On the linearization of Regge calculus

We study the linearization of three dimensional Regge calculus around Euclidean metric. We provide an explicit formula for the corresponding quadratic form and relate it to the curlTcurl operator which appears in the quadratic part of the Einstein-Hilbert action and also in the linear elasticity complex. We insert Regge metrics in a discrete version of this complex, equipped with densely defined and commuting interpolators. We show that the eigenpairs of the curlTcurl operator, approximated using the quadratic part of the Regge action on Regge metrics, converge to their continuous counterparts, interpreting the computation as a non-conforming finite element method.Comment: 26 page

A simplicial gauge theory

We provide an action for gauge theories discretized on simplicial meshes, inspired by finite element methods. The action is discretely gauge invariant and we give a proof of consistency. A discrete Noether's theorem that can be applied to our setting, is also proved.Comment: 24 pages. v2: New version includes a longer introduction and a discrete Noether's theorem. v3: Section 4 on Noether's theorem has been expanded with Proposition 8, section 2 has been expanded with a paragraph on standard LGT. v4: Thorough revision with new introduction and more background materia

Complexes of Discrete Distributional Differential Forms and their Homology Theory

Complexes of discrete distributional differential forms are introduced into finite element exterior calculus. Thus we generalize a notion of Braess and Sch\"oberl, originally studied for a posteriori error estimation. We construct isomorphisms between the simplicial homology groups of the triangulation, the discrete harmonic forms of the finite element complex, and the harmonic forms of the distributional finite element complexes. As an application, we prove that the complexes of finite element exterior calculus have cohomology groups isomorphic to the de Rham cohomology, including the case of partial boundary conditions. Poincar\'e-Friedrichs-type inequalities will be studied in a subsequent contribution.Comment: revised preprint, 26 page

Nonlinear elasticity complex and a finite element diagram chase

In this paper, we present a nonlinear version of the linear elasticity (Calabi, Kr\"oner, Riemannian deformation) complex which encodes isometric embedding, metric, curvature and the Bianchi identity. We reformulate the rigidity theorem and a fundamental theorem of Riemannian geometry as the exactness of this complex. Then we generalize an algebraic approach for constructing finite elements for the Bernstein-Gelfand-Gelfand (BGG) complexes. In particular, we discuss the reduction of degrees of freedom with injective connecting maps in the BGG diagrams. We derive a strain complex in two space dimensions with a diagram chase.Comment: Manuscript prepared for proceedings of the INdAM conference "Approximation Theory and Numerical Analysis meet Algebra, Geometry, Topology'', which was held in September 2022 at Cortona, Ital

Extended Regge complex for linearized Riemann-Cartan geometry and cohomology

We show that the cohomology of the Regge complex in three dimensions is isomorphic to $\mathcal{H}^{{\scriptscriptstyle \bullet}}_{dR}(\Omega)\otimes\mathcal{RM}$, the infinitesimal-rigid-body-motion-valued de~Rham cohomology. Based on an observation that the twisted de~Rham complex extends the elasticity (Riemannian deformation) complex to the linearized version of coframes, connection 1-forms, curvature and Cartan's torsion, we construct a discrete version of linearized Riemann-Cartan geometry on any triangulation and determine its cohomology.Comment: 24 page