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For a principal bundle $P\to B$ and a left action of its structure group on a manifold $F$, the associated bundle is $(P\times F)/\sim$, where $(pg,f)\sim (p,gf)$. Local sections identify it with $U\times F$; principal transition functions act on $F$. Linear actions give associated vector bundles.

A linear representation $\rho :G\to GL(V)$ of a principal bundle's structure group defines the quotient of $P\times V$ by $(p,v)\sim (pg,\rho (g{)}^{-1}v)$. It is a vector bundle over the same base. A principal connection induces parallel transport and a local covariant derivative $d+{\rho }_{\ast }(A)$ on its sections.

For a topological group $G$, a universal principal bundle $EG\to BG$ has contractible total space and classifies numerable principal $G$-bundles by pullback. Over a paracompact base, isomorphism classes correspond to homotopy classes of maps to $BG$. For a discrete group, its classifying space of a discrete group is a $K(G,1)$; for the circle, $B{S}^1\simeq {\mathbb{CP}}^{\infty }$.

On a coordinate trivialization of a principal bundle, the right-invariant vector fields $R_a(\gamma )=T_a\gamma$ satisfy $[R_a,R_b]=-c^d{}_{ab}{R}_d$. With $A=A_i^a{T}_{a}d{x}^i$, the displayed lifts project to the commuting coordinate fields and contract to zero with the principal connection. Taking their Lie brackets gives the local curvature of a principal connection coefficients $F_{ij}={\partial }_i{A}_j-{\partial }_j{A}_i+[A_i,A_j]$. Thus these lifts commute exactly when the connection is flat. Arbitrary base fields need not commute, and flatness alone does not supply a global coordinate frame or remove holonomy of a connection.

The frame bundle of an $n$-dimensional smooth manifold has fiber over $x$ consisting of linear isomorphisms $u:{\mathbb{R}}^n\to T_{x}M$. Right composition by $GL(n,\mathbb{R})$ makes it a principal bundle. A global frame of a vector bundle is a global section of a fiber bundle and trivializes the tangent bundle. A metric restricts the allowed frames to the orthonormal frame bundle.

If a Lie group acts smoothly, freely, and properly on a smooth manifold $P$, then the quotient $P/G$ has a unique smooth structure for which $P\to P/G$ is a principal bundle. An action by a compact Lie group is automatically proper.

A gauge transformation is an automorphism of a principal bundle covering the identity on the base and commuting with its right group action. Pullback relates gauge-equivalent principal connections. Locally it acts by the displayed formula; the gauge curvature transforms by conjugation. Gauge functions on overlapping charts satisfy the bundle's transition compatibility. Infinitesimally $g=e^{\epsilon }$ gives $\delta A=D_A\epsilon$.

Let $H(n)$ be the real vector space of Hermitian matrices. The polar decomposition of an invertible complex matrix gives a diffeomorphismIts inverse sends $g$ toRight multiplication by $U(n)$ changes only $u$, so the orbit space is smoothly $H(n)$ and the quotient map is a globally trivial principal bundle.

This is a smoothly varying positive-definite Hermitian form on each fiber, without requiring a holomorphic base or bundle. A partition of unity glues local positive metrics into a global one. Applying smooth Gram-Schmidt to local frames then makes the transitions unitary, reducing the structure group of a vector bundle to $U(k)$. For a line bundle its unit vectors form a principal bundle for the circle group.

For a fixed principal bundle, orientation and instanton sign, quotient the Yang-Mills instanton solutions by gauge equivalence of principal connections. Boundary or framing conditions determine the gauge group $\mathcal{G}$ on a noncompact base. At an anti-self-dual solution, infinitesimal deformations obey $P_{+}{D}_{A}a=0$ modulo $a\mapsto a+D_A\epsilon$. Combining this with $D_A^{\ast }a=0$ gives an elliptic deformation operator. This description does not assert that every quotient is a smooth manifold: reducible connections can have nontrivial stabilizers.

For a complex Lie group, holomorphic principal bundles over a Stein manifold are classified up to holomorphic isomorphism by their topological bundle class. In particular, a topologically trivial holomorphic principal bundle over a Stein base has a global holomorphic trivialization. This supplies global complex gauges for a flat partial connection on contractible complex affine space; it does not impose prescribed behaviour at infinity.

Represent unit-radius de Sitter spacetime by the spacelike unit hyperboloid in five-dimensional Minkowski spacetime. Appending its position vector as the last column of an oriented pseudo-orthonormal frame produces a matrix in $SO(4,1)$. Projection to that last column identifies $SO(4,1)$ with the oriented orthonormal frame bundle, a principal bundle with group $SO(3,1)$. The full bundle allowing both orientations is $O(4,1)$ with group $O(3,1)$. Requiring a time orientation as well selects the corresponding identity components.

Represent the Anti-de Sitter spacetime quadric by $x\cdot x=-{\ell }^2$ in ${\mathbb{R}}^{3,2}$. Appending its timelike unit normal $x/\ell$ to an oriented tangent pseudo-orthonormal frame identifies the frame bundle with $SO(3,2)$. The stabilizer of that normal is $SO(3,1)$, so projection realizes $SO(3,2)/SO(3,1)$ as the base of a principal bundle. For the commonly used universal cover of the anti-de Sitter quadric, pull this bundle back along the covering map; the quadric itself has a periodic timelike coordinate.

An oriented pseudo-orthonormal frame in Minkowski spacetime consists of its base point $a$ and a Lorentz matrix $L$ acting on a fixed reference frame. The pairs $(a,L)$ form the Poincaré group, and right multiplication by $(0,h)$ sends the frame to $(a,Lh)$ while fixing its base point. Thus the displayed projection is a principal bundle with group $SO(3,1)$. The full frame bundle uses $O(3,1)$; a specified time orientation restricts to the corresponding connected component.

For a metric of signature $(r,s)$, the orthonormal frame bundle consists of all linear isometries $u:{\mathbb{R}}^{r,s}\to T_{x}M$. Right composition by $O(r,s)$ makes it a principal bundle. Its standard associated vector bundle is the tangent bundle, via $[u,v]\mapsto u(v)$. A global orthonormal frame is a global section and therefore trivializes this principal bundle. A Lie group with a left-invariant metric has such a frame by left translating an orthonormal basis at the identity.

For a smooth manifold $M$ of dimension $n$, the tangent space $T_{p}M$ can be defined as the space of derivations at $p$: linear maps $v$ on germs of smooth real functions satisfying $v(fg)=f(p)v(g)+g(p)v(f)$. Equivalently, $v$ is the velocity of a smooth curve through $p$, with curves identified when their coordinate velocities agree. A chart $(x^1,\dots ,x^n)$ supplies the basis ${\partial }_i{|}_p$, so $v=v^i{\partial }_i{|}_p$.

The tangent bundle is the disjoint union $TM={\coprod }_{p\in M}{T}_{p}M$, with projection $\pi (v)=p$. Its smooth structure is defined by the local local trivializationsOn overlapping charts, the change of trivialization isThese are smooth changes of coordinates on a $2n$-dimensional smooth manifold, linear and invertible in each fibre. Thus $TM$ is a rank-$n$ vector bundle, and its projection is a submersion. Fibrewise addition, scalar multiplication and the zero section are smooth. A smooth section of a vector bundle $X:M\to TM$, satisfying $\pi \circ X={\mathrm{id}}_M$, is exactly a vector field; locally $X=X^i{\partial }_i$, with components transforming by the displayed Jacobian matrix. Its action on functions is a derivation, and the commutator of two such derivations is their Lie bracket.

The dual bundle of $TM$ is the cotangent bundle $T^{\ast }M$. Its smooth sections of a vector bundle are differential 1-forms, locally $\alpha ={\alpha }_{i}d{x}^i$. The coefficient transformation is the inverse transpose of that for tangent vectors, ensuring that $\alpha (X)$ is a well-defined smooth function. Tensoring these two bundles gives the tensor bundlesTheir sections of a vector bundle are tensor fields; their transition functions of a vector bundle are the corresponding tensor products of the tangent and cotangent transformations. For example, the bundle $\mathrm{End}(TM)=TM\otimes T^{\ast }M$ contains fields of linear endomorphisms, while $S^2{T}^{\ast }M$ contains symmetric bilinear fields. Taking alternating covariant tensors gives ${\Lambda }^k{T}^{\ast }M$, whose sections are differential forms. The wedge product, exterior derivative and pullback of a differential form make these bundles central to integration, Generalized Stokes theorem and de Rham cohomology.

A nowhere-vanishing section of ${\Lambda }^n{T}^{\ast }M$ chooses an orientation of a smooth manifold; such a section exists exactly when $M$ is orientable. Without an orientation of a smooth manifold, one can still integrate sections of the density bundle $|{\Lambda }^n{T}^{\ast }M|$, whose coordinate changes use the absolute Jacobian determinant. A Riemannian metric is a positive-definite section $g$ of $S^2{T}^{\ast }M$. It identifies $TM$ with $T^{\ast }M$ by the musical isomorphisms $X\mapsto g(X,\cdot )$ and gives the Riemannian volume densityOn an oriented smooth manifold, this density corresponds to a volume form.

Another organizing construction is the frame bundle $FM$. A frame over $p$ is a linear isomorphism $u:{\mathbb{R}}^n\to T_{p}M$, and the right action $u\cdot A=u\circ A$ makes $FM$ a principal bundle with general linear group $GL(n,\mathbb{R})$ as its structure group. Given a group representation $\rho :GL(n,\mathbb{R})\to GL(V)$, the associated bundle $FM{\times }_{\rho }V$ is obtained from pairs $(u,v)$ by the relation $(uA,v)\sim (u,\rho (A)v)$. The standard representation reconstructs $TM$; dual, tensor and exterior representations reconstruct the associated bundles described above. A Riemannian metric reduces the frame bundle to the orthonormal frame bundle, with orthogonal group $O(n)$ as structure group; an orientation of a smooth manifold reduces it further to the special orthogonal group $SO(n)$. A global section of $FM$ is a global frame, so it exists exactly when $M$ is a parallelizable manifold. Local triviality does not imply a global trivialization: the Hairy ball theorem prevents even one nowhere-zero vector field on $S^2$.

A connection on a vector bundle differentiates its sections in tangent directions and defines parallel transport. For $TM$, the Levi-Civita connection is distinguished by compatibility with a Riemannian metric and vanishing torsion tensor. Its coefficients are not tensor components, because a coordinate change introduces second derivatives; the difference of two connections is a section of $T^{\ast }M\otimes \mathrm{End}(TM)$. The Riemann curvature tensor is a genuine tensor measuring the failure of covariant derivatives to commute.

Finally, a smooth map $f:M\to N$ gives the pullback tangent bundle $f^{\ast }TN$. Its sections are vector fields along a map, including the velocity of a curve and Jacobi fields along a geodesic. For an embedded submanifold $i:M\hookrightarrow N$, the derivative identifies $TM$ with a subbundle of $i^{\ast }TN$, and the quotient is the normal bundle. With an ambient Riemannian metric, the normal bundle is identified with the orthogonal complement of $TM$ in $i^{\ast }TN$; the second fundamental form records the normal component of the ambient derivative of tangent fields. These constructions connect the bundle description to both intrinsic and extrinsic differential geometry.

A rank-$k$ complex vector bundle is a smooth map $\pi :E\to B$ whose fibers are $k$-dimensional complex vector spaces, with local diffeomorphisms ${\Phi }_i:{\pi }^{-1}(U_i)\to U_i\times {\mathbb{C}}^k$ commuting with projection and linear on every fiber. Define transition functions of a vector bundle byThey are smooth and obeyon the appropriate double/triple overlaps. The structure group of a vector bundle is a Lie subgroup $G\subset GL(k,\mathbb{C})$ in which a chosen set of transitions takes values. It records allowed changes of fiber frame; different trivializations may exhibit different reductions of that group.

Using the same cocycle, glue the disjoint union of $U_i\times G$ byThe cocycle makes this an equivalence relation and makes its local charts compatible. Right multiplication $(b,h{)}_i\cdot a=(b,ha{)}_i$ is well-defined because it commutes with the left gluing matrices. It is free and transitive on each fiber. These charts therefore construct the associated right principal bundle $P\to B$ with group $G$.

For the natural line realization, take the complex tautological line bundle $L=\{(\ell ,v):\ell \in {\mathbb{CP}}^1,v\in \ell \subset {\mathbb{C}}^2\}$. Its nonzero vectors identify with ${\mathbb{C}}^2\setminus \{0\}$ by $(\ell ,v)\mapsto v$, with projection $v\mapsto [v]$. On the two standard charts, use $\zeta =z_2/z_1$ and $\eta =z_1/z_2=1/\zeta$. The local frames are $e_0=(1,\zeta )$ and $e_1=(\eta ,1)$, so $e_1=e_0/\zeta$. Normalize them using the ambient Hermitian norm:If $v=t_0{u}_0=t_1{u}_1$, then $t_0=(|\zeta |/\zeta )t_1$. Thus the unitary transitions of the tautological line over the projective line areThese are smooth on the overlap $\zeta \ne 0$. A Hermitian metric on a smooth complex vector bundle generally permits precisely this unitary reduction; here the ambient norm supplies it explicitly.

The corresponding principal circle bundle consists of unit vectors in the tautological line. Sending $(\ell ,v)$ to $v$ identifies its total space with $S^3\subset {\mathbb{C}}^2$, and the right circle action is $v\cdot e^{i\theta }=e^{i\theta }v$. Identify ${\mathbb{CP}}^1$ with $S^2$ usingIts affine-coordinate inverse on the chart $Z\ne -1$ is $\zeta =(X-iY)/(1+Z)$; the other chart handles the missing pole. This gives a diffeomorphism, and the projection becomes the Hopf fibration

There is a distinction if the stated punctured-bundle identification is interpreted only as a projection-preserving diffeomorphism, rather than a fiber-linear identification. It does not determine whether the complex line is tautological or dual: for a nonzero $\varphi \in L_{\ell }^{\ast }$, the unique $v\in \ell$ with $\varphi (v)=1$ gives a smooth map $L^{\ast }\setminus 0\to L\setminus 0$. Locally it is inversion of a nonzero complex number. Thus punctured line bundles do not determine their duality sign.

For completeness, these are the only possible signs here. Complex line bundles over $S^2$ are described by the clutching construction with a loop in ${\mathbb{C}}^{\ast }$, reducible to $S^1$, and its integer winding number determines the bundle: a zero-degree ratio has a logarithm and can be removed by changes of trivializations extending over the two disks. For winding number $d$, the unit circle bundle has fundamental group $\mathbb{Z}/d\mathbb{Z}$, as the two solid-torus trivializations identify the common fiber generator and impose its $d$th power as the equatorial gluing relation. There is a fiberwise radial deformation retraction from the punctured line bundle onto its unit circle bundle. Since ${\mathbb{C}}^2\setminus 0$ retracts to simply connected $S^3$, the hypothesis forces $|d|=1$.

Consequently the allowed unitary transitions are the displayed $g_{01}$ or its reciprocal, according to the bundle's sign. For the dual, the same underlying Hopf projection has the inverse principal action $v\cdot e^{i\theta }=e^{-i\theta }v$. In either case the principal total space and projection are $S^3\to S^2$; the purely diffeomorphic hypothesis alone leaves the circle-action sign unspecified.

A principal bundle with structural Lie group $G$ is locally a product $U\times G$, with changes of trivialization of the form $(x,g)\mapsto (x,t(x)g)$. Define a right action locally by $(x,g)\cdot h=(x,gh)$. It is independent of trivialization because $t(x)(gh)=(t(x)g)h$. It is smooth and obeys the group-action law. Right multiplication in $G$ is free and transitive, so the global action is free and each fiber is a single orbit. Equivalently these properties and equivariant local triviality can be included in the definition of a principal bundle.

For a representation $\rho :G\to GL(V)$, form the associated vector bundleProjection sends $[p,v]$ to the base point of $p$. A local section $s(x)$ gives coordinates $[s(x),v]$ and hence a local product $U\times V$; on overlaps the principal transition functions act through $\rho$. Because these maps are linear in $v$, the fibers have well-defined vector-space structures.

For an $n$-dimensional manifold, its frame bundle has points $u:{\mathbb{R}}^n\to T_{x}M$ that are linear isomorphisms. Right action is composition $u\cdot A=u\circ A$ for $A\in GL(n,\mathbb{R})$. Coordinate frames provide local trivializations. Its associated bundle for the defining representation is the tangent bundle, by the well-defined map $[u,v]\mapsto u(v)$. A metric restricts the frames to linear isometries and reduces the group to $O(r,s)$; choosing orientation gives the corresponding special-orthogonal reduction.

In Minkowski spacetime choose a reference oriented pseudo-orthonormal frame at the origin. Every such frame is specified by its base point $a\in {\mathbb{R}}^{3,1}$ and a Lorentz transformation $L\in SO(3,1)$. The Poincaré group has multiplicationand its right Lorentz action is $(a,L)\cdot h=(a,Lh)$. Henceis the oriented orthonormal frame bundle of Minkowski spacetime. The same argument with $O(3,1)$ gives the full unoriented bundle. If time orientation is fixed, use the orthochronous components throughout; the use of $SO$ in the printed quotient is an orientation reduction.

For four-dimensional de Sitter spacetime, use the spacelike hyperboloid $x\cdot x={\ell }^2$ in ${\mathbb{R}}^{4,1}$. An element of $SO(4,1)$ maps a fixed unit spacelike vector to $x/\ell$, and its other columns give an oriented pseudo-orthonormal tangent frame. The stabilizer of that unit vector is $SO(3,1)$. This identifies the oriented frame bundle of de Sitter spacetime and its projection:The right stabilizer action changes the tangent frame without changing $x$.

For Anti-de Sitter spacetime, take $x\cdot x=-{\ell }^2$ in ${\mathbb{R}}^{3,2}$. A unit timelike normal has orthogonal complement of signature $(3,1)$, so its stabilizer is again $SO(3,1)$. Appending this normal to a tangent frame realizes the oriented orthonormal frame bundle of anti-de Sitter spacetime asConnected components or orientation/time-orientation restrictions must be chosen consistently. This quotient is the anti-de Sitter quadric, which has a periodic timelike coordinate. If “anti-de Sitter spacetime” denotes its universal cover, pull the frame bundle back to that cover, rather than identify the covered spacetime with the unmodified quotient.

Fix the sign convention ${\iota }_{{\xi }_M}\omega =-d{\mu }^{\xi }$, where ${\xi }_M$ is the fundamental vector field and ${\mu }^{\xi }=⟨\mu ,\xi ⟩$. A Hamiltonian group action is a symplectic Lie group action together with an equivariant moment map $\mu :M\to {\mathfrak{g}}^{\ast }$ satisfying this identity for every $\xi \in \mathfrak{g}$. Equivariance means $\mu (gx)={\mathrm{Ad}}_{g^{-1}}^{\ast }\mu (x)$. Merely requiring each fundamental field to have some Hamiltonian is the weaker condition of a weakly Hamiltonian action.

For a circle group action, identify its Lie algebra with $\mathbb{R}$, and let $Y$ generate the action. Put $Z={\mu }^{-1}(t)$ and let $i:Z\hookrightarrow M$. Since $t$ is a regular value,The action is free, so $Y_x\ne 0$. The symplectic orthogonal complement of this hyperplane is exactly $\mathbb{R}{Y}_x$, which is contained in $T_{x}Z$. ThusThe free action of the compact circle group is proper, and the quotient $Q=Z/S^1$ is a smooth manifold with projection $\pi :Z\to Q$ a principal bundle. The form $i^{\ast }\omega$ is invariant and kills the orbit directions, hence is basic and descends to a unique two-form ${\omega }_Q$ satisfying ${\pi }^{\ast }{\omega }_Q=i^{\ast }\omega$. It is closed because pullback by a submersion detects differential forms. If a quotient tangent vector annihilates ${\omega }_Q$, a lift lies in the displayed kernel and hence projects to zero. Therefore ${\omega }_Q$ is nondegenerate. This proves symplectic reduction directly.

If $L\subset Q$ is a Lagrangian submanifold, its inverse image $\tilde{L}={\pi }^{-1}(L)$ is a smooth circle bundle over $L$. The restricted symplectic form is ${\pi }^{\ast }({\omega }_Q{|}_L)=0$. If $\dim M=2N$, then $\dim Q=2N-2$, $\dim L=N-1$, and $\dim \tilde{L}=N$, proving that $\tilde{L}$ is Lagrangian. This is the Lagrangian lift through circle reduction.

For scalar multiplication on ${\mathbb{C}}^{n+1}$, the generator is $Y={\sum }_j(-y_j{\partial }_{x_j}+x_j{\partial }_{y_j})$. Direct contraction givesChoose $t>0$. Its level is the sphere of radius $R=\sqrt{2t}$ and its quotient is ${\mathbb{CP}}^n$. Complex conjugation on the sphere reverses the ambient symplectic form and descends to an anti-symplectic involution of the quotient. Its fixed set is ${\mathbb{RP}}^n$: a projective point fixed by conjugation has a real representative after a phase change. For two tangent vectors to this fixed set, anti-symplecticity makes the reduced form equal to its negative, so it vanishes. The real dimension is $n$, half the quotient dimension, proving the Lagrangian fixed locus of an anti-symplectic involution property.

The lifted Lagrangian submanifold can be written explicitly asThe only redundancy in this parametrization is the displayed free involution: two nonzero real representatives on the same complex ray differ by a real sign. The quotient embeds smoothly in the sphere, and projection to $[x]\in {\mathbb{RP}}^n$ exhibits its circle bundle structure. Its Lagrangian property follows from the reduction argument, including the case $n=0$.