Basic Forms

Abstract

This chapter describes basic forms. On a principal bundle π‎: P → M, the differential forms on P that are pullbacks of forms ω‎ on the base M are called basic forms. The chapter characterizes basic forms in terms of the Lie derivative and interior multiplication. It shows that basic forms on a principal bundle are invariant and horizontal. To understand basic forms better, the chapter considers a simple example. The plane ℝ2 may be viewed as the total space of a principal ℝ-bundle. A connected Lie group is generated by any neighborhood of the identity. This example shows the necessity of the connectedness hypothesis.