In the present article, we study compact complex manifolds admitting a Hermitian metric which is strong Kähler with torsion (SKT) and Calabi–Yau with torsion (CYT) and whose Bismut torsion is parallel. We first obtain a characterization of the universal cover of such manifolds as a product of a Kähler Ricci-flat manifold with a Bismut flat one. Then, using a mapping torus construction, we provide non-Bismut flat examples. The existence of generalized Kähler structures is also investigated.

We consider Calderón's problem for the connection Laplacian on a real-analytic vector bundle over a manifold with boundary. We prove a uniqueness result for this problem when all geometric data are real-analytic, recovering the topology and geometry of a vector bundle up to a gauge transformation and an isometry of the base manifold.

Using a certain well-posed ODE problem introduced by Shilnikov in the sixties, Minervini proved the currential “fundamental Morse equation” of Harvey–Lawson but without the restrictive tameness condition for Morse gradient flows. Here, we construct local resolutions for the flow of a section of a fiber bundle endowed with a vertical vector field which is of Morse gradient type in every fiber in order to remove the tameness hypothesis from the currential homotopy formula proved by the first author. We apply this to produce currential deformations of odd degree closed forms naturally associated to any hermitian vector bundle endowed with a unitary endomorphism and metric compatible connection. A transgression formula involving smooth forms on a classifying space for odd K-theory is also given.

We construct a cycle in higher Hochschild homology associated to the two-dimensional torus which represents 2-holonomy of a nonabelian gerbe in the same way as the ordinary holonomy of a principal G-bundle gives rise to a cycle in ordinary Hochschild homology. This is done using the connection 1-form of Baez–Schreiber. A crucial ingredient in our work is the possibility to arrange that in the structure crossed module $\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}:\mathfrak{h}\rightarrow \mathfrak{g}$ of the principal 2-bundle, the Lie algebra $\mathfrak{h}$ is abelian, up to equivalence of crossed modules.

Let L → X be a positive line bundle on a compact complex manifold X. For compact submanifolds Y, S of X and a holomorphic submersion Y → S with compact fibre, we study curvature of a natural connection on certain line bundles on S.

Given a Lie n-algebra, we provide an explicit construction of its integrating Lie n-group. This extends work done by Getzler in the case of nilpotent -algebras. When applied to an ordinary Lie algebra, our construction yields the simplicial classifying space of the corresponding simply connected Lie group. In the case of the string Lie 2-algebra of Baez and Crans, we obtain the simplicial nerve of their model of the string group.

We consider the $p$-Yang-Mills functional $\left( p\,\ge \,2 \right)$ defined as $Y{{M}_{p}}(\nabla ):=\frac{1}{p}{{\int }_{M}}{{\left\| {{R}^{\nabla }} \right\|}^{p}}$. We call critical points of $Y{{M}_{p}}(\cdot )$ the p-Yang–Mills connections, and the associated curvature ${{R}^{\nabla }}$ the $p$-Yang-Mills fields. In this paper, we prove gap properties and instability theorems for $p$-Yang-Mills fields over submanifolds in ${{\mathbb{R}}^{n+k}}$ and ${{\mathbb{S}}^{n+k}}$.

Holomorphic principal bundles over a compact Riemann surface X that admits a flat connection are considered. A holomorphic G-bundle over X, where G is a connected semisimple linear algebraic group over ${\Bbb C}$, admits a flat connection if and only if the adjoint vector bundle admits one. More generally, for a complex reductive group G, the necessary and sufficient condition on a G-bundle to admit a flat connection is described. This simplifies the criterion obtained by the authors and given in Math. Ann. 322 (2002) 333–346.

This paper concerns an inverse problem in the calculus of variations, namely, when a two-dimensional symmetric connection is globally a Riemannian or pseudo-Riemannian connection. Two new local characterizations of such connections in terms of the Ricci tensor and the Riemann curvature tensor respectively are given, together with a solution to the global problem. As an application, the problem of whether the characteristic curves of a connection on an SO(3)-bundle on a surface are the geodesies of a Riemannian metric on the surface is studied. Some applications to non-holonomic dynamics are discussed.

We show how flatness and symmetry of an affinely connected manifold relate themselves to the symmetry of the curvature tensor and its covariant derivative in certain slots. Then we reduce Bianchi first identity to the same form as when the connexion is symmetric; even when the connexion is non-symmetric by considering other conditions.