Projectively invariant cocycles of holomorphic vector fields on an open Riemann surface (Q696205)

The circle \(S^1\) is parallelizable, and so all spaces of smooth sections of vector bundles on \(S^1\) can be identified with spaces of smooth functions in a global coordinate \(\theta\). Let Vect\((S^1)\) denote the Lie algebra of smooth vector fields on \(S^1\). Let \({\mathcal F}_{\lambda}(S^1)\) be the Vect\((S^1)\)-module of \(\lambda\)-densities, consisting thus of functions \(g(\theta)(d\theta)^{\lambda}\) on which \(f(\theta)\frac{d}{d\theta}\in\text{Vect}(S^1)\) acts by \[ f(\theta)\frac{d}{d\theta}\cdot g(\theta)(d\theta)^{\lambda} = (fg'+\lambda f'g)(d\theta)^{\lambda}. \] Consider now linear differential operators of some order \[ A=a_k(\theta)\frac{d}{d\theta}+\ldots +a_0(\theta) \] as operators \(A:{\mathcal F}_{\lambda}(S^1)\to{\mathcal F}_{\mu}(S^1)\). The space of these \(A\) is denoted \({\mathcal D}_{\lambda,\mu}(S^1)\) and carries a Vect\((S^1)\) action by \[ L_X^{\lambda,\mu}(A) = L_X^{\mu}\circ A - A\circ L_X^{\lambda}, \] where \(L_X^{\lambda}\) denotes the operator \(X=f(\theta)\frac{d}{d\theta}\) acting on \({\mathcal F}_{\lambda}(S^1)\) as above. In the article [\textit{S. Bouarroudj} and \textit{V. Yu. Ovsienko}, Three cocycles on Diff(\(S^1\)) generalizing the Schwarzian derivative, Int. Math. Res. Not. 1998, 25-39 (1998; Zbl 0919.57026)], the authors compute the relative Lie algebra cohomology space \[ H^1(\text{Vect}(S^1),sl_2({\mathbb R});{\mathcal D}_{\lambda,\mu}(S^1)). \] Here, \(sl_2({\mathbb R})\) is the Lie algebra of PSl\((2,{\mathbb R})\subset\text{Diff}(S^1)=\text{Diff}({\mathbb R}P^1)\). They observe that relative 1-cocycles w.r.t. \(sl_2({\mathbb R})\) correspond to \(sl_2({\mathbb R})\)-invariant differential operators. As these ``transvectants'' have been classified long ago [\textit{P. Gordan}, Invariantentheorie, Teubner (1887; JFM 19.0099.01), see also reprint Chelsea Publishing, New York (1987; Zbl 0652.01037)], it remained to examine which of these are cocycles. There are no coboundaries. The article under review extends the results of the cited article from \(S^1\) to an open Riemann surface \(\Sigma\) and the Lie algebra of holomorphic vector fields Hol\((\Sigma)\) acting on some module \({\mathcal D}_{\lambda,\mu}(\Sigma)\). As all holomorphic vector bundles on \(\Sigma\) are holomorphically trivial, \({\mathcal D}_{\lambda,\mu}(\Sigma)\) has the same description as \({\mathcal D}_{\lambda,\mu}(S^1)\) mutatis mutandis. \(sl_2({\mathbb C})\) forms a subalgebra of Hol\((\Sigma)\) being the subalgebra of polynomials of degree \(\leq 2\). The authors compute then \[ H^1(\text{Hol}(\Sigma),sl_2({\mathbb C});{\mathcal D}_{\lambda,\mu}(\Sigma)) \] by extending the expressions of the cocycles given in [S. Bouarroudj, V. Ovsienko (loc. cit.)] to global objects on \(\Sigma\), using covariant derivatives associated to a holomorphic affine connection on \(\Sigma\). Non-triviality of these cocycles and the fact that they span cohomology can be boiled down from \(\Sigma\) to \(S^1\) by restriction to an embedded circle. The absence of coboundaries in the \(S^1\) case permits to avoid analytic prolongation of Vect\((S^1)\) coboundaries.