Connections on central bimodules in noncommutative differential geometry (Q1816956)

The theory of connections (i.e., of derivation laws) given on commutative \(A\)-modules is extended to noncommutative \(A\)-modules, \(A\) being an associative algebra over \(K=\mathbb{R}\) or \(\mathbb{C}\) with a unit \(1\). The authors define the notion of derivation-based connection on central bimodules (introduced by the authors in [C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. I 319, No. 9, 927-931 (1994; Zbl 0829.16028)]). They construct new connections (e.g. tensor product of connections) on central bimodules from given connections on bimodules, and also the gauge transform of a connection \(\nabla\) by a gauge transformation \(g\) on the central bimodule \(M\). A connection \(\nabla\) on \(\Omega^I_{\text{Der}}(A)\) (where \(\Omega_{\text{Der}}(A)\) is a maximal natural generalization of the graded differential algebra of differential forms which uses \(\text{Der}(A)\) as generalization of vector fields, and \(I\) is some set), will be called linear connection. Its torsion is defined using results from the authors' papers [ESI Preprint 133 (1994) and LPTHE-ORSAY 94/50 (preprint) (1994)]. After three examples, the authors introduce and study duality between bimodules and modules over the center and apply duality to \(\Omega^I_{\text{Der}}(A)\), \(\text{Der}(A)\) and \(\Omega^I_{\text{Der}}(A)\). Then the reality condition for the case of \(*\)-algebras is studied and finally a noncommutative generalization of pseudo-Riemannian structures is investigated.