Multiplicative Dirac structures on Lie groups

We study multiplicative Dirac structures on Lie groups. We show that the characteristic foliation of a multiplicative Dirac structure is given by the cosets of a normal Lie subgroup and, whenever this subgroup is closed, the leaf space inherits the structure of a Poisson–Lie group. We also describe multiplicative Dirac structures on Lie groups infinitesimally. To cite this article: C. Ortiz, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 346 (2008).