Transgression and Clifford algebras (Q734599)

Let \(G\) be a topological group, \(EG\) the total space of the universal bundle and \(BG\, EG/G\) the classifying space, \[ G \rightarrow EG \rightarrow BG. \] If \(G\) is homotopic to a finite \(CW\)-complex structure and \(R\) is a commutative ring with unit element, then we have \[ H (G; R) \equiv \wedge_R \langle x_1,\dots,x_r\rangle \] as \(R\)-algebras. Since the cohomology algebra of \(EG\) is trivial, using Leray-Serre spectral sequence we have \[ H (BG; R) \equiv R [y_1,\dots,y_r], \] where the generators \(y_i\) are the images of the \(x_i\)'s under transgression map in the spectral sequence. This calculation was done by \textit{A. Borel} in [Ann. Math. (2) 57, 115--207 (1953; Zbl 0052.40001)]. In this work the author is doing the algebraic analog of Borel's argument. Let \[ SP \rightarrow W \rightarrow F := W / \langle S^+ P\rangle, \] where \(W\) is a \(\mathbb Z_2\)-graded differential algebra and \(SP\) is a symmetric subalgebra of \(W\) generated by even degree central coboundaries \({p_1,\dots,p_r}\). So \(F\) is the quotient algebra of \(W\) by the ideal generated by \(p_1,\dots,p_r\). The main theorem of the paper states that if \(W\) is a free \(SP\)-module and the cohomology of \(W\) is trivial then there is an algebra isomorphism \[ H(F) \equiv Cl(P,B). \] The author also applies of this result to classical and quantized Weil algebras of complex reductive Lie algebra \(\mathfrak g\).