Models for classifying spaces and derived deformation theory

Using the theory of extensions of L-infinity algebras, we construct rational homotopy models for classifying spaces of fibrations, giving answers in terms of classical homological functors, namely the Chevalley-Eilenberg and Harrison cohomology. We also investigate the algebraic structure of the Chevalley-Eilenberg complexes of L-infinity algebras and show that they possess, along with the Gerstenhaber bracket, an L-infinity structure that is homotopy abelian.Comment: 23 pages. This version contains minor technical corrections and a new section with a list of open problems. To appear in Proceedings of the LM

The Stasheff model of a simply-connected manifold and the string bracket

We revisit Stasheff's construction of a minimal Lie-Quillen model of a simply-connected closed manifold $M$ using the language of infinity-algebras. This model is then used to construct a graded Lie bracket on the equivariant homology of the free loop space of $M$ minus a point similar to the Chas-Sullivan string bracket.Comment: 9 page

L-infinity maps and twistings

We give a construction of an L-infinity map from any L-infinity algebra into its truncated Chevalley-Eilenberg complex as well as its cyclic and A-infinity analogues. This map fits with the inclusion into the full Chevalley-Eilenberg complex (or its respective analogues) to form a homotopy fiber sequence of L-infinity-algebras. Application to deformation theory and graph homology are given. We employ the machinery of Maurer-Cartan functors in L-infinity and A-infinity algebras and associated twistings which should be of independent interest.Comment: 16 pages, to appear in Homology, Homotopy and Applications. This version contains many corrections of technical nature and minor improvement

Unimodular homotopy algebras and Chern-Simons theory

Quantum Chern-Simons invariants of differentiable manifolds are analyzed from the point of view of homological algebra. Given a manifold M and a Lie (or, more generally, an L-infinity) algebra g, the vector space H^*(M) \otimes g has the structure of an L-infinity algebra whose homotopy type is a homotopy invariant of M. We formulate necessary and sufficient conditions for this L-infinity algebra to have a quantum lift. We also obtain structural results on unimodular L-infinity algebras and introduce a doubling construction which links unimodular and cyclic L-infinity algebras.Comment: 37 pages, expanded introduction and made minor correction

Dual Feynman transform for modular operads

We introduce and study the notion of a dual Feynman transform of a modular operad. This generalizes and gives a conceptual explanation of Kontsevich's dual construction producing graph cohomology classes from a contractible differential graded Frobenius algebra. The dual Feynman transform of a modular operad is indeed linear dual to the Feynman transform introduced by Getzler and Kapranov when evaluated on vacuum graphs. In marked contrast to the Feynman transform, the dual notion admits an extremely simple presentation via generators and relations; this leads to an explicit and easy description of its algebras. We discuss a further generalization of the dual Feynman transform whose algebras are not necessarily contractible. This naturally gives rise to a two-colored graph complex analogous to the Boardman-Vogt topological tree complex.Comment: 27 pages. A few conceptual changes in the last section; in particular we prove that the two-colored graph complex is a resolution of the corresponding modular operad. It is now called 'BV-resolution' as suggested by Sasha Vorono

Disconnected rational homotopy theory

We construct two algebraic versions of homotopy theory of rational disconnected topological spaces, one based on differential graded commutative associative algebras and the other one on complete differential graded Lie algebras. As an application of the developed technology we obtain results on the structure of Maurer-Cartan spaces of complete differential graded Lie algebras.Comment: 50 pages, a couple of typos corrected and references adde

Curved infinity-algebras and their characteristic classes

In this paper we study a natural extension of Kontsevich's characteristic class construction for A-infinity and L-infinity algebras to the case of curved algebras. These define homology classes on a variant of his graph homology which allows vertices of valence >0. We compute this graph homology, which is governed by star-shaped graphs with odd-valence vertices. We also classify nontrivially curved cyclic A-infinity and L-infinity algebras over a field up to gauge equivalence, and show that these are essentially reduced to algebras of dimension at most two with only even-ary operations. We apply the reasoning to compute stability maps for the homology of Lie algebras of formal vector fields. Finally, we explain a generalization of these results to other types of algebras, using the language of operads.Comment: Final version, to appear in J. Topology. 28 page