$Z_2\times Z_2$ Lattice as a Connes-Lott-Quantum Group Model

We apply quantum group methods for noncommutative geometry to the $Z_2\times Z_2$ lattice to obtain a natural Dirac operator on this discrete space. This then leads to an interpretation of the Higgs fields as the discrete part of spacetime in the Connes-Lott formalism for elementary particle Lagrangians. The model provides a setting where both the quantum groups and the Connes approach to noncommutative geometry can be usefully combined, with some of Connes' axioms, notably the first-order condition, replaced by algebraic methods based on the group structure. The noncommutative geometry has nontrivial cohomology and moduli of flat connections, both of which we compute.