Lie Derivatives along Antisymmetric Tensors, and the M-Theory Superalgebra

Abstract

Free differential algebras (FDAs) provide an algebraic setting for field theories with antisymmetric tensors. The "presentation'' of FDAs generalizes the Cartan-Maurer equations of ordinary Lie algebras, by incorporating $p$-form potentials. An extended Lie derivative along antisymmetric tensor fields can be defined and used to recover a Lie algebra dual to the FDA that encodes all the symmetries of the theory including those gauged by the $p$-forms. The general method is applied to the FDA of $D=11$ supergravity: the resulting dual Lie superalgebra contains the M-theory supersymmetry anticommutators in presence of $2$-branes.