Periods, prequantization, and rigidity in relative multisymplectic geometry

Abstract

Relative multisymplectic geometry replaces differential forms on a single manifold by cocycles in the mapping cone of a smooth map $F:M\to N$. Building on the relative Cartan calculus, the Lie $n$-algebras of relative observables, and the relative homotopy moment maps developed in companion work, we establish a range of applications showing that the framework is a working tool rather than a formal generalization. We first construct the integration pairing between relative differential forms and smooth relative chains, and prove two structural results that make it usable: a period criterion, reducing relative integrality to the periods of the target form together with a defect homomorphism on the classes killed by $F_{\ast }$, and a functoriality theorem for morphisms of arrows. The criterion yields a structure theorem for levels: the integers $k$ at which $k\varpi$ is relatively integral always form a cyclic group $k_0\mathbb{Z}$, with no hypothesis on $F$, and $k_0$ is computable from finitely many integrals whenever the relevant homology is finitely generated. Together these tools yield a characterization of homotopy-invariant bulk--boundary action functionals, hence a precise treatment of Wess--Zumino terms; a relative Weil--Kostant theorem, whose specialization to a Lagrangian submanifold is the Bohr--Sommerfeld condition of geometric quantization; a relative Noether identity, with a bulk--boundary splitting of the conserved charges; and a rigidity theorem making comoment maps unique, strict and equivariant, so that the Kostant--Souriau cocycle disappears. Two closing sections analyse the degenerate edges $M=\varnothing$ and $N=\mathrm{pt}$, at which the absolute theories are recovered, and separate weak from strong nondegeneracy, determining which results require which.