Koszul's Splitting Theorem and the Super Atiyah Class

Abstract

In this article we present a self-contained account of two important results in complex supergeometry: (1) Koszul's Splitting theorem and (2) Donagi and Witten's decomposition of the super Atiyah class. These results are related in the same sense that global holomorphic connections on a holomorphic vector bundle are `related' to the Atiyah class of that vector bundle---the latter being the obstruction to the existence of the former. In complex supergeometry: Koszul's theorem pertains to the existence of supermanifold splittings whereas the super Atiyah class accordingly pertains to obstructions to the existence of splittings.