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Questions tagged [differential-forms]

A differential form $ \omega$ is a section of the exterior algebra $\Lambda^* T^* X$ of a cotangent bundle,

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Is the pullback of differential forms on a compact manifold smooth tame as a map of Fréchet manifolds?

In Hamilton's paper on the Nash-Moser inverse function theorem he shows that if $M$ is a smooth compact manifold and $V\to M$ a smooth vector bundle then its smooth sections $\Gamma(V)$ equipped with ...
Jan Heck's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
102 views

Understanding the Lie derivative by multivector fields

For a vector field $X$ on a manifold there are two ways to define a Lie derivative: an algebraic one using Cartan's formula $\mathcal{L}_X \alpha = i_X d \alpha + d i_X \alpha$ and a dynamical one ...
mlainz's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
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Integrate unit normal vector over unit sphere intersected with a simplicial cone

Let $S^{d-1}$ be the unit sphere in $\mathbb R^d$. Consider a ($d$-dimensional) simplicial cone $C$ in $\mathbb R^d$ whose extremal rays are spanned by some unit vectors $\mathbf{u}_1,\ldots,\mathbf{u}...
Colin Defant's user avatar
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0 answers
128 views

Notion of Kahler differentials for Berkovic spaces

What is, in abstract analytic geometry (I mean, for example, in Berkovic spaces), the approach used for differential forms? Ordinary Kahler differentials from commutative algebra/algebraic geometry ...
user720386's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
179 views

Exact forms, gauge transformations, and the Hodge decomposition in non-abelian Gauge theory

I am trying to understand how the Hodge decomposition is affected by gauge transformations in non-abelian in gauge theory (eg $\mathrm{SU}(N)$). In particular, I am searching for a way to generalise ...
b0bgary's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
635 views

Availability of a copy the first volume of Segre's "Forme differenziali e loro integrali"

I am precisely referring to the following, first volume of the textbook/lecture notes/monograph written by Beniamino Segre in the fifties of the twentieth century (I own a copy of the second volume) ...
Daniele Tampieri's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
204 views

The wedge product of two positive forms is positive

I have previously posted this question on MSE, but still didn't solve it. Definition. A real $(p, p)$-form $\psi$ on a complex manifold $M^{n}$ is said to be (semi-) positive, if for any $x \in M$, ...
HeroZhang001's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
82 views

Projection to trivial reduced cohomology class in $L^2(\mathbb{R})$

Given that I have had no success on the mathematics stackexchange (see here), I've decided to try my luck here. I am attempting to solve the following exercise (original formulation here), which to my ...
Pastudent's user avatar
  • 111
1 vote
1 answer
200 views

Sign of the permutation when I show that $\star{\star w}= (-1)^{n(n-k)} w$ for the Hodge operator

Let $w=\sum_{I} a_{I}dx_{I}$ be a $k$-form in $\Bbb R ^n$. Let us consider the Hodge operator in a combinatorial form, i.e. as an $(n-k)$ form such that $$\star(dx_{i_{1}} \wedge \dotsb \wedge dx_{i_{...
Wrloord's user avatar
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0 answers
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Application of $k$-forms to differential equations

I was presented with a problem that, in my view, is somewhat difficult, and it relates $k$-forms to systems of differential equations. Consider the ellipsoid, given by $$f(u, v)=(a\sin(u) \cos(v), b \...
Wrloord's user avatar
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15 votes
2 answers
889 views

Hodge decomposition of smooth n-forms: is it an isomorphism of topological vector spaces?

Fix a compact Riemannian manifold $M$ (leaving the metric implicit). What I'd like to know is if the corresponding Hodge decomposition of smooth $n$-forms $$ \Omega^n(M) \simeq \mathcal{H}^n(M)\oplus ...
David Roberts's user avatar
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6 votes
1 answer
404 views

Densities, pseudoforms, absolute differential forms and measures, differential forms, etc

Apologies if this question is too basic, but I figured I first heard of most of these concepts on MO, so perhaps I can ask here. Gelfand’s definition, copied from AlvarezPaiva [My edit, could be ...
D.R.'s user avatar
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2 votes
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103 views

What $1$-forms $\theta$ solve $\Delta \theta = f\theta$ for a smooth function $f$?

I have a seemingly basic question that I cannot find any literature on. Let $(M,g)$ be a smooth Riemannian manifold and let $\Delta:\Omega^1(M) \to \Omega^1(M)$ be the Laplace-De Rham operator on $1$-...
Julian Chaidez's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
65 views

Lefschetz operator on bundle-valued forms

For a holomorphic vector bundle $V \rightarrow X$ endowed with a Hermitian structure, one may define the corresponding Dolbeault-like operators $\bar{\partial}_V: \Omega^{p,q}(V) \rightarrow \Omega^{p,...
Eweler's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
125 views

Friedrich's second inequality for functions with zero average

Friedrich's second inequality (or Maxwell Estimates or Gaffney’s inequality in the literature) is referred as follows: for all $\mathbf{u} \in H^1(\Omega)^2$ satisfying either $\mathbf{n} \cdot \...
Ryan Li's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
121 views

Does a gauge-invariant Caccioppoli inequality hold?

(I previously asked this question on Math.SE but got no responses after two weeks.) Let $V \Subset U$ be domains in a Riemannian manifold $M$, and $W := U \setminus \overline V$. If $u: U \to \mathbb ...
Aidan Backus's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
166 views

What is the topology on the space of differential forms $\Omega^2(M)$?

I have posted this question on MSE one year ago, but till now I did not received an answer. Therefore I have decided to post it here. I have difficulty in understanding the meaning of "A ...
Uncool's user avatar
  • 191
1 vote
0 answers
127 views

Degeneration differential form nodal curve

I have a (possibly very basic) question about differential forms on nodal curves. After reading Witten's survey "Two-dimensional gravity and intersection theory on moduli space", I am ...
Dizbro's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
199 views

Decomposition of forms on a Spin$(7)$ manifold

Let's take a $G_2$ manifold $(M,\Phi)$, then we get a Spin$(7)$ manifold by taking $(M\times\mathbb{R},\Psi:=\Phi\wedge dt+*_M\Phi),$ where $t$ is the coordinate in the $\mathbb{R}$-direction. $\Phi\...
Partha's user avatar
  • 954
2 votes
1 answer
132 views

Mass of the push forward of a k-current with fixed orientation

$\DeclareMathOperator{\Mass}{Mass}$Let $f: \mathbb{R}^n \to \mathbb{R}^n$ be a smoth map. Given a $2$-vector (in general a $k$-vector but let's stick to $2$) $v_1 \wedge v_2 \in \Lambda_2 (\mathbb{R}^...
tommy1996q's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
73 views

Vanishing components of Kähler metric

Let $(X, \omega) $ be a $n$-dimensional complex Kähler manifold such that $\omega^{n-1}=d\alpha $. Does $\partial\alpha^{n-1,n-2} =0$ (resp. $\bar\partial\alpha^{n-2,n-1} =0$) Where $\alpha^{n-1,n-2}$ ...
Samir's user avatar
  • 43
2 votes
1 answer
102 views

Detecting non-affine automorphisms of a translation surface

Let $(X, \omega)$ be a translation surface, i.e., a Riemann surface with a homomorphism $1$-form. A central object is the group of affine automorphisms $\text{Aff}^+(X, \omega)$: homeomorphisms of $X$ ...
Sam Freedman's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
70 views

Proving an equality of differential forms by assuming some perhaps topological condition

Let say I want to show two differential forms $\omega_1$ and $\omega_2$ on a smooth manifold $M$ are equal. Of course it suffices to show $\omega_1=\omega_2$ locally, i.e. the equality holds over ...
Ho Man-Ho's user avatar
  • 1,173
0 votes
1 answer
193 views

Behaviour of the Cartan Maurer form

Let there be a Lie-group $G$ and its Lie-algebra $g$. Then the Cartan Maurer form is an 1-form $\omega: T_gG \rightarrow T_eG$ for which holds: $$ (L^\ast_g)\omega = \omega$$ In Shlomo Sternberg's ...
Frederic Thomas's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
248 views

Cohomology of invariant differential forms

Let $M$ be a compact manifold and $\varphi:M\rightarrow M$ a diffeomorphism. The invariant differential forms $$ \Omega^{k}_{inv}(M)=\{\alpha\in\Omega^{k}(M):\varphi^{*}\alpha=\alpha\} $$ form a ...
studiosus's user avatar
  • 305
2 votes
0 answers
135 views

Derivative of anti-self-dual forms on Kähler space

I am puzzled if we can establish differential relations about anti-self-dual 2-forms on the Kähler space similar to ones for self-dual forms? Let $(\mathcal{M},g,J,\omega = J^{(1)})$ be a Kähler space....
Sergei Ovchinnikov's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
135 views

Norm of the Lipschitz-Killing differential forms

I am currently learning about the theory of Normal Cycles which makes use of the language of currents and differential forms. They are defined in the following way The Lipschitz-Killing curvature form ...
Taraellum's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
67 views

Combinatorial approximation to the integral of a form?

This is a bit of a followup to my previous question Intuition for the volume form - combinatorial definition?. I am looking for a certain combinatorial intuition when it comes to integrating ...
Sprotte's user avatar
  • 1,075
9 votes
1 answer
868 views

Geometric definition of divergence using curvature mentioned in Tristan Needham

In page-479 of Visual Complex Analysis, Tristan Needham derives the flux of a vector field in Geometric form: $$ \nabla \cdot X = \partial_s |X| + \kappa_p |X|$$ The $\partial_s$ is a derivative along ...
Brian's user avatar
  • 1,545
1 vote
0 answers
92 views

Target space of Green's operator on $L^p$-differential forms on closed manifolds

Let $M$ be a closed (i.e., compact without boundary) smooth oriented Riemannian manifold endowed with a regular atlas in the sense of C. Scott [1], i.e., with a finite atlas $\mathcal{A}$ so that for ...
user91126's user avatar
  • 213
2 votes
1 answer
281 views

$\omega$ is a symplectic form then $L^k_{\omega}:\Omega^q(M)\to \Omega^{q+2k}(M)$ is injective for all $q\leq n-k$ and surjective for all $q\geq n-k$

Let $(M^{2n},\omega)$ be a symplectic manifold of dimension $2n$. Let $L^k_{\omega}:\Omega^q(M)\to \Omega^{q+2k}(M)$ be the map given by $L^k_{\omega}(\alpha)=\alpha\wedge\omega^k$. Then is it true ...
Uncool's user avatar
  • 191
2 votes
0 answers
64 views

Decomposition of a bivector of a Lorentzian manifold [closed]

In the case of the $(1, -1, -1, -1)$ metric, a bivector (or a 2-form) $F$ decomposes uniquely as the sum of two orthogonal simple bivectors if $F^2 \ne 0$. I have the impression that it is very little ...
Fabrice Pardo's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
90 views

A curve in the bundle of two forms

Let $(M,g)$ be a closed Riemannian manifold. Fix a point $m\in M$ and a $2$-form $\omega$ at $m.$ Take a curve $\gamma$ in $M$ such that $\gamma(0)=m.$ Now we can get a $2$-form along $\gamma$ by ...
Partha's user avatar
  • 954
10 votes
2 answers
892 views

Sobolev spaces of differential forms and regular atlases

In [1] (section 3), C. Scott introduces the following concept of regular atlas for closed $C^\infty$-smooth Riemannian manifolds. He says: When referring to a coordinate system $(U,\phi)$ as regular, ...
user91126's user avatar
  • 213
3 votes
6 answers
2k views

The purpose of connections in differential geometry [closed]

I am currently reading through differential geometry as a mathematics graduate. Can somebody give me a brief explainer on the purpose of connections? I could also use explainers on differential forms. ...
2 votes
1 answer
678 views

Why non closed differential forms do not play important role for the topology of a manifold?

Cross-posted from MSE. I know that De Rham cohomology reveal some properties of the topology of smooth manifolds by finding closed differential $k$-forms $\mathsf{d}\omega=0$ that are not exact $\...
C.F.G's user avatar
  • 4,195
5 votes
1 answer
200 views

Finding a volume form on a fibre of a submersion between oriented manifolds

Let $f:X\to Y$ be a submersion between orientable smooth manifolds of respective dimensions $n,p$ and let $j:M=f^{-1}(y)\hookrightarrow X$ denote the inclusion of some fibre of $f$. My naïve (I am ...
Georges Elencwajg's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
305 views

Differential forms and continuous maps

Let $$ X \xrightarrow{f} Z \xleftarrow{g} Y $$ be smooth manifolds and smooth maps (smooth = $C^\infty$), and $$ X \xrightarrow{K} Y $$ be a continuous map such that $f=g\circ K$. Let $\...
Semen Podkorytov's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
852 views

Visualizing holomorphic differentials on a compact Riemann surface?

It is a classical result that the vector space of holomorphic differentials on a compact Riemann surface of genus $g$ has dimension $g$. I am wondering if there is a way of visualizing this wonderful ...
Timothy Chow's user avatar
  • 82.7k
6 votes
1 answer
183 views

Tangential harmonic $1$-forms are pullbacks of harmonic functions

This question has also been posted on MSE, but maybe here is the right place to obtain an answer. Let $(M^3,g)$ be a compact connected oriented Riemannian $3$-manifold with nonempty boundary. The ...
Eduardo Longa's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
331 views

Degeneration of Hodge-de Rham spectral sequence, exactness of a pairing and the trace morphism

If $X\longrightarrow S$, where $S=\operatorname{Spec}(k)$, is a proper smooth morphism of dimension $p$ between $\mathbb{F}_{p}$ schemes with Frobenius $F$, then there is an exact pairing $\wedge:\...
The Thin Whistler's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
77 views

How does one interpret the wetting area?

This may be a simple question, but I decided to post it here (not just on MSE) because it is very related to a research topic: capillary surfaces. Let $(M^3,g)$ be a Riemannian $3$-manifold with ...
Eduardo Longa's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
193 views

Why does the formula (7) in the article equivariant cohomology with generalized coefficients hold

I'm reading the article of equivariant cohomology with generalized coefficients by Kumar and Vergne and I have this question from that article Let G be a compact lie group with lie algebra $\mathfrak{...
Mira's user avatar
  • 139
13 votes
2 answers
1k views

Poynting vector and differential forms

It is well known that electromagnetic field is a 2-form and Maxwell's equation can be reformulated in language of differential forms. What is the Poynting vector in this language?
Andrei's user avatar
  • 139
1 vote
0 answers
328 views

Codifferential of wedge of two 1-forms

Let $\omega,\eta$ be two 1-forms on a manifold $M$. I'm interested in an expression for $$ \delta(\omega\wedge\eta) $$ where $\delta$ is the co-differential operator $\Lambda^2(M)\to\Lambda^1(M)$. ...
Paul's user avatar
  • 213
7 votes
0 answers
245 views

Albanese morphism induces an isomorphism on global $1$-forms

Let $X$ be a smooth projective variety over a field $k$ of characteristic zero equipped with a point $e\in X(k)$. There is Albanese morphism $a:X\to \mathrm{Alb}\,X$ which is initial among pointed ...
SashaP's user avatar
  • 7,377
12 votes
2 answers
2k views

Different definitions for integral de Rham cohomology classes

Suppose that $S$ is a compact orientable surface. In this case, the top de Rham cohomology space $H^2(S)\cong \mathbb{R}$, with the isomorphism given by integration on $2$-forms along $S$. Now, one ...
G. Gallego's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
1k views

Norm of a differential form [closed]

How can we explicitly calculate the norm of a differential form? For example let $(X, \omega) $ be a complex manifold such that locally $$ \omega(z) =i\sum_{k,j} h_{k, j} (z) dz_k\wedge d\overline {...
user161399's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
147 views

Equivalence generated by Jacobian minors

Let $f,g:\mathbb{R}^m \to \mathbb{R}^n$ be two smooth functions and let $k$ be a strictly positive integer. Write $f \sim_k g$ if at each point in the domain, the determinants of all $k \times k$ ...
Vidit Nanda's user avatar
  • 15.5k
2 votes
1 answer
233 views

When is this differential form harmonic?

Let $(M^3, g)$ be a (closed) Riemannian manifold and let $u: M \to S$ be a harmonic function, where $S$ is a closed orientable surface. If $\omega$ is a $2$-form on $S$, what are sufficient conditions ...
Eduardo Longa's user avatar