Questions tagged [spin-geometry]

For questions about spin manifolds, the groups $\operatorname{Spin}(n)$, as well as generalisations such as $\operatorname{Pin}^{\pm}(n)$ and $\operatorname{Spin}^c(n)$. This tag should also be used for any questions about the geometry of spin manifolds, including questions involving Dirac operators and the Lichnerowicz formula.

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Commutative spectral triples

The corresponence between compact Hausdorff topological spaces and commutative unital $C^*$-algebras is rather well known: Gelfand Najmark theorem gives perfect correspondence between these categories....
truebaran's user avatar
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20 votes
3 answers
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Noncommutative smooth manifolds

Connes defined a noncommutative analog of a closed oriented Riemannian spin^c manifold using spectral triples. Using his definition it is unclear how to separate the smooth structure from the metric. ...
Dmitri Pavlov's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

Which Kahler Manifolds Are Spin?

As is well-known (see here for a M.O. question) all Kahler manifolds are $spin^c$. I would like to ask which are in fact $spin$. Taking my motivation from the case of complex projective space, I ...
Janos Erdmann's user avatar
27 votes
4 answers
4k views

Triality of Spin(8)

Among simple Lie groups, $Spin(8)$ is the most symmetrical one in the sense that $Out(Spin(8))$ is the largest possible group. A description of this outer automorphism groups is as follows. $Spin(8)$ ...
Aliakbar Daemi's user avatar
18 votes
3 answers
2k views

what is a spinor structure?

There are of course lots of definitions and references for this, but in the same way that, on a manifold $M$, a Riemannian metric is a section of positive definite symmetric bilinear forms on $TM$ or ...
ARG's user avatar
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10 votes
3 answers
710 views

Spin-H structures

Let us define a Spin-H structure as a reduction of a SO(n)-bundle by the group: $$Spin^H (n)=Spin(n) \times SU(2)/\{ 1,-1\}$$ The Spin-H structures are analogous to the well-known Spin-C structures ...
A.Balan's user avatar
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14 votes
1 answer
565 views

Obstruction of spin-c structure and the generalized Wu manifods

Bockstein homomorphim and obstruction of spin-c structure: Let $w_2$ be the Stiefel Whintney class of manifold $M$. Let the Bockstein homomorphim $\beta$ be the $$ H^2(\mathbb{Z}_2,M) \to H^3(\mathbb{...
annie marie cœur's user avatar
13 votes
2 answers
811 views

What is the relationship between spinors and supermanifolds and fermions?

I have the following two impressions about fermions in physics. I'm confused about their accuracy, and their compatibility: To consider the behavior of a fermion, whose intrinsic spin is described by ...
Tim Campion's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
938 views

Analog of "Spin" Chern-Simons Theory

3-dimensional Chern-Simons theories, with compact gauge group $G$, are determined by $H^4(BG)$. Looking at $U(1)$, with generator $c_1^2\in H^4(BU(1))=\mathbb{Z}$ for 1st Chern class $c_1$, there are ...
Chris Gerig's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
737 views

Spin structure on mapping torus

I would like to know if, given a spin manifold $X$ and an orientation-preserving diffeomorphism $f : X \longrightarrow X,$ we can naturally endow the mapping torus $M_f = X \times [0, 1] / (x, 0) \sim ...
Dylan's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
536 views

First Chern class of a specific line bundle

Let $E$ be a spin$^c$ bundle and $spin^c(E)$ the corresponding $spin^c(n)$-principial bundle. Let $g_{U,V}: U \cap V \to spin^c(n)$ denote transition functions for this principial bundle and consider ...
truebaran's user avatar
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7 votes
2 answers
495 views

Spin Structures for Quaternionic-Kaehler and Hyper-Kaehler Manifolds

As is well-known (see Friedrich's book for example) every Kähler manifold is spin (or at least spin$^c$) and the Dirac is given (up to a twist) by $\partial + \partial^*$. What happens in the ...
Janos Erdmann's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

Different definitions of spin structures

This is the definition of spin structure according to Wikipedia: which is supposed to be the standard definition. But in the book The Geometry of Four-Manifolds (Donaldson-Kronheimer, page 76) one ...
Jjm's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
1k views

Spin structures on the Grassmannians

I am trying to understand spin structures and am looking at the specific case of complex projective space (viewed as the quotient $SU(N)/U(N-1)$) and more generally the Grassmannians (viewed as the ...
Jean Delinez's user avatar
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5 votes
0 answers
324 views

Duality between K-theory and K-homology in the non-compact, spin$^c$ case

Let $M$ be a compact spin$^c$ manifold, so that it has a fundamental class $[M] \in K_n(M)$. It is well-known that the cap product with $[M]$ induces Poincare duality isomorphisms $K^\ast(M) \cong K_\...
AlexE's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
488 views

Lagrangian Grassmannian as a Spin Manifold

I am trying to better understand this nice answer to a question of mine, which states Spin structures on a compact complex manifold $(M^{2n},J)$ are in bijective correspondence with isomorphism ...
Janos Erdmann's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
521 views

Explicit Isomorphism between $Cl(8)$ and $\mathbb{R}(16)$

I am looking for a explicit isomorphism between $Cl(8)$ (Clifford algebra over $\mathbb{R}^8$ with standard Euclidean metric) and $\mathbb{R}(16)$ (algebra of $16\times 16$ matrices over $\mathbb{R}$)....
Jjm's user avatar
  • 2,071
2 votes
1 answer
294 views

Decomposition into irreducible components of a representation of $Spin(9)$

It is well known that the group $Spin(9)$ acts linearly on the vector space $\mathbb{R}^{16}$ (see for example "Spinors and calibrations" by R. Harvey). Consider the induced representation of $Spin(9)...
asv's user avatar
  • 21.1k
2 votes
1 answer
995 views

Global Lichnerowicz Formula Proof (in the Kahler case)?

For a Kahler manifold $M$, let us denote its Dirac operator $\overline{\partial} + \overline{\partial}^\ast$, with respect to a metric $g$, by $D$. Moreover, let us dentoe the Levi-Civita connection ...
Jean Delinez's user avatar
  • 3,359
1 vote
0 answers
133 views

Automorphism group of indefinite orthogonal Lie group $G=O(p,q)$ vs that of a double covering group $\tilde{G}$

Previously I mentioned in Automorphism group of a Lie group $G$ vs that of a double covering group $\tilde{G}$: same or not? that the automorphism group of a Lie group 𝐺 may be the same as that of ...
wonderich's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
294 views

A representation of Spin(9,1)

Let $Spin(9,1)$ denote the universal (double) cover of $SO(9,1)$. $Spin(9,1)$ acts linearly on $\mathbb{R}^{16}$ (see e.g. p.29 here https://arxiv.org/pdf/math/0105155v4.pdf ). Consider the induced ...
asv's user avatar
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