Covariant \(q\)-differential calculus and its deformations at \(q^N=1\) (Q1267810)

The authors investigate the general \(q\)-deformed calculus with special attention being paid to the case when \(q\) is equal to an \(N\)th primitive root of unity, \(q^N=1\). The peculiar property of this calculus in the case when \(q\) is a primitive \(N\)th root of unity is that the exterior differential satisfies \(d^N=0\). The authors show how in this case the \(N\)th covariant differential acting on an appropriate module \(\mathcal H\) reduces itself to an automorphism of \(\mathcal H\), i.e. \(D^N \Phi=\Omega\Phi\), with \(\Omega=D^{N-1}\). Then they discuss the \(N\times N\) complex matrix representation of this \(q\)-differential calculus and a generalized Grassmannian spanned by all the differential forms of the type \(dx^k, d^2 x^k, \ldots, d^{N-1} x^k\).