# nLab closed differential form

Contents

### Context

#### Differential geometry

synthetic differential geometry

Introductions

from point-set topology to differentiable manifolds

Differentials

V-manifolds

smooth space

Tangency

The magic algebraic facts

Theorems

Axiomatics

cohesion

tangent cohesion

differential cohesion

$\array{ && id &\dashv& id \\ && \vee && \vee \\ &\stackrel{fermionic}{}& \rightrightarrows &\dashv& \rightsquigarrow & \stackrel{bosonic}{} \\ && \bot && \bot \\ &\stackrel{bosonic}{} & \rightsquigarrow &\dashv& \mathrm{R}\!\!\mathrm{h} & \stackrel{rheonomic}{} \\ && \vee && \vee \\ &\stackrel{reduced}{} & \Re &\dashv& \Im & \stackrel{infinitesimal}{} \\ && \bot && \bot \\ &\stackrel{infinitesimal}{}& \Im &\dashv& \& & \stackrel{\text{étale}}{} \\ && \vee && \vee \\ &\stackrel{cohesive}{}& ʃ &\dashv& \flat & \stackrel{discrete}{} \\ && \bot && \bot \\ &\stackrel{discrete}{}& \flat &\dashv& \sharp & \stackrel{continuous}{} \\ && \vee && \vee \\ && \emptyset &\dashv& \ast }$

Models

Lie theory, ∞-Lie theory

differential equations, variational calculus

Chern-Weil theory, ∞-Chern-Weil theory

Cartan geometry (super, higher)

# Contents

## Idea

A differential form $\omega \in \Omega^p(X)$ is called closed if the de Rham differential $d \colon \Omega^{p}(X) \to \Omega^{p+1}(X)$ sends it to zero: $d \omega = 0$, hence if it is in the kernel of the de Rham.

A differential form $\omega \in \Omega^{p+1}(X)$ is called exact if it is in the image of the de Rham differential: $\omega = d \alpha$, for some $\alpha \in \Omega^{p}(X)$.

The quotient of the vector space of closed differential forms by the exact differential forms of degree $p$ is the de Rham cohomology of $X$ in degree $p$.

Formalization of closed and co-exact differential forms in cohesive homotopy theory is discussed at differential cohomology hexagon.

## Properties

Last revised on October 30, 2017 at 15:55:11. See the history of this page for a list of all contributions to it.