The space of vector-valued forms on any manifold is a graded Lie algebra with respect to the Frolicher-Nijenhuis bracket. In this paper we consider multiplicative vector-valued forms on Lie groupoids and show that they naturally form a graded Lie subalgebra. Along the way, we discuss various examples and different characterizations of multiplicative vector-valued forms.
We study deformations of Lie groupoids by means of the cohomology which controls them. This cohomology turns out to provide an intrinsic model for the cohomology of a Lie groupoid with values in its adjoint representation. We prove several fundamental properties of the deformation cohomology including Morita invariance, a van Est theorem, and a vanishing result in the proper case. Combined with Mosers deformation arguments for groupoids, we obtain several rigidity and normal form results.
The Linearization Theorem for proper Lie groupoids organizes and generalizes several results for classic geometries. Despite the various approaches and recent works on the subject, the problem of understanding invariant linearization remains somehow open. We address it here, by first giving a counter-example to a previous conjecture, and then proving a sufficient criterion that uses compatible complete metrics and covers the case of proper group actions. We also show a partial converse that fixes and extends previous results in the literature.
We revisit the linearization theorems for proper Lie groupoids around general orbits (statements and proofs). In the the fixed point case (known as Zungs theorem) we give a shorter and more geometric proof, based on a Moser deformation argument. The passing to general orbits (Weinstein) is given a more conceptual interpretation: as a manifestation of Morita invariance. We also clarify the precise conditions needed for the theorem to hold (which often have been misstated in the literature).
Endowing differentiable functions from a compact manifold to a Lie group with the pointwise group operations one obtains the so-called current groups and, as a special case, loop groups. These are prime examples of infinite-dimensional Lie groups modelled on locally convex spaces. In the present paper, we generalise this construction and show that differentiable mappings on a compact manifold (possibly with boundary) with values in a Lie groupoid form infinite-dimensional Lie groupoids which we call current Lie groupoids. We then study basic differential geometry and Lie theory for these Lie groupoids of mappings. In particular, we show that certain Lie groupoid properties, like being a proper etale Lie groupoid, are inherited by the current groupoid. Furthermore, we identify the Lie algebroid of a current Lie groupoid as a current Lie algebroid (analogous to the current Lie algebra associated to a current Lie group). To establish these results, we study superposition operators given by postcomposition with a fixed function, between manifolds of $C^ell$-functions. Under natural hypotheses, these operators turn out to be a submersion (an immersion, an embedding, proper, resp., a local diffeomorphism) if so is the underlying map. These results are new in their generality and of independent interest.
VB-groupoids are vector bundles in the category of Lie groupoids. They encompass several classical objects, including Lie group representations and 2-vector spaces. Moreover, they provide geometric pictures for 2-term representations up to homotopy of Lie groupoids. We attach to every VB-groupoid a cochain complex controlling its deformations and discuss its fundamental features, such as Morita invariance and a van Est theorem. Several examples and applications are given.