Cheeger–Simons differential characters

E921617

Cheeger–Simons differential characters are geometric invariants that refine ordinary cohomology by incorporating both integral cohomology classes and differential form data, providing a model for differential cohomology theories.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Cheeger–Simons differential characters canonical 2

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf cohomological refinement ⓘ
differential cohomology theory ⓘ
geometric invariant ⓘ
alternativeModelTo smooth Deligne cohomology ⓘ
linked to: Deligne cohomology
captures secondary characteristic classes ⓘ
topological and geometric data simultaneously ⓘ
characterizedBy homomorphisms from smooth cycles to R/Z ⓘ
compatibleWith de Rham isomorphism ⓘ
linked to: de Rham theorem

integral period conditions ⓘ
definedOn smooth manifolds ⓘ
degree integer-graded ⓘ
encodes curvature forms ⓘ
differential form data ⓘ
holonomy information ⓘ
integral cohomology classes ⓘ
field algebraic topology ⓘ
differential geometry ⓘ
global analysis ⓘ
fitsInto exact sequence relating forms and integral cohomology ⓘ
generalizes line bundles with connection ⓘ
principal bundles with connection ⓘ
hasApplicationIn anomaly theory ⓘ
topological phases of gauge fields ⓘ
hasCurvatureMapTo closed differential forms with integral periods ⓘ
hasStructure abelian group ⓘ
graded group ⓘ
introducedIn 1970s ⓘ
namedAfter James Simons ⓘ
linked to: James Harris Simons

Jeff Cheeger ⓘ
providesModelFor differential cohomology ⓘ
refines de Rham cohomology ⓘ
integral cohomology ⓘ
singular cohomology ⓘ
relatedTo Chern–Simons invariants ⓘ
Chern–Weil theory ⓘ
Deligne cohomology ⓘ
characteristic classes ⓘ
targetGroup R/Z ⓘ
usedIn gauge theory ⓘ
index theory ⓘ
quantum field theory ⓘ
string theory ⓘ
usedToDefine differential refinements of characteristic classes ⓘ
usedToDescribe flux quantization conditions ⓘ
holonomy of connections ⓘ
uses smooth differential forms ⓘ
smooth singular chains ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Deligne cohomology → relatedTo → Cheeger–Simons differential characters ⓘ
Chern–Simons form → context → Cheeger–Simons differential characters ⓘ
subject linked to: Chern–Simons forms