The geometry of the bundle of connections
Let \(p:C(P)\to M\) be the bundle of connections of a principal bundle with structure group an arbitrary Lie group \(G\). The Lie group acts on the 1-jet bundle \(J^1P\) of \(P\) in such a way that the quotient is a manifold which can be identified with \(C(P)\). In fact, the projection \(q:J^1P \to C(P)\) is a principal \(G\)-bundle. The canonical contact form \(\theta\) of \(J^1P\) is a 1-form taking values in the vertical bundle \(VP\). As \(VP\simeq V \times {\mathfrak g}\), the form \(\theta\) is indeed a \({\mathfrak g}\)-valued 1-form which turns out to be a connection form on the bundle \(q\). The main goal of this paper is the study of the curvature form \(\Omega_2\) of this connection, seen as a 2-form on \(C(P)\) taking values in the adjoint bundle \(\text{ad} (J^1P)\simeq p^* \text{ad}P\) of \(q\). The form \(\Omega_2\) is a generalized symplectic form on \(C(P)\) and in fact is the main geometrical object of the bundle of connections. First of all, it is known that the form \(\Omega_2\) can be considered as a ``universal curvature in the following sense: If \(\Gamma\) is a connection on \(P\), \(\sigma_\Gamma:M\to C(P)\) is the associated section defined by \(\Gamma\) and \(\Omega_\Gamma\) its curvature form, seen as a 2-form on \(M\) taking values in the adjoint bundle, we have that \((\sigma_\Gamma)^* \Omega_2= \Omega_\Gamma\). Secondly, it is shown in the paper that the form \(\Omega_2\) can be defined by means of intrinsic geometrical objects of the space \(C(P)\) itself, avoiding the use of the space \(J^1P\) and its contact structure. This is achieved in Theorem 1 in which it is proved that the form \(\Omega_2\) is the unique form on \(C(P)\) satisfying two properties concerning the affine structure of the bundle \(p:C(P) \to M\) and one property related to the invariance under the image of \(\text{aut} P\), the algebra of infinitesimal automorphisms of \(P\), under the natural representation of automorphisms on connections. Finally, the Hamiltonian structure of the form \(\Omega_2\) is given. Namely, for \(\dim M\geq 2\), the algebra of Hamiltonian vector fields is again the image of \(\text{aut}P\) given above.
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