Multiplicative Dirac structures (Q395032)

Dirac structures were introduced by \textit{T. J. Courant} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 319, No. 2, 631--661 (1990; Zbl 0850.70212)], and with \textit{A. Weinstein} [Trav. Cours 27, 39--49 (1988; Zbl 0698.58020)] as a generalization of Poisson structures, presymplectic forms and regular foliations. Loosely, a Dirac structure is a subvector bundle of \(\mathbb TM:=TM \oplus T^\ast M\) that is maximally isotropic with respect to the natural pairing on \(\mathbb TM\) and satisfies an integrability condition with respect to the so-called Courant bracket on sections of \(\mathbb TM\). In this work, Ortiz defines and studies Dirac structures on Lie groupoids that satisfy a natural compatibility condition with the groupoid multiplication. The motivation for this paper comes from Poisson groupoids and symplectic groupoids where the compatibility of these structures with the groupoid multiplication is stated in terms of multiplicity. A similar compatibility condition arises for Dirac structures on Lie groupoids and hence the nomenclature. Ortiz also studies Dirac algebroids, which are Lie algebroids equipped with a Dirac structure compatible with both the linear and Lie algebroid structure. As a side note, Dirac algebroids have found application in mechanics via the work of \textit{K. Grabowska} and \textit{J. Grabowski} [J. Geom. Phys. 61, No. 11, 2233--2253 (2011; Zbl 1223.37064)]. The main theorem of the paper is as follows: For every source connected Lie groupoid \(G\) with Lie algebroid \(AG\), there is a one-to-one correspondence between multiplicative Dirac structures on \(G\) and Dirac structures on \(AG\). In a specific sense described in the paper, Dirac algebroids play the role of infinitesimal versions of Lie groupoids equipped with a multiplicative Dirac structure. Many examples are presented throughout the paper. Note: The paper is based on Ortiz's PhD thesis (2009).