Remarks on two approaches to the horizontal cohomology: Compatibility complex and the Koszul--Tate resolution (Q1610239)

The horizontal cohomology of systems of nonlinear differential equations is computed by using Koszul-Tate resolution [[1] \textit{M. Henneaux} and \textit{C. Teitelboim}, `Quantization of Gauge Systems', Princeton (1992; Zbl 0838.53053)]. Precisely, let \(\pi:E\to M\) be a vector bundle over a smooth \(n\)-dimensional manifold, \(\pi_\infty: J^\infty(\pi)\to M\) the associated infinite jet bundle, and \(P_1=\Gamma (\pi^*_\infty (\alpha_1))\) a horizontal module on \(J^\infty (\pi)\). A formally integrable equation \({\mathcal E}=\{F=0\} \subset J^k(\pi)\) is assumed to satisfy a regularity condition ([1]), and \(J^\infty (\pi)\) is replaced by its open submanifold \({\mathcal U}\), \(\nu({\mathcal U}) \cong {\mathcal E}^\infty \times{\mathcal V}\), \({\mathcal E}^\infty\) is the infinite prolongation of \({\mathcal E}\) and \({\mathcal V}\) is a starshaped neighborhood of the zero in \(\mathbb{R}^\infty\). Under a regularity condition, the compatibility operator is defined in section 2. Then the compatibility complex \[ P_1 @>\Delta_1>> P_2 @>\Delta_2>> \cdots @>\Delta_{k-2}>> P_{k-1}\to 0, \] \(P_i=\Gamma (\alpha_i)\) for some vector bundle \(\alpha_i:V_i \to{\mathcal U}\), is defined in section 3. Existence of such a complex is ``off-shell reducibility'' of [1]. Let \(\alpha_j^\Pi\) be the bundle \(\alpha_j\) with reversed parity of fibres and \(\alpha= \bigoplus_{i\geq 1}(\alpha^\Pi_{2i-1} \oplus\alpha_{2i})\). Then by using the algebra \({\mathcal F}^{\text{pol}}(\alpha)\) of functions polynomial along the fibres of the projection \(\alpha_\infty: \overline J^\infty (\alpha)\to {\mathcal U}\), together with its grading given by the antighost number, the Koszul-Tate complex \[ 0\leftarrow {\mathcal F} @<\delta<< {\mathcal F}_1^{\text{pol}} (\alpha) @<\delta<< {\mathcal F}_2^{\text{pol}}(\alpha) @<\delta<< \cdots, \] \({\mathcal F}\) the algebra of functions on \({\mathcal U}\), is defined. By this complex and the infinitesimal Stokes formula in the term \(E_1\) of the Vinogradov spectral sequence on \(\overline J^\infty(\alpha)\) [\textit{A. M. Vinogradov}, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 100, 1-40 (1984; Zbl 0548.58014) and ibid., 41-129 (1984; Zbl 0548.58015), the author remarks the misprint of (9.10.5) in this paper], the isomorphism \(\overline H^q({\mathcal E})= H^q(M)\), \(0\leq q\leq n-k\) (Sect. 3, Corollary 13) is proved. The author says both Koszul-Tate complex and Vinogradov spectral sequence are necessary to the study of horizontal cohomology, and as an example, an application of these two arguments to the study of conservation laws in section 6, the last section. The author assumes knowledge on the geometry of jet spaces and differential equations. Several terminologies and notations in these area are used without definitions. They may looked up in [\textit{A. Verbovetsky}, Contemp. Math. 219, 211-231 (1998; Zbl 0936.58002)].