We develop the differential calculus associated to a split Lie 2-algebroid and establish the Manin triple theory for split Lie 2-algebroids. More precisely, we give the notion of a strict Dirac structure and define a Manin triple for split Lie 2-algebroids to be a CLWX 2-algebroid with two transversal strict Dirac structures. We show that there is a one-to-one correspondence between Manin triples for split Lie 2-alg…
We define a higher analogue of Dirac structures on a manifold M. Under a regularity assumption, higher Dirac structures can be described by a foliation and a (not necessarily closed, non-unique) differential form on M, and are equivalent to (and simpler to handle than) the Multi-Dirac structures recently introduced in the context of field theory by Vankerschaver, Yoshimura and Marsden. We associate an L-infinity algebra of "observables" to every higher Dirac structure, extending work of Baez, Hoffnung and Rogers on multisymplectic forms. Further, applying a recent result of Getzler, we associa…
We define Dirac pairs on Jacobi algebroids, which is a generalization of Dirac pairs on Lie algebroids introduced by Kosmann-Schwarzbach. We show the relationship between Dirac pairs on Lie and on Jacobi algebroids, and that Dirac pairs on Jacobi algebroids characterize several compatible structures on manifolds or on Jacobi algebroids.
In this thesis we develop the notion of LA-Courant algebroids, the infinitesimal analogue of multiplicative Courant algebroids. Specific applications include the integration of q- Poisson (d, g)-structures, and the reduction of Courant algebroids. We also introduce the notion of pseudo-Dirac structures, (possibly non-Lagrangian) subbundles W \subseteq E of a Courant algebroid such that the Courant bracket endows W naturally with the structure of a Lie algebroid. Specific examples of pseudo-Dirac structures arise in the theory of q-Poisson (d, g)-structures.
We establish some fundamental relations between Dirac subbundles $L$ for the generalized Courant algebroid $(A\oplus A^{\ast}, ϕ+W)$ over a differentiable manifold $M$ and the associated Dirac subbubndles $\tilde{L}$ for the corresponding Courant algebroid $\tilde{A} \oplus \tilde{A}^{\ast}$ over $M\times \R$.
In this paper, we develop the theory of Hom-Lie algebroids, Hom-Lie bialgebroids and Hom-Courant algebroids introduced by Cai, Liu and Sheng. Specifically, we introduce the notions of Hom-Poisson, Hom-Nijenhuis and Hom-Poisson-Nijenhuis structures on a Hom-Lie algebroid and the notion of Hom-Dirac structures on a Hom-Courant algebroid. We show that these structures satisfy similar properties to structures non "Hom-"version. For example, there exists the hierarchy of a Hom-Poisson-Nijenhuis structure and we have a relation between Hom-Dirac structures and Maurer-Cartan type equation. Moreover w…
A generalized Courant algebroid structure is defined on the direct sum bundle D(E) +J(E), where D(E) and J(E) are the gauge Lie algebroid and the jet bundle of a vector bundle E respectively. Such a structure is called an omni-Lie algebroid since it is reduced to the omni-Lie algebra introduced by A.Weinstein if the base manifold is a point. We prove that any Lie algebroid structure on E is characterized by a Dirac structure as the graph of a bundle map from J(E) to D(E).
In this contribution we review some of the interplay between sigma models in theoretical physics and novel geometrical structures such as Lie (n-)algebroids. The first part of the article contains the mathematical background, the definition of various algebroids as well as of Dirac structures, a joint generalization of Poisson, presymplectic, but also complex structures. Proofs are given in detail. The second part deals with sigma models. Topological ones, in particular the AKSZ and the Dirac sigma models, as generalizations of the Poisson sigma models to higher dimensions and to Dirac structu…
A Dirac structure is a Lagrangian subbundle of a Courant algebroid, $L\subset\mathbb{E}$, which is involutive with respect to the Courant bracket. In particular, $L$ inherits the structure of a Lie algebroid. In this paper, we introduce the more general notion of a pseudo-Dirac structure: an arbitrary subbundle, $W\subset\mathbb{E}$, together with a pseudo-connection on its sections, satisfying a natural integrability condition. As a consequence of the definition, $W$ will be a Lie algebroid. Allowing non-isotropic subbundles of $\mathbb{E}$ incorporates non-skew tensors and connections into D…
This paper shows the equivalence of the categories of $N$-manifolds of degree $2$ with the category of double vector bundles endowed with a linear metric. Split Poisson $N$-manifolds of degree $2$ are shown to be equivalent to self-dual representations up to homotopy. As a consequence, the equivalence above induces an equivalence between so called metric VB-algebroids and Poisson $N$-manifolds of degree $2$. Then a new description of split Lie $2$-algebroids is given, as well as their "duals", the Dorfman $2$-representations. We show that Dorfman $2$-representations are equivalent in a simple …
We prove some general results about the relation between the 1-cocycles of an arbitrary Lie algebroid $A$ over $M$ and the leaves of the Lie algebroid foliation on $M$ associated with $A$. Using these results, we show that a ${\cal E}^1(M)$-Dirac structure $L$ induces on every leaf $F$ of its characteristic foliation a ${\cal E}^1(F)$-Dirac structure $L_F$, which comes from a precontact structure or from a locally conformal presymplectic structure on $F$. In addition, we prove that a Dirac structure $\tilde{L}$ on $M\times \R$ can be obtained from $L$ and we discuss the relation between the le…
We construct an infinite-dimensional symplectic 2-groupoid as the integration of an exact Courant algebroid. We show that every integrable Dirac structure integrates to a "Lagrangian" sub-2-groupoid of this symplectic 2-groupoid. As a corollary, we recover a result of Bursztyn-Crainic-Weinstein-Zhu that every integrable Dirac structure integrates to a presymplectic groupoid.
Pre-Courant algebroids are `Courant algebroids' without the Jacobi identity for the Courant-Dorfman bracket. In this paper we examine the corresponding supermanifold description of pre-Courant algebroids and some direct consequences thereof - such as the definition of (sub-)Dirac structures and the notion of the naive quasi-cochain complex. In particular we define symplectic almost Lie 2-algebroids and show how they correspond to pre-Courant algebroids. Moreover, the framework of supermanifolds allows us to economically define and work with pre-Courant algebroids equipped with a compatible non…
We study twisted Jacobi manifolds, a concept that we had introduced in a previous Note. Twisted Jacobi manifolds can be characterized using twisted Dirac-Jacobi, which are sub-bundles of Courant-Jacobi algebroids. We show that each twisted Jacobi manifold has an associated Lie algebroid with a 1-cocycle. We introduce the notion of quasi-Jacobi bialgebroid and we prove that each twisted Jacobi manifold has a quasi-Jacobi bialgebroid canonically associated. Moreover, the double of a quasi-Jacobi bialgebroid is a Courant-Jacobi algebroid. Several examples of twisted Jacobi manifolds and twisted D…
We study geometric representation theory of Lie algebroids. A new equivalence relation for integrable Lie algebroids is introduced and investigated. It is shown that two equivalent Lie algebroids have equivalent categories of infinitesimal actions of Lie algebroids. As an application, it is also shown that the Hamiltonian categories for gauge equivalent Dirac structures are equivalent as categories.
We construct an infinite dimensional Lie rackoid Y which hosts an integration of the standard Courant algebroid. As a set, Y = C $\infty$ ([0, 1], T * M) for a compact manifold M. The rackoid product is by automorphisms of the Dorfman bracket. The first part of the article is a study of the Lie rackoid Y and its tangent Leibniz algebroid a quotient of which is the standard Courant algebroid. In a second part, we study the equivalence relation related to the quotient on the rackoid level and restrict then to an integrable Dirac structure. We show how our integrating object contains the correspo…
Given a vector bundle $A\to M$ we study the geometry of the graded manifolds $T^*[k]A[1]$, including their canonical symplectic structures, compatible Q-structures and Lagrangian Q-submanifolds. We relate these graded objects to classical structures, such as higher Courant algebroids on $A\oplus\bigwedge^{k-1}A^*$ and higher Dirac structures therein, semi-direct products of Lie algebroid structures on $A$ with their coadjoint representations up to homotopy, and branes on certain AKSZ $σ$-models.
We study the stability of singular points for smooth Poisson structures as well as general Lie algebroids. We give sufficient conditions for stability lying on the first (not necessarily linear) approximation of the given Poisson structure or Lie algebroid at a singular point. The main tools used here are the classical Lichnerowicz-Poisson cohomology and the deformation cohomology for Lie algebroids recently introduced by Crainic and Moerdijk. We also provide several examples of stable singular points of order $k \geq 1$ for Poisson structures and Lie algebroids. Finally, we apply our results …
In this paper we introduce multiplicative Dirac structures on Lie groupoids, providing a unified framework to study both multiplicative Poisson bivectors (i.e., Poisson group(oid)s) and multiplicative closed 2-forms (e.g., symplectic groupoids). We prove that for every source simply connected Lie groupoid $G$ with Lie algebroid $AG$, there exists a one-to-one correspondence between multiplicative Dirac structures on $G$ and Dirac structures on $AG$, which are compatible with both the linear and algebroid structures of $AG$. We explain in what sense this extends the integration of Lie bialgebro…
We present a theory of reduction for Courant algebroids as well as Dirac structures, generalized complex, and generalized Kähler structures which interpolates between holomorphic reduction of complex manifolds and symplectic reduction. The enhanced symmetry group of a Courant algebroid leads us to define \emph{extended} actions and a generalized notion of moment map. Key examples of generalized Kähler reduced spaces include new explicit bi-Hermitian metrics on $\CC P^2$.
We show that a suitable notion of Dirac-Jacobi structure on a generic line bundle $L$, is provided by Dirac structures in the omni-Lie algebroid of $L$. Dirac-Jacobi structures on line bundles generalize Wade's $\mathcal E^1 (M)$-Dirac structures and unify generic (i.e.~non-necessarily coorientable) precontact distributions, Dirac structures and local Lie algebras with one dimensional fibers in the sense of Kirillov (in particular, Jacobi structures in the sense of Lichnerowicz). We study the main properties of Dirac-Jacobi structures and prove that integrable Dirac-Jacobi structures on line-b…
We develop the deformations theory of a Dirac--Jacobi structure within a fixed Courant--Jacobi algebroid. Using the description of split Courant--Jacobi algebroids as degree $2$ contact $\mathbb{N} Q$ manifolds and Voronov's higher derived brackets, each Dirac--Jacobi structure is associated with a cubic $L_\infty$ algebra for any choice of a complementary almost Dirac--Jacobi structure. This $L_\infty$ algebra governs the deformations of the Dirac--Jacobi structure: there is a one-to-one correspondence between the MC elements of this $L_\infty$ algebra and the small deformations of the Dirac-…
We look at generalized complex structures from the point of view of Poisson and Dirac geometry and we remark that the puzzling equations underlying the notion of generalized complex structure have miraculously simple meaning when passing to Lie algebroids/groupoids.
We characterize the Dirac structures that are parallel with respect to Gualtieri's canonical connection of a generalized Riemannian metric. On the other hand, we discuss Dirac structures that are images of generalized tangent structures. These structures turn out to be Dirac structures that, if seen as Lie algebroids, have a symplectic structure. Particularly, if compatibility with a generalized Riemannian metric is required, the symplectic structure is of the Kaehler type.
In this dissertation we study Courant algebroids, objects that first appeared in the work of T. Courant on Dirac structures; they were later studied by Liu, Weinstein and Xu who used Courant algebroids to generalize the notion of the Drinfeld double to Lie bialgebroids. As a first step towards understanding the complicated properties of Courant algebroids, we interpret them by associating to each Courant algebroid a strongly homotopy Lie algebra in a natural way. Next, we propose an alternative construction of the double of a Lie bialgebroid as a homological hamiltonian vector field on an even…
In this paper, we solve the problem of giving a gauge-theoretic description of the natural Dirac structure on a Lie Group which plays a prominent role in the theory of D- branes for the Wess-Zumino-Witten model as well as the theory of quasi-Hamiltonian spaces. We describe the structure as an infinite-dimensional reduction of the space of connections over the circle. Our insight is that the formal Poisson structure on the space of connections is not an actual Poisson structure, but is itself a Dirac structure, due to the fact that it is defined by an unbounded operator. We also develop general…
We first recall some basic definitions and facts about Jacobi manifolds, generalized Lie bialgebroids, generalized Courant algebroids and Dirac structures. We establish an one-one correspondence between reducible Dirac structures of the generalized Lie bialgebroid of a Jacobi manifold $(M,Λ,E)$ for which 1 is an admissible function and Jacobi quotient manifolds of $M$. We study Jacobi reductions from the point of view of Dirac structures theory and we present some examples and applications.
Generalized current algebras introduced by Alekseev and Strobl in two dimensions are reconstructed by a graded manifold and a graded Poisson brackets. We generalize their current algebras to higher dimensions. QP manifolds provide the unified structures of current algebras in any dimension. Current algebras give rise to structures of Leibniz/Loday algebroids, which are characterized by QP structures. Especially, in three dimensions, a current algebra has a structure of a Lie algebroid up to homotopy introduced by Uchino and one of the authors which has a bracket of a generalization of the Cour…
We define prequantization for Dirac manifolds to generalize known procedures for Poisson and (pre) symplectic manifolds by using characteristic distributions obtained from 2-cocycles associated to Dirac structures. Given a Dirac manifold $(M,D)$, we construct Poisson structure on the space of admissible functions on $(M,D)$ and a representation of the Poisson algebra to establish the prequantization condition of $(M,D)$ in terms of a Lie algebroid cohomology. Additional to this, we introduce a polarization for a Dirac manifold $M$ and discuss procedures for quantization in two cases where $M$ …
We develop a general scheme to construct integrable systems starting from realizations in symmetric coboundary dynamical Lie algebroids and symmetric coboundary Poisson groupoids. The method is based on the successive use of Dirac reduction and Poisson reduction. Then we show that certain spin Calogero-Moser systems associated with symmetric Lie subalgebras can be studied in this fashion. We also consider some spin-generalized Ruisjenaars- Schneider equations which correspond to the $N$-soliton solutions of $A^{(1)}_n$ affine Toda field theory. In this case, we show how the equations are obtai…
In this paper we study the relationship between the extended symmetries of exact Courant algebroids over a manifold $M$, defined by Bursztyn, Cavalcanti and Gualtieri, and the Poisson algebras of admissible functions associated to twisted Dirac structures when acted by Lie groups. We show that the usual homomorphisms of Lie algebras between the algebras of infinitesimal symmetries of the action, vector fields on the manifold and the Poisson algebra of observables, appearing in symplectic geometry, generalize to natural maps of Leibniz algebras induced both by the extended action and compatible…
A classical theorem of Drinfel'd states that the category of simply connected Poisson Lie groups H is isomorphic to the category of Manin triples (d, g, h), where h is the Lie algebra of H. In this paper, we consider Dirac Lie groups, that is, Lie groups H endowed with a multiplicative Courant algebroid A and a Dirac structure E /subset A for which the multiplication is a Dirac morphism. It turns out that the simply connected Dirac Lie groups are classified by so-called Dirac Manin triples. We give an explicit construction of the Dirac Lie group structure defined by a Dirac Manin triple, and d…
The correspondence between Poisson structures and symplectic groupoids, analogous to the one of Lie algebras and Lie groups, plays an important role in Poisson geometry; it offers, in particular, a unifying framework for the study of hamiltonian and Poisson actions. In this paper, we extend this correspondence to the context of Dirac structures twisted by a closed 3-form. More generally, given a Lie groupoid $G$ over a manifold $M$, we show that multiplicative 2-forms on $G$ relatively closed with respect to a closed 3-form $ϕ$ on $M$ correspond to maps from the Lie algebroid of $G$ into the c…
Adopting the omni-Lie algebroid approach to Dirac-Jacobi structures, we propose and investigate a notion of weak dual pairs in Dirac-Jacobi geometry. Their main motivating examples arise from the theory of multiplicative precontact structures on Lie groupoids. Among other properties of weak dual pairs, we prove two main results. 1) We show that the property of fitting in a weak dual pair defines an equivalence relation for Dirac-Jacobi manifolds. So, in particular, we get the existence of self-dual pairs and this immediately leads to an alternative proof of the normal form theorem around Dirac…
In his study of Dirac structures, a notion which includes both Poisson structures and closed 2-forms, T. Courant introduced a bracket on the direct sum of vector fields and 1-forms. This bracket does not satisfy the Jacobi identity except on certain subspaces. In this paper we systematize the properties of this bracket in the definition of a Courant algebroid. This structure on a vector bundle $E\rightarrow M$, consists of an antisymmetric bracket on the sections of $E$ whose ``Jacobi anomaly'' has an explicit expression in terms of a bundle map $E\rightarrow TM$ and a field of symmetric bilin…
We study the relationship between multiplicative 2-forms on Lie groupoids and linear 2-forms on Lie algebroids, which leads to a new approach to the infinitesimal description of multiplicative 2-forms and to the integration of twisted Dirac manifolds.
In this paper we study quotients of Lie algebroids and groupoids endowed with compatible differential forms. We identify Lie theoretic conditions under which such forms become basic and characterize the induced forms on the quotients. We apply these results to describe generalized quotient and reduction processes for (twisted) Poisson and Dirac structures, as well as to their integration by (twisted, pre-)symplectic groupoids. In particular, we recover and generalize several known results concerning Poisson reduction.
We study a modification of Poisson geometry by a closed 3-form. Just as for ordinary Poisson structures, these "twisted" Poisson structures are conveniently described as Dirac structures in suitable Courant algebroids. The additive group of 2-forms acts on twisted Poisson structures and permits them to be seen as glued from ordinary Poisson structures defined on local patches. We conclude with remarks on deformation quantization and twisted symplectic groupoids.
We show that certain submanifolds of generalized complex manifolds ("weak branes") admit a natural quotient which inherits a generalized complex structure. This is analog to quotienting coisotropic submanifolds of symplectic manifolds. In particular Gualtieri's generalized complex submanifolds ("branes") quotient to space-filling branes. Along the way we perform reductions by foliations (i.e. no group action is involved) for exact Courant algebroids - interpreting the reduced Ševera class - and for Dirac structures.
