Dorfman connections and Courant algebroids (Q1653056)

This paper introduces the notion of Dorfmann connections wich are the analogue of connections for Lie algebroids. The author starts with reviewing the main notions and results about both Courant algebroids and Dirac structures and double vector bundles and connections. Then, she studies in details the standard Courant algebroid over a vector bundle. Next the Dorfmann connections are defined and studied, and examples are described. Then, the author proves a one-to-one correspondence between linear splittings and Dorfmann connections. The VB-algebroids and the LA-Dirac structures are finally characterized via Dorfmann connections.