Non-Abelian extensions of infinite-dimensional Lie groups (Q2372794)

The paper is a sequel to previous papers of the author on central and abelian extensions of infinite dimensional Lie groups. These papers generalize classical results due to Eilenberg and MacLane in the setting of abstract groups. The equivalence classes of non-abelian extensions of a possibly infinite dimensional Lie group \(G\) by a Lie group \(N\) are grouped into those corresponding to a class of so-called smooth outer actions \(S\) of \(G\) on \(N\). If \(S\) is given, a certain characteristic class \(\chi(S)\) in the Lie group cohomology \(H^3_{ss}(G,Z(N))_S\) determining whether there is a corresponding Lie group extension is defined. In this case the set of \(N\)-extensions of \(G\) corresponding to \(S\) is a principal homogeneous space of \(H^2_{ss}(G,Z(N))_S\). Next, crossed modules for Lie groups are introduced and their relation to group extensions is studied. A clue observation is that many problems concerning extensions by non-abelian groups can be reduced to problems concerning extensions by abelian groups. Non-abelian extensions of Lie groups occur naturally in the context of smooth principal bundles over compact manifolds. Namely, the group of automorphisms of the total space is the extension of the group of all diffeomorphisms of the base space preserving the bundle class by the gauge group.