arXiv research

Computes the component group of arbitrary real algebraic groups.

A real Bott manifold is the total space of iterated RP^1 bundles starting with a point, where each RP^1 bundle is projectivization of a Whitney sum of two real line bundles. We prove that two real Bott manifolds are diffeomorphic if their cohomology rings with Z/2 coefficients are isomorphic. A real Bott manifold is a …

We argue that the relevant higher gauge group for the non-abelian generalization of the self-dual string equation is the string 2-group. We then derive the corresponding equations of motion and discuss their properties. The underlying geometric picture is a string structure, i.e. a categorified principal bundle with co…

We provide abelianizations of differentiable actions of finite groups on smooth real manifolds. De Concini-Procesi wonderful models for (local) subspace arrangements and a careful analysis of linear actions on real vector spaces are at the core of our construction. In fact, we show that our abelianizations have stabili…

Defines non-Abelian gerbes with connections for physical applications.

We give a complete and explicit description of the kinematical data of higher gauge theory on principal 2-bundles with the string 2-group model of Schommer-Pries as structure 2-group. We start with a self-contained review of the weak 2-category Bibun of Lie groupoids, bibundles and bibundle morphisms. We then construct…

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 …

New theory connects non-abelian bundle gerbes to abelian ones.

In this paper we introduce principal 2-bundles and show how they are classified by non-abelian Cech cohomology. Moreover, we show that their gauge 2-groups can be described by 2-group-valued functors, much like in classical bundle theory. Using this, we show that, under some mild requirements, these gauge 2-groups poss…

There are few known computable examples of non-abelian surface holonomy. In this paper, we give several examples whose structure 2-groups are covering 2-groups and show that the surface holonomies can be computed via a simple formula in terms of paths of 1-dimensional holonomies inspired by earlier work of Chan Hong-Mo…

We discuss various lifting and reduction problems for bundles and gerbes in the context of a strict Lie 2-group. We obtain a geometrical formulation (and a new proof) for the exactness of Breen's long exact sequence in non-abelian cohomology. We use our geometrical formulation in order to define a transgression map in …

We give an explicit handy (and cocycle-free) description of the groupoid of weak maps between two crossed-modules in terms of certain digrams of groups which we we call a {\em butterflies}. We define composition of butterflies and this way find a bicategory that is naturally biequivalent to the 2-category of pointed ho…

Let F be a finite group with a Sylow 2-subgroup S that is normal and abelian. Using hyperelementary induction and cartesian squares, we prove that Cappell's unitary nilpotent groups UNil_*(Z[F];Z[F],Z[F]) have an induced isomorphism to the quotient of UNil_*(Z[S];Z[S],Z[S]) by the action of the group F/S. In particular…

Method constructs 2-bundles over homogeneous spaces.

In this easy introduction to higher gauge theory, we describe parallel transport for particles and strings in terms of 2-connections on 2-bundles. Just as ordinary gauge theory involves a gauge group, this generalization involves a gauge '2-group'. We focus on 6 examples. First, every abelian Lie group gives a Lie 2-gr…

Global group laws connect equivariant bordism rings to formal group laws.

We provide a new perspective on parallel 2-transport and principal 2-group bundles with 2-connection. We define parallel 2-transport as a 2-functor from the thin fundamental 2-groupoid to the 2-category of 2-group torsors. The definition of the 2-category of 2-group torsors is new, and we develop the tools necessary fo…

Many physical theories, including notably string theory, require non-abelian higher gauge fields defining higher holonomy. Previous approaches to such higher connections on categorified principal bundles require these to be fake flat. This condition, however, renders them locally gauge equivalent to connections on abel…

We develop semistrict higher gauge theory from first principles. In particular, we describe the differential Deligne cohomology underlying semistrict principal 2-bundles with connective structures. Principal 2-bundles are obtained in terms of weak 2-functors from the Cech groupoid to weak Lie 2-groups. As is demonstrat…

For a strict Lie 2-group, we develop a notion of Lie 2-algebra-valued differential forms on Lie groupoids, furnishing a differential graded-commutative Lie algebra equipped with an adjoint action of the Lie 2-group and a pullback operation along Morita equivalences between Lie groupoids. Using this notion, we define co…

We compute the $p$-primary components of the linking pairings of orientable 3-manifolds admitting a fixed-point free $S^1$-action. Using this, we show that any non-singular linking pairing on a finite abelian group with homogeneous 2-primary summand is realized by such a manifold. However, some pairings on inhomogeneou…

Generalizes symmetries of curved manifolds.

New proof shows smallest non-cyclic automorphism group quotients are linear 2-groups.

Simple construction of Lie 2-groups from loop group extensions.

Constructs 2-representations and 2-vector bundles for Lie 2-groups.

Maps Lie 2-groups to Weil algebras, showing cohomology isomorphisms.

Constructs a representation of the string 2-group on a von Neumann algebra.

New smooth 2-group extensions from bundle gerbes on manifolds.

The paper classifies fixed subgroups of endomorphisms in free-abelian times surface groups.

We prove a 2-categorical analogue of a classical result of Drinfeld: there is a one-to-one correspondence between connected, simply-connected Poisson Lie 2-groups and Lie 2-bialgebras. In fact, we also prove that there is a one-to-one correspondence between connected, simply connected quasi-Poisson 2-groups and quasi-L…

In this paper we study the cohomology of (strict) Lie 2-groups. We obtain an explicit Bott-Shulman type map in the case of a Lie 2-group corresponding to the crossed module $A\to 1$. The cohomology of the Lie 2-groups corresponding to the universal crossed modules $G\to \Aut(G)$ and $G\to \Aut^+(G)$ is the abutment of …

We show that general relativity can be viewed as a higher gauge theory involving a categorical group, or 2-group, called the teleparallel 2-group. On any semi-Riemannian manifold M, we first construct a principal 2-bundle with the Poincare 2-group as its structure 2-group. Any flat metric-preserving connection on M giv…

Aspherical manifolds with bounded curvature have non-trivial abelian subgroups in their fundamental groups.

The paper constructs automorphisms of Lie groupoids and applies them to symplectic reductions on orbifolds.

We compute the equivariant bordism of free oriented $(\mathbb{Z}/p)^n$-manifolds as a module over $Ω_*^{SO}$, when $p$ is an odd prime. We show, among others, that this module is canonically isomorphic to a direct sum of suspensions of multiple tensor products of $Ω^{SO}_*(B \mathbb{Z}/p)$, and that it is generated by …

In this paper, we show that an infinite 2-group of bounded exponent cannot act faithfully and smoothly on compact manifolds.

Study Lie 2-group actions on Riemannian groupoids, proving existence and developing geometric Killing vector fields.

We construct a model for the string group as an infinite-dimensional Lie group. In a second step we extend this model by a contractible Lie group to a Lie 2-group model. To this end we need to establish some facts on the homotopy theory of Lie 2-groups. Moreover, we provide an explicit comparison of string structures f…

In this paper we address the question of the existence of a model for the string 2-group as a strict Lie-2-group using the free loop group $LSpin$ (or more generally $LG$ for compact simple simply-connected Lie groups $G$). Baez-Crans-Stevenson-Schreiber constructed a model for the string 2-group using a based loop gro…

In this note we present a new construction of the string group that ends optionally in two different contexts: strict diffeological 2-groups or finite-dimensional Lie 2-groups. It is canonical in the sense that no choices are involved; all the data is written down and can be looked up (at least somewhere). The basis of…

We describe an interesting relation between Lie 2-algebras, the Kac-Moody central extensions of loop groups, and the group $\mathrm{String}(n)$. A Lie 2-algebra is a categorified version of a Lie algebra where the Jacobi identity holds up to a natural isomorphism called the "Jacobiator". Similarly, a Lie 2-group is a c…

Study on SU(2) group's Lorentzian problem, focusing on controllability and extremals.

Moduli spaces of Abelian and quadratic differentials are stratified by multiplicities of zeroes; connected components of the strata correspond to ergodic components of the Teichmuller geodesic flow. It is known that the strata are not necessarily connected; the connected components were recently classified by M. Kontse…

Lie's Third Theorem, asserting that each finite-dimensional Lie algebra is the Lie algebra of a Lie group, fails in infinite dimensions. The modern account on this phenomenon is the integration problem for central extensions of infinite-dimensional Lie algebras, which in turn is phrased in terms of an integration proce…

A Lie 2-group $G$ is a category internal to the category of Lie groups. Consequently it is a monoidal category and a Lie groupoid. The Lie groupoid structure on $G$ gives rise to the Lie 2-algebra $\mathbb{X}(G)$ of multiplicative vector fields, see (Berwick-Evans -- Lerman). The monoidal structure on $G$ gives rise to…

Researchers derive $q$-series for $SO(3)$ and $OSp(1|2)$ groups.

The paper explores metrics on tree moduli spaces and a new topological group.

Cencelj and Dranishnikov showed that for certain nilpotent groups $G$, $K(G_{ab},1) \in \text{AE}(X)$ is equivalent to $K(G,1) \in \text{AE}(X)$ for any compacta $X$ (here $G_{ab}$ is the abelianization of $G$). We examine the same problem for solvable groups. We also give an elementary proof of this fact for any nilpo…