The Dixmier-Douady classes and abelian extensions of groups of homeomorphisms (Q6110052)

Let \(X\) be a connected topological space and \(c\in H^{2}(X;\mathbb{Z})\) a non-zero cohomology class. Let \(G\)\quad (\(G^{\delta}\) resp.) denote the group of \(c\)-preserving homeomorphisms of \(X\) with the compact-open topology (with the discrete topology resp.). Then, for a \(G\)-bundle \(X\rightarrow E\rightarrow B\), a characteristic class \(D_{c}(E)\in H^{3}(B;\mathbb{Z})\) called the Dixmier-Douady class is defined by \(D_{c}(E)=d^{0,2}_{3}c\), where \(d^{0,2}_{3}:H^{2}(X;\mathbb{Z})\rightarrow H^{3}(B;\mathbb{Z})\) is the transgression map of the Serre spectral sequence of the \(G\)-bundle. Let \(D_{c}\) denote the universal Dixmier-Douady class and then its image by the natural homomorphism \(\iota^{*}:H^{3}(BG;\mathbb{Z})\rightarrow H^{3}(BG^{\delta};\mathbb{Z})\) is the universal characteristic class of foliated \(G\)-bundles, called discrete Dixmier-Douady class, which lies in the group cohomology \(H^{3}_{\mathrm{grp}}(G;\mathbb{Z})\). On the other hand, let \(P\rightarrow X\) be a principal \(S^{1}\)-bundle whose first Chern class is equal to \(c\) and \(\mathrm{Aut}(P)\) the group of bundle automorphisms of \(P\). Then we have a short exact sequence \(0\rightarrow \mathrm{Gau}(P)\rightarrow\mathrm{Aut}(P)\rightarrow G\rightarrow 1\), where \(\mathrm{Gau}(P)\) denotes the kernel of the natural projection \(\mathrm{Aut}(P)\rightarrow G\), called the gauge group of \(P\). Since the gauge group of a principal \(S^{1}\)-bundle is abelian, this short exact sequence is an abelian extension of \(G\) and it determines a second cohomology class \(e(\mathrm{Aut}(P))\in H^{2}_{\mathrm{grp}}(G;\mathrm{Gau}(P))\). Since \(\mathrm{Gau}(P)\) is isomorphic to the group \(C(X, S^{1})\) of continuous \(S^{1}\)-valued maps on \(X\) and we have a short exact sequence \(0\rightarrow\mathbb{Z}\rightarrow C(X, \mathbb{R})\rightarrow C(X, S^{1})\rightarrow 0\), we have the Bockstein cohomology homomorphism \(d:H^{2}_{\mathrm{grp}}(G; \mathrm{Gau}(P))\rightarrow H^{3}_{grp}(G; \mathbb{Z})\). One of the main theorems asserts that \(d(e(\mathrm{Aut}(P)))=\iota^{*}D_{c}\). For a foliated principal \(S^{1}\)-bundle, under the assumption that \(c\) vanishes in \(H^{2}(X;\mathbb{R})\), the author obtains a similar theorem as well. In this case, by the Bockstein exact sequence with respect to the short exact sequence \(0\rightarrow\mathbb{Z}\rightarrow\mathbb{R}\rightarrow S^{1}\rightarrow 0\), we have a cohomology class \(\rho\in H^{1}(X;S^{1})\) which is mapped to \(c\) by the Bockstein operator \(H^{1}(X; S^{1})\rightarrow H^{2}(X;\mathbb{Z})\). Since \(H^{1}(X;S^{1})\cong\mathrm{Hom}(\pi_{1}(X), S^{1})\), it can be considered that \(\rho\) is a homomorphism from \(\pi_{1}(X)\) to \(S^{1}\). Let \(P^{\delta}_{\rho}\) be the foliated principal \(S^{1}\)-bundle whose total holonomy is \(\rho\). Then we have the central \(S^{1}\)-extension \(1\rightarrow S^{1}\rightarrow\mathrm{Aut}(P^{\delta}_{\rho})\rightarrow G\rightarrow 1\) of \(G\), hence we have a cohomology class \(e(\mathrm{Aut}(P^{\delta}_{\rho}))\in H^{2}_{\mathrm{grp}}(G; S^{1})\). Another main theorem asserts that \(d(e(\mathrm{Aut}(P^{\delta}_{\rho})))=\iota^{*}D_{c}\), where \(d:H^{2}_{\mathrm{grp}}(G;S^{1})\rightarrow H^{3}_{\mathrm{grp}}(G;\mathbb{Z})\) is the Bockstein operator. Moreover, a description of a group \(2\)-cocycle which represents the class \(e(\mathrm{Aut}(P^{\delta}_{\rho}))\) is obtained.