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If $M$ is a compact oriented manifold with boundary then by Poincare duality the cohomology of $\Omega(M)$ (de Rham cohomology of $M$) is dual to the cohomology of $\Omega_0(M)$, where $\Omega_0(M)$ denotes differential forms vanishing on $\partial M$. This question is about a generalization of this fact to more complicated boundary conditions.

Suppose $M$ is a compact oriented $C^\infty$ manifold with corners. Its boundary is decomposed (by the corners) to faces (of dimension $\dim M -1$).

Let $V$ be a finite-dimensional vector space, and let us choose for every face $F\subset\partial M$ a subspace $V_F\subset V$. Let us consider the complex (of $V$-valued differential forms with boundary conditions given by $V_F$'s) $$\Omega(M)_{V,\{V_F\}}= \{\alpha\in\Omega(M)\otimes V;\quad \alpha|_F\in\Omega(F)\otimes V_F\text{ for all faces }F\}\subset\Omega(M)\otimes V.$$

The "naive dual" of $\Omega(M)_{V,\{V_F\}}$ is $\Omega(M)_{V^*,\{\text{ann} V_F\}}$ with the pairing given by integration over $M$ ($\text{ann} V_F\subset V^*$ denotes the annihilator of $V_F$).

Is there a condition under which the pairing between the cohomologies of $\Omega(M)_{V,\{V_F\}}$ and of $\Omega(M)_{V^*,\{\text{ann} V_F\}}$ is perfect? What is the reason for the fact that the pairing is not always perfect?

Some remarks: the

• The "dual complex" $\Omega(M)_{V^*,\{\text{ann} V_F\}}$ can be described as $$\{\alpha\in\Omega(M)\otimes V^*;\quad \int_M\langle\alpha\wedge d\beta\rangle= (-1)^{\deg\alpha +1}\int_M\langle d\alpha\wedge \beta\rangle\quad \forall\beta\in \Omega(M)_{V,\{V_F\}} \}.$$

• If $V_F=0$ for all $F$'s then we get the standard Poincare duality for manifolds with boundary.

• It is possible that manifolds with corners is not the right picture; the question might be about any "reasonable" division of $\partial M$ into "faces" (of dimension $\dim\partial M$).

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If $M$ is a compact oriented manifold with boundary then by Poincare duality the cohomology of $\Omega(M)$ (de Rham cohomology of $M$) is dual to the cohomology of $\Omega_0(M)$, where $\Omega_0(M)$ denotes differential forms vanishing on $\partial M$. This question is about a generalization of this fact to more complicated boundary conditions.

Suppose $M$ is a compact oriented $C^\infty$ manifold with corners. Its boundary is decomposed (by the corners) to faces (of dimension $\dim M -1$).

Let $V$ be a finite-dimensional vector space, and let us choose for every face $F\subset\partial M$ a subspace $V_F\subset V$. Let us consider the complex (of $V$-valued differential forms with boundary conditions given by $V_F$'s) $$\Omega(M)_{V,\{V_F\}}= \{\alpha\in\Omega(M)\otimes V;\quad \alpha|_F\in\Omega(F)\otimes V_F\text{ for all faces }F\}\subset\Omega(M)\otimes V.$$

The "naive dual" of $\Omega(M)_{V,\{V_F\}}$ is $\Omega(M)_{V^*,\{\text{ann} V_F\}}$ with the pairing given by integration over $M$ ($\text{ann} V_F\subset V^*$ denotes the annihilator of $V_F$).

Is there a condition under which the pairing between the cohomologies of $\Omega(M)_{V,\{V_F\}}$ and of $\Omega(M)_{V^*,\{\text{ann} V_F\}}$ is perfect? What is the reason for the fact that the pairing is not always perfect?

Some remarks: the "dual complex" $\Omega(M)_{V^*,\{\text{ann} V_F\}}$ can be described as $$\{\alpha\in\Omega(M)\otimes V^*;\quad \int_M\langle\alpha\wedge d\beta\rangle= (-1)^{\deg\alpha +1}\int_M\langle d\alpha\wedge \beta\rangle\quad \forall\beta\in \Omega(M)_{V,\{V_F\}} \}.$$ If $V_F=0$ for all $F$'s then we get the standard Poincare duality for manifolds with boundary.

It is possible that manifolds with corners is not the right picture; the question might be about any "reasonable" division of $\partial M$ into "faces" (of dimension $\dim\partial M$).

If $M$ is a compact oriented manifold with boundary then by Poincare duality the cohomology of $\Omega(M)$ (de Rham cohomology of $M$) is dual to the cohomology of $\Omega_0(M)$, where $\Omega_0(M)$ denotes differential forms vanishing on $\partial M$. This question is about a generalization of this fact to more complicated boundary conditions.

Suppose $M$ is a compact oriented $C^\infty$ manifold with corners. Its boundary is decomposed (by the corners) to faces (of dimension $\dim M -1$).

Let $V$ be a finite-dimensional vector space, and let us choose for every face $F\subset\partial M$ a subspace $V_F\subset V$. Let us consider the complex (of $V$-valued differential forms with boundary conditions given by $V_F$'s) $$\Omega(M)_{V,\{V_F\}}= \{\alpha\in\Omega(M)\otimes V;\quad \alpha|_F\in\Omega(F)\otimes V_F\text{ for all faces }F\}\subset\Omega(M)\otimes V.$$

The "naive dual" of $\Omega(M)_{V,\{V_F\}}$ is $\Omega(M)_{V^*,\{\text{ann} V_F\}}$ with the pairing given by integration over $M$ ($\text{ann} V_F\subset V^*$ denotes the annihilator of $V_F$).

Is there a condition under which the pairing between the cohomologies of $\Omega(M)_{V,\{V_F\}}$ and of $\Omega(M)_{V^*,\{\text{ann} V_F\}}$ is perfect? What is the reason for the fact that the pairing is not always perfect?

Some remarks: the "dual complex" $\Omega(M)_{V^*,\{\text{ann} V_F\}}$ can be described as $$\{\alpha\in\Omega(M)\otimes V^*;\quad \int_M\langle\alpha\wedge d\beta\rangle= (-1)^{\deg\alpha +1}\int_M\langle d\alpha\wedge \beta\rangle\quad \forall\beta\in \Omega(M)_{V,\{V_F\}} \}.$$ If $V_F=0$ for all $F$'s then we get the standard Poincare duality for manifolds with boundary.

It is possible that manifolds with corners is not the right picture; the question might be about any "reasonable" division of $\partial M$ into "faces" (of dimension $\dim\partial M$).

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