Localization for the norm-square of the moment map and the two-dimensional Yang-Mills integral (Q2491050)

Assume that \(K\) is a compact Lie group and \(M\) is a Hamiltonian \(K\)-manifold. That is, \((M,\omega)\) is a symplectic manifold acted on by \(K\) and there exists an equivariant moment map \(\Phi: M\to{\mathfrak k}^*\) such that \(\iota(\xi_M)\omega=-d(\Phi,\xi)\) for all \(\xi\in{\mathfrak k}\). Now let \(\Omega_K(M)=(S({\mathfrak k}^*)\otimes\Omega(M))^K\) be the Cartan model for the corresponding de Rham cohomology, where \(\Omega(M)\) stands for the space of differential forms on \(M\) and \(S({\mathfrak k}^*)\) denotes the symmetric algebra of \({\mathfrak k}^*\). Also let \(f: M\to{\mathbb R}\) be one-half the norm-square of the moment map \(\Phi\), and assume that \(\Phi\) is a proper map. In this setting, the main localization theorem proved in the paper under review expresses the push-forward of an equivariant cohomology class as a sum of contributions from fixed point components of one-parameter subgroups corresponding to the critical values of the function \(f\). The paper also includes a section devoted to a way to define and compute the related Yang-Mills path integral in two dimensions.