Hodge theory of classifying stacks

Abstract

We compute the Hodge and de Rham cohomology of the classifying space BG (defined as etale cohomology on the algebraic stack BG) for reductive groups G over many fields, including fields of small characteristic. These calculations have a direct relation with representation theory, yielding new results there. The calculations are closely analogous to, but not always the same as, the cohomology of classifying spaces in topology.