Multi-Dirac structures for Lie bialgebroids

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce multi-Dirac structures for Lie bialgebroids, which generalize the multi-Dirac structures on manifolds and Dirac structures on Lie bialgebroids. Next, we also introduce higher-order Courant algebroids for Lie algebroids and higher-order Dorfman algebroids for Lie algebroids and study the relationship between them. Furthermore, we show that there is a one-to-one correspondence between the multi-Dirac structures for special Lie bialgebroids and the higher Dirac structures for Lie algebroids. Finally, we construct the Gerstenhaber algebra by using the multi-Dirac structure for Lie bialgebroids.