Is There an Isomorphism Between G-Invariant Forms and De Rham Cohomology?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the isomorphism between G-invariant differential forms and de Rham cohomology for a compact Lie group G and its closed subgroup H, with the quotient space X = G/H. It is established that the space of G-invariant forms, T(X), is isomorphic to the de Rham cohomology space H*(X). The proof strategy involves demonstrating that if a form ω is G-invariant, then both dω and d*ω equal zero, leading to the conclusion that ω is harmonic. The discussion suggests using G-invariant coordinates to simplify the proof process.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of compact Lie groups and their properties
  • Familiarity with differential forms and de Rham cohomology
  • Knowledge of Hodge theory and harmonic forms
  • Basic concepts of fibre bundles and the Kunneth formula
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  • Study the proof of the isomorphism between G-invariant forms and de Rham cohomology in detail
  • Learn about G-invariant coordinates and their applications in differential geometry
  • Explore Hodge theory and its implications for harmonic forms
  • Investigate the Kunneth formula and its use in cohomology theories
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Mathematicians, particularly those specializing in differential geometry, algebraic topology, and representation theory, will benefit from this discussion.

neworder1
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Prove the following result:

let G be a compact Lie group, H its closed subgroup and X = G/H. Let T(X) denote the space of G-invariant differential forms on X (e.g. \omega \in T(X) \Leftrightarrow \forall g \in G g^{*}\omega = \omega). Then T(X) is isomorphic to H^{*}(X), de Rham cohomology space of X,

Do you know where I can find the proof of this result?

I have been suggested the following proof strategy:
a) if \omega is G-invariant, then d\omega = 0
b) likewise, d*\omega = 0 (Hodge star)
c) by Hodge theory, \omega is harmonic, and each cohomology class has exactly one harmonic representant

Unfortuately, this is not an elementary proof. But perhaps at least a) and b) can be proved easily? A concept for proving a): locally, we can find G-invariant coordinates (i.e. a local basis of G-invariant vector fields which span the tangent space) - how to prove this? In these coordinates \omega has constant coefficients (why?), so d\omega = 0. How about d*\omega?

I'd be glad if someone could help with filling in the details.
 
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Have you considered looking at it as a fibre bundle and applying the Kunneth formula to it? I must admit that I don't have too much experience with this, but that seems to be the only way to get a quick proof.
 

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