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curvatures

[Last
time][1] we saw that the algebra $(\Omega_V~C Q,Circ)$ of relative
differential forms and equipped with the Fedosov product is again the
path algebra of a quiver $\tilde{Q}$ obtained by doubling up the arrows
of $Q$. In our basic example the algebra map $C \tilde{Q} \rightarrow
\Omega_V~C Q$ is clarified by the following picture of $\tilde{Q}$
$\xymatrix{\vtx{} \ar@/^/[rr]^{a=u+du} \ar@/_/[rr]_{b=u-du} & &
\vtx{} \ar@(u,ur)^{x=v+dv} \ar@(d,dr)_{y=v-dv}} $ (which
generalizes in the obvious way to arbitrary quivers). But what about the
other direction $\Omega_V~C Q \rightarrow C \tilde{Q}$ ? There are two
embeddings $i,j : C Q \rightarrow C \tilde{Q}$ defined by $i : (u,v)
\rightarrow (a,x)$ and $j : (u,v) \rightarrow (b,y)$ giving maps
$\forall a \in C Q~:~p(a) = \frac{1}{2}(i(a)+j(a))~\quad~q(a) =
\frac{1}{2}(i(a)-j(a))$ Using these maps, the isomorphism $\Omega_V~C
Q \rightarrow C \tilde{Q}$ is determined by $ a_0 da_1 \ldots da_n
\rightarrow p(a_0)q(a_1) \ldots q(a_n)$ In particular, $p$ gives the
natural embedding (with the ordinary multiplication on differential
forms) $C Q \rightarrow \Omega_V~C Q$ of functions as degree zero
differential forms. However, $p$ is no longer an algebra map for the
Fedosov product on $\Omega_V~C Q$ as $p(ab) = p(a)Circ p(b) + q(a) Circ
q(b)$. In Cuntz-Quillen terminology, $\omega(a,b) = q(a) Circ q(b)$ is
the _curvature_ of the based linear map $p$. I\’d better define
this a bit more formal for any algebra $A$ and then say what is special
for formally smooth algebras (non-commutative manifolds). If $A,B$ are
$V = C \times \ldots \times C$-algebras, then a $V$-linear map $A
\rightarrow^l B$ is said to be a _based linear map_ if $ l | V = id_V$.
The _curvature_ of $l$ measures the obstruction to $l$ being an algebra
map, that is $\forall a,b \in A~:~\omega(a,b) = l(ab)-l(a)l(b)$ and
the curvature is said to be _nilpotent_ if there is an integer $n$ such
that all possible products $\omega(a_1,b_1)\omega(a_2,b_2) \ldots
\omega(a_n,b_n) = 0$ For any algebra $A$ there is a universal algebra
$R(A)$ turning based linear maps into algebra maps. That is, there is a
fixed based linear map $A \rightarrow^p R(A)$ such that for every based
linear map $A \rightarrow^l B$ there is an algebra map $R(A) \rightarrow
B$ making the diagram commute $\xymatrix{A \ar[r]^l \ar[d]^p & B
\\\ R(A) \ar[ru] &} $ In fact, Cuntz and Quillen show that $R(A)
\simeq (\Omega_V^{ev}~A,Circ)$ the algebra of even differential forms
equipped with the Fedosov product and that $p$ is the natural inclusion
of $A$ as degree zero forms (as above). Recall that $A$ is said to be
_formally smooth_ if every $V$-algebra map $A \rightarrow^f B/I$ where
$I$ is a nilpotent ideal, can be lifted to an algebra morphism $A
\rightarrow B$. We can always lift $f$ as a based linear map, say
$\tilde{f}$ and because $I$ is nilpotent, the curvature of $\tilde{f}$
is also nilpotent. To get a _uniform_ way to construct algebra lifts
modulo nilpotent ideals it would therefore suffice for a formally smooth
algebra to have an _algebra map_ $A \rightarrow \hat{R}(A)$ where
$\hat{R}(A)$ is the $\mathfrak{m}$-adic completion of $R(A)$ for the
ideal $\mathfrak{m}$ which is the kernel of the algebra map $R(A)
\rightarrow A$ corresponding to the based linear map $id_A : A
\rightarrow A$. Indeed, there is an algebra map $R(A) \rightarrow B$
determined by $\tilde{f}$ and hence also an algebra map $\hat{R}(A)
\rightarrow B$ and composing this with the (yet to be constructed)
algebra map $A \rightarrow \hat{R}(A)$ this would give the required lift
$A \rightarrow B$. In order to construct the algebra map $A
\rightarrow \hat{R}(A)$ (say in the case of path algebras of quivers) we
will need the Yang-Mills derivation and its associated flow.

[1]: http://www.matrix.ua.ac.be/index.php?p=354

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anyone interested

I've been here before! I mean, I did try to set up
non-commutative algebra&geometry sites before and sooner or later
they always face the same basic problems :

a :
dyspnoea : one person does not have enough fresh ideas
to keep a mathematical site updated daily so that it continues to be of
interest (at least, I'm not one of those who can).

b :
claustrophobia : the topic of non-commutative algebra
& non-commutative geometry is too wide to be covered (cornered) by
one person. More (and differing) views are needed for balance and
continued interest.

c : paranoia : if one is
not entirely naive one has to exercise some restraint trying to protect
ones research plans (or those of students) so the most interesting ideas
never even get posted!

By definition, I cannot solve problems
a) and b) on my own. All I can hope is that, now that the basic
technological problems (such as including LaTeX-code in posts) are
solved, other people are willing to contribute. For this reason I
'depersonalized' this blog : I changed the title, removed all
personal links in the sidebar and so on. I want to open up this site
(but as I said, I've tried this before without much success) to
anyone working in non-commutative algebra and/or non-commutative
geometry who is willing to contribute posts on at least a monthly basis
(or fortnightly, weekly, daily…) for the foreseeable future. At
the moment the following 'categories' of posts are available
(others can be added on request) :

  • courses : if you want
    to tell about your topic of interest in small daily or weekly pieces.
  • columns : if you want to ventilate an opinion on something
    related (even vaguely) to na&g.
  • nc-algebra : for anything
    on non-commutative algebra not in the previous categories.
  • nc-geometry : for anything on non-commutative geometry not in the
    previous categories.
  • this blog : for suggestions or
    explanations on the technology of this site.

Mind you,
I am not looking for people who seek a forum to post
their questions (such people can still add questions as comments to
related posts) but rather for people active in na&g with a personal
opinion on relevance and future of the topic.
If you are
interested in contributing, please email me and we will work
something out. I'll also post information for authors (such as, how
to include tex, how to set restrictions etc.) in a _sticky_ post
soon.

Now, problem c) : in running sites for our master class
on noncommutative geometry I've noticed that some people are more
willing to post lectures notes etc. if they know that there is some
control on who can download their material. For this reason there will
be viewing restrictions on certain posts. Such posts will get a
padlock-sign next to them in the 'recent posts' sidebar (they
will not show up in your main page, if you are not authorized to see
them). I will add another sticky on all of this soon. For now, if you
would only be willing to contribute if there was this safeguard, rest
assured, it will be there soon. All others can of course already sign-up
or wait whether any of these plans (resp. day-dreams) ever work
out….

update (febr 2007) : still waiting
but the padlock idea is abandoned.

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differential forms

The
previous post in this sequence was [(co)tangent bundles][1]. Let $A$ be
a $V$-algebra where $V = C \times \ldots \times C$ is the subalgebra
generated by a complete set of orthogonal idempotents in $A$ (in case $A
= C Q$ is a path algebra, $V$ will be the subalgebra generated by the
vertex-idempotents, see the post on [path algebras][2] for more
details). With $\overline{A}$ we denote the bimodule quotient
$\overline{A} = A/V$ Then, we can define the _non-commutative
(relative) differential n-forms_ to be $\Omega^n_V~A = A \otimes_V
\overline{A} \otimes_V \ldots \otimes_V \overline{A}$ with $n$ factors
$\overline{A}$. To get the connection with usual differential forms let
us denote the tensor $a_0 \otimes a_1 \otimes \ldots \otimes a_n =
(a_0,a_1,\ldots,a_n) = a_0 da_1 \ldots da_n$ On $\Omega_V~A =
\oplus_n~\Omega^n_V~A$ one defines an algebra structure via the
multiplication $(a_0da_1 \ldots da_n)(a_{n+1}da_{n+2} \ldots da_k)$$=
\sum_{i=1}^n (-1)^{n-i} a_0da_1 \ldots d(a_ia_{i+1}) \ldots da_k$
$\Omega_V~A$ is a _differential graded algebra_ with differential $d :
\Omega^n_V~A \rightarrow \Omega^{n+1}_V~A$ defined by $d(a_0 da_1 \ldots
da_n) = da_0 da_1 \ldots da_n$ This may seem fairly abstract but in
case $A = C Q$ is a path algebra, then the bimodule $\Omega^n_V~A$ has a
$V$-generating set consisting of precisely the elements $p_0 dp_1
\ldots dp_n$ with all $p_i$ non-zero paths in $A$ and such that
$p_0p_1 \ldots p_n$ is also a non-zero path. One can put another
algebra multiplication on $\Omega_V~A$ which Cuntz and Quillen call the
_Fedosov product_ defined for an $n$-form $\omega$ and a form $\mu$ by
$\omega Circ \mu = \omega \mu -(-1)^n d\omega d\mu$ There is an
important relation between the two structures, the degree of a
differential form puts a filtration on $\Omega_V~A$ (with Fedosov
product) such that the _associated graded algebra_ is $\Omega_V~A$ with
the usual product. One can visualize the Fedosov product easily in the
case of path algebras because $\Omega_V~C Q$ with the Fedosov product is
again the path algebra of the quiver obtained by doubling up all the
arrows of $Q$. In our basic example when $Q$ is the quiver
$\xymatrix{\vtx{} \ar[rr]^u & & \vtx{} \ar@(ur,dr)^v} $ the
algebra of non-commutative differential forms equipped with the Fedosov
product is isomorphic to the path algebra of the quiver
$\xymatrix{\vtx{} \ar@/^/[rr]^{a=u+du} \ar@/_/[rr]_{b=u-du} & &
\vtx{} \ar@(u,ur)^{x=v+dv} \ar@(d,dr)_{y=v-dv}} $ with the
indicated identification of arrows with elements from $\Omega_V~C Q$.
Note however that we usually embed the algebra $C Q$ as the degree zero
differential forms in $\Omega_V~C Q$ with the usual multiplication and
that this embedding is no longer an algebra map (but a based linear map)
for the Fedosov product. For this reason, Cuntz and Quillen invent a
Yang-Mills type argument to “flow” this linear map to an algebra
embedding, but to motivate this we will have to say some things about
[curvatures][3].

[1]: http://www.neverendingbooks.org/index.php?p=352
[2]: http://www.neverendingbooks.org/index.php?p=349
[3]: http://www.neverendingbooks.org/index.php?p=353

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