Homological algebra related to surfaces with boundary (Q2043515)

The authors describe an algebraic framework which can be used for three related but different purposes: (equivariant) string topology [\textit{M. Chas} and \textit{D. Sullivan}, in: The legacy of Niels Henrik Abel. Papers from the Abel bicentennial conference, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway, June 3--8, 2002. Berlin: Springer. 771--784 (2004; Zbl 1068.55009)], symplectic field theory [\textit{Y. Eliashberg} et al., in: GAFA 2000. Visions in mathematics---Towards 2000. Proceedings of a meeting, Tel Aviv, Israel, August 25--September 3, 1999. Part II. Basel: Birkhäuser. 560--673 (2000; Zbl 0989.81114)], and Lagrangian Floer theory [\textit{A. Floer}, J. Differ. Geom. 28, No. 3, 513--547 (1988; Zbl 0674.57027)] of higher genus. It turns out that the relevant algebraic structure for all three contexts is a homotopy version of involutive bi-Lie algebras, called \textit{\(IBL_\infty\)-algebras}. First, the authors define \(IBL_\infty\)-algebras and their morphisms, and discuss the defining relations from various points of view. Next, for various applications and the discussion of Maurer-Cartan elements the more general notion of a filtered \(IBL_\infty\)-algebra is needed. The remaining part of the paper gives some ideas how \(IBL_\infty\)-structures arise in algebraic and symplectic topology.