Weil modules and gauge bundles (Q2431914)

A Weil algebra is a finite-dimensional commutative algebra \(A\) over \({\mathbb{R}}\) such that \(A/{\mathfrak{n}}={\mathbb{R}}\) where \({\mathfrak{n}}\) is the ideal of nilpotent elements in~\(A\). Let \(k=\dim({\mathfrak{n}}/{\mathfrak{n}}^2)\) and \(r\) be minimal such that \({\mathfrak{n}}^{r+1}=0\). Equivalently, such algebras are of the form \(A={\mathbb{R}}[t_1,\dots,t_k]/{\mathfrak{i}}\), where \({\mathfrak{i}}\) is an ideal containing the ideal \({\mathfrak{m}}^{r+1}\) of all polynomials of total degree greater than~\(r\). Evidently, they are closely related to algebras of jets. Specifically, a Weil algebra can be regarded as a quotient of the algebra \(J_0^r({\mathbb{R}}^k,{\mathbb{R}})\) of \(r^{\text{th}}\)-order jets of \({\mathbb{R}}\)-valued smooth functions at \(0\in{\mathbb{R}}^k\). Therefore, given a Weil algebra~\(A\), there is an associated functor that assigns to every smooth manifold \(M\) a bundle \(T^AM\) whose fibre over \(m\in M\) consists of smooth mappings \({\mathbb{R}}^k\to M\) sending \(0\) to \(m\) and having the same \(A\)-jet meaning that this is true after composing with an arbitrary smooth \({\mathbb{R}}\)-valued function \(\phi\) defined near~\(m\). Kainz-Michor and Luciano-Eck observe that this functor sets up a bijection between Weil algebras and product-preserving bundle functors from the category of smooth manifolds into the category of fibred manifolds (for details see [\textit{I. Kolář, P. W. Michor} and \textit{J. Slovák}, Natural Operations in Differential Geometry. Springer (1993; Zbl 0782.53013)]). In this article, the author extends this construction to deal with finite dimensional modules over Weil algebras. Given such a module \(V\) over \(A\) and a vector bundle \(E\) over a smooth manifold~\(M\), there results a bundle \(T^{A,V}E\) over~\(M\). He shows that it is equivalent to an alternative construction already given by \textit{W. M. Mikulski} [Colloq. Math. 90, 277--285 (2001; Zbl 0988.58001)] and he discusses some examples.