Crossed flux homomorphisms and vanishing theorems for flux groups (Q866876)

Let \(M\) be an closed smooth manifold and \(\alpha\) a closed \(p\)-form on \(M\). We shall denote by \(\text{Diff}^\alpha\) the group of diffeomorphisms of \(M\) which preserve \(\alpha\), equipped with the \(C^\infty\) topology. Let \(\text{Diff}^\alpha_0\) be its identity component. The flux homomorphism associated to \(\alpha\) is defined on the universal covering of \(\text{Diff}^\alpha_0\) by the formula \[ \text{Flux}_\alpha : \widetilde{\text{Diff}}^\alpha_0 \longrightarrow H^{p-1}(M;\mathbb{R}),\quad \varphi_t \longmapsto \int_0^1 [i_{\dot{\varphi}_t}\alpha]dt \] for any path \(\varphi_t\) in \(\text{Diff}^\alpha_0\) with \(\varphi_0 = Id_M\). It is easy to see that the defining integral depends on the path only up to homotopy with fixed endpoints. Identifying an element of the fundamental group of \(\text{Diff}^\alpha_0\) with the corresponding homotopy class of a path based at the identity in the universal covering one obtains a homomorphism \(\text{Flux}_\alpha : \pi_1(\text{Diff}^\alpha_0) \longrightarrow H^{p-1}(M;\mathbb{R})\), whose image is the flux group \(\Gamma_\alpha\) associated with \(\alpha\). The flux homomorphism descends to a homomorphism defined on \(\text{Diff}^\alpha_0\), also called the flux: \(\text{Flux}_\alpha : \text{ Diff}^\alpha_0 \rightarrow H^{p-1}(M;\mathbb{R})/\Gamma_\alpha\). There are a number of general questions one can ask about this situation, such as whether the flux group \(\Gamma_\alpha\) is trivial, or at least discrete, and whether the flux homomorphism can be extended from \(\text{Diff}^\alpha_0\) to the whole group \(\text{Diff}^\alpha\). As far as we know, these questions have only been considered in the literature in the case when \(\alpha\) is a symplectic form. It is the aim of this paper to discuss these questions in some generality. Content of this paper. 1. Introduction. 2. General Properties of the Flux and Crossed Flux Homomorphism. 3. Volume-Preserving Diffeomorphisms. In this section the authors consider the flux of \(\alpha\) when \(\alpha=\mu\) is a volume form on \(M\). The volume flux group is an invariant of the underlying manifold, whose non-vanishing implies that the manifold resembles one with a circle action with homologically essential orbits. 4. Entropy and Volume Flux. 5. Powers of a Symplectic Form. 6. Final Comments and Remarks.