Differential forms with values in VB-groupoids

Abstract

We introduce multiplicative differential forms on Lie groupoids with values in VB-groupoids. Our main result gives a complete description of these objects in terms of infinitesimal data. By considering split VB-groupoids, we are able to present a Lie theory for differential forms on Lie groupoids with values in 2-term representations up to homotopy. We also define a differential complex whose 1-cocycles are exactly the multiplicative forms with values in VB-groupoids and study the Morita invariance of its cohomology.