English

The first Pontryagin class

Algebraic Topology 2007-05-23 v2 Algebraic Geometry

Abstract

We give a natural obstruction theoretic interpretation to the first Pontryagin class in terms of Courant algebroids. As an application we calculate the class of the stack of algebras of chiral differential operators. In particular, we establish the existence and uniqueness of the chiral de Rham complex.

Cite

@article{arxiv.math/0509563,
  title  = {The first Pontryagin class},
  author = {Paul Bressler},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:math/0509563},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

The present paper supercedes the earlier notes ``Vertex algebroids I and II combining their contents and correcting the errors