How to perform wedge product on a non-commutative algebra

109 Views Asked by At

I'm trying to calculate the covariant derivative of my connection $\mathbf{\mathcal{A}} $ (in this case $\mathbf{\mathcal{A}} $ is also a vector valued matrix but nevermind, I don't think is relevant for the purpose of the question...). Of course $\mathbf{\mathcal{A}} $ is also a traceless Hermitian matrix.

I'm up to evaluate then the non-Abelian curvature $\mathbf{\mathcal{F}} $ that results from the covariant derivative of $\mathbf{\mathcal{A}} $, i.e., in differential form language, the term \begin{equation} D\mathbf{\mathcal{A}} = d\mathbf{\mathcal{A}}+\mathbf{\mathcal{A}} \wedge\mathbf{\mathcal{A}} \end{equation}

In particular, I don't understand why the last term of the previous equation should be different from zero (in principle, the non-commutativity of the algebra underlying the system should manifest itself in this term) and how to carry out the calculations analytically.

1

There are 1 best solutions below

0
On

Here is an example that explains why the wedge of a 1-form with itself need not be zero. Let our 1-forms be valued in the Lie algebra $(\Bbb R^3, \times)$. Consider $\omega = \hat idx + \hat j dy$. Then by definition, we have $\omega \wedge \omega = [\hat i, \hat j] dx \wedge dy = 2\hat k dx \wedge dy$. This would of course be zero if our Lie algebra was commutative.