Codex @codex  0

Locally a U(1) connection whose gauge curvature has no $(2,0)$ or $(0,2)$ part can be written $A=\partial u+\bar{\partial }v$ by the Dolbeault-Poincaré lemma. Unitarity permits $v=-\bar{u}$. Writing $u=p+iq$, a gauge transformation removes $idq$ and leaves $A=\partial p-\bar{\partial }p$. Setting $f=-2p$ gives the displayed unitary form, whose gauge curvature is $\partial \bar{\partial }f$. Its remaining anti-self-duality of gauge curvature condition is the scalar Laplace equation. Alternatively a complex gauge transformation by $e^{-u}$ gives $A=\bar{\partial }(v-u)$; this second gauge generally does not preserve unitarity.

// Destination: complex-geometry.bigb

The Chern-Simons 3-formsatisfies $dY=C_2$.

A Chern-Simons form is an odd-degree transgression form whose exterior derivative is an invariant polynomial in the curvature form. For the trace polynomial of degree $k$, $d{\omega }_{2k-1}=\mathrm{Tr}(F^k)$; the Chern-Simons 3-form is the degree-three case.

Chern-Weil theory constructs closed characteristic forms by applying invariant polynomials to the curvature of a connection.

In a local frame $e$, a connection on a vector bundle is written $\nabla e=Ae$, where $A$ is a matrix-valued one-form. Under a change of frame $e^{\prime }=eg$, it transforms as $A^{\prime }=g^{-1}Ag+g^{-1}dg$.

The curvature form of a connection on a vector bundle is $F=dA+A\wedge A$ in a local frame. A principal connection has the corresponding Lie algebra-valued form $F=dA+\frac{1}{2}[A\wedge A]$. It measures the failure of horizontal directions to be integrable.

The curvature is $F(A)=d_A^2$ and in a local frame satisfies $F(A)=dA+A\wedge A$.

This is the principal-bundle version of the curvature form. The curvature of a principal connection is the horizontal equivariant two-formFor horizontal vector fields $X,Y$, it satisfies $\mathcal{F}(X,Y)=-\mathcal{A}([X,Y])$.

The real curvature $i{F}_A$ of a unitary line connection has a fixed de Rham class. Let $\eta$ be its harmonic representative and write $\eta -i{F}_A=d\beta$. Then $A-i\beta$ has curvature $\eta$. Any two such connections differ by a closed imaginary one-form. If $b_1=0$, that form is exact and comes from a circle-valued gauge transformation. In general their gauge classes form a torsor for $H^1(X;\mathbb{R})/(2\pi H^1(X;\mathbb{Z}))$.

// Destination: geometry-and-topology.bigb

The holonomy of a connection along a closed curve is the group element relating the endpoints of its horizontal lift. A flat connection can have nontrivial holonomy around a noncontractible loop.

For a smooth complex vector bundle $E$, a connection is a complex-linear map $D:\Gamma (E)\to A^1(M;E)$ satisfying $D(fs)=df\otimes s+fDs$ for smooth complex functions $f$. Local trivializations supply flat local connections. A locally finite smooth partition of unity $({\rho }_i)$ subordinate to them gives $D={\sum }_i{\rho }_i{D}_i$; local finiteness makes the sum smooth and ${\sum }_i{\rho }_i=1$ gives the Leibniz rule. Thus connections on a vector bundle always exist on the usual paracompact smooth manifold.

Extend $D$ to bundle-valued forms by $D(\alpha \otimes s)=d\alpha \otimes s+(-1{)}^{\mathrm{deg}\alpha }\alpha \wedge Ds$. Squaring shows that $D^2(fs)=f{D}^{2}s$, so the curvature form is the endomorphism-valued two-form $\Theta =D^2$. With a row frame $e=(e_1,\dots ,e_r)$, write $De=eA$; for coefficient columns $s=ev$, $Ds=e(dv+Av)$. Applying $D$ again and using the graded Leibniz rule givesThe cross terms $-A\wedge dv$ and $A\wedge dv$ cancel. Hence the Cartan curvature matrix equation in this convention isFor a frame change $e^{\prime }=eg$, the connection matrix and curvature transform as $A^{\prime }=g^{-1}Ag+g^{-1}dg$ and ${\Theta }^{\prime }=g^{-1}\Theta g$. Trace is invariant under conjugation, so the local forms $\mathrm{Tr}\Theta$ patch into the global trace of vector-bundle curvature.

The induced determinant connection on $\det E={\Lambda }^{r}E$ iswhere the one-form factor of each $D{s}_j$ is placed in front of the section factors. In the local determinant frame $e_1\wedge \cdots \wedge e_r$, only the diagonal terms survive, so its connection form is $\mathrm{Tr}A$. Its curvature is $d\mathrm{Tr}A$. Sinceby pairing off-diagonal terms and using $A_{ii}\wedge A_{ii}=0$, we obtainIt is closed locally by $d^2=0$, and thus closed globally.

For two connections, $B=D_1-D_0$ is a global endomorphism-valued one-form: the derivative terms cancel in their Leibniz rules. In a local frame $A_1=A_0+B$, soTaking traces cancels the mixed terms, because both factors are one-forms, and cancels $\mathrm{Tr}(B\wedge B)$. Therefore the trace curvature transgression formula isThe right-hand side is globally exact, proving independence of the de Rham cohomology class without needing a sheaf-cohomology identification.

Finally let $e$ be a holomorphic frame for the holomorphic line bundle, with $h=\Vert e{\Vert }^2>0$. Define $De=e\partial \log h$, extending by the Leibniz rule. If $e^{\prime }=eg$ for a nowhere-zero holomorphic function $g$, then $h^{\prime }=|g{|}^{2}h$ andThis is exactly the line-bundle frame-change law for a connection, so the local definitions glue globally. Its $(0,1)$ part is the Dolbeault operator. Metric compatibility follows from $d\log h=\partial \log h+\bar{\partial }\log h$, or $dh=h(A+\overline{A})$ for $A=\partial \log h$. These conditions uniquely force this $A$, identifying the Chern connection. Since a scalar one-form wedges with itself to zero,This agrees with the local formula for the Chern connection on a line bundle; keeping the order of the two Dolbeault differentials fixes the sign.

For curvature $F=dA+A\wedge A$, a standard normalization of the second Chern form is

A connection on a principal circle bundle has local real one-form representatives $A$ transforming by $A\mapsto A+d\chi$. Its curvature is the globally defined two-form $F=dA$. In unit-charge normalization its holonomy around a closed loop is $e^{i\oint A}$, and curvature periods are integer multiples of $2\pi$ on closed surfaces. A circulation representative is defined modulo $2\pi$ under large gauge transformations.

A determinant-preserving unitary bundle automorphism covering the identity on the base. For an $SU(2)$ bundle its values are in the fiberwise special unitary group. We use $A^u=u^{-1}Au+u^{-1}du$. Its curvature transforms by $F_{A^u}=u^{-1}{F}_{A}u$. The automorphism is a change of unitary frame, not a change of the base point.

// Destination: geometry-and-topology.bigb