We give simple and unified proofs of the known stability and rigidity results for Lie algebras, Lie subalgebras and Lie algebra homomorphisms. Moreover, we investigate when a Lie algebra homomorphism is stable under all automorphisms of the codomain (including outer automorphisms).
Motivated by our attempt to recast Cartans work on Lie pseudogroups in a more global and modern language, we are brought back to the question of understanding the linearization of multiplicative forms on groupoids and the corresponding integrability
problem. From this point of view, the novelty of this paper is that we study forms with coefficients. However, the main contribution of this paper is conceptual: the finding of the relationship between multiplicative forms and Cartans work, which provides a completely new approach to integrability theorems for multiplicative forms. Back to Cartan, the multiplicative point of view shows that, modulo Lies functor, the Cartan Pfaffian system (itself a multiplicative form with coefficients!) is the same thing as the classical Spencer operator.
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).
