Chern-Weil theory for \infty-local systems

Abstract: Let

G

be a compact connected Lie group. We show that the category

m a t h b f {L o c}_{i n f t y} (B G)

of

i n f t y

-local systems on the classifying space of

G

, can be described infinitesimally as the category

m a t h b f {I n f L o c}_{i n f t y} (m a t h f r a k g)

of basic

m a t h f r a k g

-

L_{i} n f t y

spaces. Moreover, we show that, given a principal bundle

p i c o l o n P i g h t a r r o w X

with structure group

G

and any connection

h e t a

on

P

, there is a DG functor

mathcal{CW}_{ heta} colon mathbf{InfLoc}_{infty}(mathfrak{g}) longrightarrow mathbf{Loc}_{infty}(X),

which corresponds to the pullback functor by the classifying map of

P

. The DG functors associated to different connections are related by an

A_{i} n f t y

-natural isomorphism. This construction provides a categorification of the Chern-Weil homomorphism, which is recovered by applying the functor

m a t h c a l {C W}_{h e t a}

to the endomorphisms of the constant local system.

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