Subtleties concerning conformal tractor bundles

The realization of tractor bundles as associated bundles in conformal geometry is studied. It is shown that different natural choices of principal bundle with normal Cartan connection corresponding to a given conformal manifold can give rise to topologically distinct associated tractor bundles for the same inducing representation. Consequences for homogeneous models and conformal holonomy are described. A careful presentation is made of background material concerning standard tractor bundles and equivalence between parabolic geometries and underlying structures.     

Conformally Invariant Operators,Differential Forms,Cohomology and a Generalisation of Q-Curvature

On conformal manifolds of even dimension n ≥ 4 we construct a family of new conformally invariant differential complexes, each containing one coboundary operator of order greater than 1. Each bundle in each of these complexes appears either in the de Rham complex or in its dual (which is a different complex in the non-orientable case). Each of the new complexes is elliptic in case the conformal structure has Riemannian signature. We also construct gauge companion operators which (for differential forms of order k ≤ n/2) complete the exterior derivative to a conformally invariant and (in the case of Riemannian signature) elliptically coercive system. These (operator, gauge) pairs are used to define finite dimensional conformally stable form subspaces which are are candidates for spaces of conformal harmonics. This generalizes the n/2-form and 0-form cases, in which the harmonics are given by conformally invariant systems. These constructions are based on a family of operators on closed forms which generalize in a natural way Branson's Q-curvature. We give a universal construction of these new operators and show that they yield new conformally invariant global pairings between differential form bundles. Finally we give a geometric construction of a family of conformally invariant differential operators between density-valued differential form bundles and develop their properties (including their ellipticity type in the case of definite conformal signature). The construction is based on the ambient metric of Fefferman and Graham, and its relationship to the tractor bundles for the Cartan normal conformal connection. For each form order, our derivation yields an operator of every even order in odd dimensions, and even order operators up to order n in even dimension n. In the case of unweighted (or true) forms as domain, these operators are the natural form analogues of the critical order conformal Laplacian of Graham et al., and are key ingredients in the new differential complexes mentioned above.     

Graham-Witten's Conformal Invariant for Closed Four Dimensional Submanifolds

It was proved by Graham and Witten in 1999 that conformal invariants of submanifolds can be obtained via volume renormalization of minimal surfaces in conformally compact Einstein manifolds. The conformal invariant of a submanifold $\Sigma$ is contained in the volume expansion of the minimal surface which is asymptotic to $\Sigma$ when the minimal surface approaches the conformaly infinity. In the paper we give the explicit expression of Graham-Witten's conformal invariant for closed four dimensional submanifolds and find critical points of the conformal invariant in the case of Euclidean ambient spaces.     

Ambient connections realising conformal Tractor holonomy

For a conformal manifold we introduce the notion of an ambient connection, an affine connection on an ambient manifold of the conformal manifold, possibly with torsion, and with conditions relating it to the conformal structure. The purpose of this construction is to realise the normal conformal Tractor holonomy as affine holonomy of such a connection. We give an example of an ambient connection for which this is the case, and which is torsion free if we start the construction with a C-space, and in addition Ricci-flat if we start with an Einstein manifold. Thus, for a C-space this example leads to an ambient metric in the weaker sense of Čap and Gover, and for an Einstein space to a Ricci-flat ambient metric in the sense of Fefferman and Graham. Current address for first author: Erwin Schr?dinger International Institute for Mathematical Physics (ESI), Boltzmanngasse 9, 1090 Vienna, Austria Current address for second author: Department of Mathematics, University of Hamburg, Bundesstra?e 55, 20146 Hamburg, Germany     

Commuting Differential and Difference Operators Associated to Complex Curves I

The purpose of this paper is to define functional realizations of the Khizhnik–Zamolochikov–Bernard (KZB) connection on the bundle of conformal blocks over the moduli space of curves.     

Conformal holonomy of C-spaces, Ricci-flat, and Lorentzian manifolds

The main result of this paper is that a Lorentzian manifold is locally conformally equivalent to a manifold with recurrent lightlike vector field and totally isotropic Ricci tensor if and only if its conformal tractor holonomy admits a 2-dimensional totally isotropic invariant subspace. Furthermore, for semi-Riemannian manifolds of arbitrary signature we prove that the conformal holonomy algebra of a C-space is a Berger algebra. For Ricci-flat spaces we show how the conformal holonomy can be obtained by the holonomy of the ambient metric and get results for Riemannian manifolds and plane waves.     

Seiberg–Witten Invariants of Nonsimple Type and Einstein Metrics

We study the behavior of the moduli space of solutions to theSeiberg–Witten equations under a conformal change in the metric of aKähler surface (M,g). If the canonical line bundle K _M is ofpositive degree, we prove there is only one (up to gauge) solution tothe equations associated to any conformal metric to g. We use this, toconstruct examples of four dimensional manifolds withSpin ^c -structures, whose moduli spaces of solutions to theSeiberg–Witten equations, represent a nontrivial bordism class ofpositive dimension, i.e. the Spin ^c -structures are not inducedby almost complex structures. As an application, we show the existenceof infinitely many nonhomeomorphic compact oriented 4-manifolds withfree fundamental group and predetermined Euler characteristic andsignature that do not carry Einstein metrics.     

A holonomy characterisation of Fefferman spaces

We prove that Fefferman spaces, associated to non-degenerate CR structures of hypersurface type, are characterised, up to local conformal isometry, by the existence of a parallel orthogonal complex structure on the standard tractor bundle. This condition can be equivalently expressed in terms of conformal holonomy. Extracting from this picture the essential consequences at the level of tensor bundles yields an improved, conformally invariant analogue of Sparling’s characterisation of Fefferman spaces.     

On Galilean connections and the first jet bundle

We see how the first jet bundle of curves into affine space can be realized as a homogeneous space of the Galilean group. Cartan connections with this model are precisely the geometric structure of second-order ordinary differential equations under time-preserving transformations — sometimes called KCC-theory. With certain regularity conditions, we show that any such Cartan connection induces “laboratory” coordinate systems, and the geodesic equations in this coordinates form a system of second-order ordinary differential equations. We then show the converse — the “fundamental theorem” — that given such a coordinate system, and a system of second order ordinary differential equations, there exists regular Cartan connections yielding these, and such connections are completely determined by their torsion.     

Remarks on the Schwarzian derivatives and the invariantquantization by means of a Finsler function

Let (M, F) be a Finsler manifold. We construct a 1-cocycle on Diff(M) with values in the space of differential operators acting on sections of some bundles, by means of the Finsler fonction F. As an operator, it has several expressions: in terms of the Chern, Berwald, Cartan or Hashiguchi connection, although its cohomology class does not depend on them. This cocycle is closely related to the conformal Schwarzian derivatives introduced in our previous work. The second main result of this paper is to discuss some properties of the conformally invariant quantization map by means of a Sazaki (type) metric on the slit bundle T Minduced by F.     

The conformal Killing equation on forms—prolongations and applications

We construct a conformally invariant vector bundle connection such that its equation of parallel transport is a first order system that gives a prolongation of the conformal Killing equation on differential forms. Parallel sections of this connection are related bijectively to solutions of the conformal Killing equation. We construct other conformally invariant connections, also giving prolongations of the conformal Killing equation, that bijectively relate solutions of the conformal Killing equation on k-forms to a twisting of the conformal Killing equation on (k−?)-forms for various integers ?. These tools are used to develop a helicity raising and lowering construction in the general setting and on conformally Einstein manifolds.     

Euler-Poincaré reduction in principal fibre bundles and the problem of Lagrange

We compare Euler-Poincaré reduction in principal fibre bundles, as a constrained variational problem on the connections of this fibre bundle and constraint defined by the vanishing of the curvature of the connection, with the corresponding problem of Lagrange. Under certain cohomological condition we prove the equality of the sets of critical sections of both problems with the one obtained by application of the Lagrange multiplier rule. We compute the corresponding Cartan form and characterise critical sections as the set of holonomic solutions of the Cartan equation and, in particular, under a certain regularity condition for the problem, we prove the holonomy of any solution of this equation.     

Autour du théorème de Ferrand–Obata (Concerning the Theorem of Ferrand–Obata)

The aim of this article is to give a new dynamical proof of the Ferrand–Obata theorem when the manifold is compact. This will give us a generalisation of this theorem to transversally conformal foliations ofcodimension greater than three and constant basic functions.     

Radiation and Scattering by Complex Conformal Antennas on a Circular Cylinder

A technique for characterizing and designing complex conformal antennas flush-mounted on a singly-curved surface is presented. This approach is based on the hybrid finite element–boundary integral (FE–BI) method. A related method was proposed in the past utilizing cylindrical-shell finite element and roof-top rectangular basis functions for the boundary integral. Although that method proved very powerful for analyzing cylindrical–rectangular patch arrays flush-mounted to a circular cylinder, the requirement for uniform meshing in the aperture ultimately limited its usefulness. In this present formulation, tetrahedral elements are used to expand the volumetric electric fields while similar basis functions are used for the boundary integral. The curvature of the aperture is explicitly included via the use of the circular cylinder dyadic Green's function. After presentation of the formulation and validation using several well-understood examples, an example is presented that illustrates the capabilities of this method for modeling complex conformal antennas heretofore not examined by rigorous methods due to inherent limitations of the various published methods.     

Geometry of curves in generalized flag varieties

The current paper is devoted to the study of integral curves of constant type in generalized flag varieties. We construct a canonical moving frame bundle for such curves and give a criterion when it turns out to be a Cartan connection. Generalizations to parametrized curves, to higher-dimensional submanifolds and to parabolic geometries are discussed.     

The T. Y. Thomas construction of projectively related manifolds

The construction of projectively related affine connected manifolds by T. Y. Thomas is reformulated in terms of the bundle of contravariant volume forms on the manifold. The connection introduced by T. Y. Thomas is examined both in terms of the Cartan connection on the projective bundle over the manifold and the structure of the bundle of volume forms.     

Rigorous Formulation of a 2D Conformal Model in the Fock–Krein Space: Construction of the Global Op J *-Algebra of Fields and Currents

We use the formalism of the 2D massless scalar field model in an indefinite space of the Fock–Krein type as a basis for constructing a rigorous formulation of 2D quantum conformal theories. We show that the sought construction is a several-stage procedure whose central block is the construction of a new type of representation of the Virasoro algebra. We develop the first stage of this procedure, which is to construct a special global algebra of fields and currents generated by exponential generators. We obtain a system of commutation relations for the Wick-squared currents used in the definition of the Virasoro generators. We prove the existence of Wick exponentials of the current given by operator-valued generalized functions; the sought global algebra is rigorously defined as the algebra of current and field, Wick and normal exponentials on a common dense invariant domain in a Fock–Krein space.     

Flat Surfaces in \mathbb{L}4

We give a global conformal representation for flat surfaces with a flat normal bundle in the standard flat Lorentzian space form ⁴. Particularly, flat surfaces in hyperbolic 3-space, the de Sitter 3-space, the null cone, and other numerous examples aredescribed.