Integration along fibers

In differential geometry, the integration along fibers of a k-form yields a

-form where m is the dimension of the fiber, via "integration".

It is also called the fiber integration.

be a fiber bundle over a manifold with compact oriented fibers.

is a k-form on E, then for tangent vectors wi's at b, let where

is the induced top-form on the fiber

is smooth, work it out in coordinates; cf.

is a linear map

By Stokes' formula, if the fibers have no boundaries(i.e.

), the map descends to de Rham cohomology: This is also called the fiber integration.

is a sphere bundle; i.e., the typical fiber is a sphere.

Then there is an exact sequence

, K the kernel, which leads to a long exact sequence, dropping the coefficient

: called the Gysin sequence.

be an obvious projection.

and consider a k-form: Then, at each point in M, From this local calculation, the next formula follows easily (see Poincaré_lemma#Direct_proof): if

As an application of this formula, let

be a smooth map (thought of as a homotopy).

is a homotopy operator (also called a chain homotopy): which implies

induce the same map on cohomology, the fact known as the homotopy invariance of de Rham cohomology.

As a corollary, for example, let U be an open ball in Rn with center at the origin and let

, the fact known as the Poincaré lemma.

Given a vector bundle π : E → B over a manifold, we say a differential form α on E has vertical-compact support if the restriction

has compact support for each b in B.

for the vector space of differential forms on E with vertical-compact support.

If E is oriented as a vector bundle, exactly as before, we can define the integration along the fiber: The following is known as the projection formula.

be an oriented vector bundle over a manifold and

Since the assertion is local, we can assume π is trivial: i.e.,

is a ring homomorphism, Similarly, both sides are zero if α does not contain dt.

The proof of 2. is similar.