Atiyah algebroid

Summary

In mathematics, the Atiyah algebroid, or Atiyah sequence, of a principal -bundle over a manifold , where is a Lie group, is the Lie algebroid of the gauge groupoid of . Explicitly, it is given by the following short exact sequence of vector bundles over :

It is named after Michael Atiyah, who introduced the construction to study the existence theory of complex analytic connections.[1] It plays a crucial example in the integrability of (transitive) Lie algebroids, and it has applications in gauge theory and geometric mechanics.

Definitions edit

As a sequence edit

For any fiber bundle   over a manifold  , the differential   of the projection   defines a short exact sequence:

 

of vector bundles over  , where the vertical bundle   is the kernel of  .

If   is a principal  -bundle, then the group   acts on the vector bundles in this sequence. Moreover, since the vertical bundle   is isomorphic to the trivial vector bundle  , where   is the Lie algebra of  , its quotient by the diagonal   action is the adjoint bundle  . In conclusion, the quotient by   of the exact sequence above yields a short exact sequence:

 
of vector bundles over  , which is called the Atiyah sequence of  .

As a Lie algebroid edit

Recall that any principal  -bundle   has an associated Lie groupoid, called its gauge groupoid, whose objects are points of  , and whose morphisms are elements of the quotient of   by the diagonal action of  , with source and target given by the two projections of  . By definition, the Atiyah algebroid of   is the Lie algebroid   of its gauge groupoid.

It follows that  , while the anchor map   is given by the differential  , which is  -invariant. Last, the kernel of the anchor is isomorphic precisely to  .

The Atiyah sequence yields a short exact sequence of  -modules by taking the space of sections of the vector bundles. More precisely, the sections of the Atiyah algebroid of   is the Lie algebra of  -invariant vector fields on   under Lie bracket, which is an extension of the Lie algebra of vector fields on   by the  -invariant vertical vector fields. In algebraic or analytic contexts, it is often convenient to view the Atiyah sequence as an exact sequence of sheaves of local sections of vector bundles.

Examples edit

  • The Atiyah algebroid of the principal  -bundle   is the Lie algebra  
  • The Atiyah algebroid of the principal  -bundle   is the tangent algebroid  
  • Given a transitive  -action on  , the Atiyah algebroid of the principal bundle  , with structure group the isotropy group   of the action at an arbitrary point, is the action algebroid  
  • The Atiyah algebroid of the frame bundle of a vector bundle   is the general linear algebroid   (sometimes also called Atiyah algebroid of  )

Properties edit

Transitivity and integrability edit

The Atiyah algebroid of a principal  -bundle   is always:

  • Transitive (so its unique orbit is the entire   and its isotropy Lie algebra bundle is the associated bundle  )
  • Integrable (to the gauge groupoid of  )

Note that these two properties are independent. Integrable Lie algebroids does not need to be transitive; conversely, transitive Lie algebroids (often called abstract Atiyah sequences) are not necessarily integrable.

While any transitive Lie groupoid is isomorphic to some gauge groupoid, not all transitive Lie algebroids are Atiyah algebroids of some principal bundle. Integrability is the crucial property to distinguish the two concepts: a transitive Lie algebroid is integrable if and only if it is isomorphic to the Atiyah algebroid of some principal bundle.

Relations with connections edit

Right splittings   of the Atiyah sequence of a principal bundle   are in bijective correspondence with principal connections on  . Similarly, the curvatures of such connections correspond to the two forms   defined by:

 

Morphisms edit

Any morphism   of principal bundles induces a Lie algebroid morphism   between the respective Atiyah algebroids.

References edit

  1. ^ Atiyah, M. F. (1957). "Complex analytic connections in fibre bundles". Transactions of the American Mathematical Society. 85 (1): 181–207. doi:10.1090/S0002-9947-1957-0086359-5. ISSN 0002-9947.
  • Michael F. Atiyah (1957), "Complex analytic connections in fibre bundles", Trans. Amer. Math. Soc., 85: 181–207, doi:10.1090/s0002-9947-1957-0086359-5.
  • Janusz Grabowski; Alexei Kotov & Norbert Poncin (2011), "Geometric structures encoded in the lie structure of an Atiyah algebroid", Transformation Groups, 16: 137–160, arXiv:0905.1226, doi:10.1007/s00031-011-9126-9, available as arXiv:0905.1226.
  • Kirill Mackenzie (1987), Lie groupoids and Lie algebroids in differential geometry, London Mathematical Society lecture notes, vol. 124, CUP, ISBN 978-0-521-34882-9.
  • Kirill Mackenzie (2005), General theory of lie groupoids and lie algebroids, London Mathematical Society lecture notes, vol. 213, CUP, ISBN 978-0-521-49928-6.
  • Tom Mestdag & Bavo Langerock (2005), "A Lie algebroid framework for non-holonomic systems", J. Phys. A: Math. Gen., 38: 1097–1111, arXiv:math/0410460, Bibcode:2005JPhA...38.1097M, doi:10.1088/0305-4470/38/5/011.