Stability of fixed points in Poisson geometry and higher Lie theory

Abstract

We provide a uniform approach to obtain sufficient criteria for a (higher order) fixed point of a given bracket structure on a manifold to be stable under deformations. Examples of bracket structures include Lie algebroids, Lie $n$-algebroids, singular foliations, Lie bialgebroids, Courant algebroids and Dirac structures in split Courant algebroids admitting a Dirac complement. We show that the stability problems are specific instances of the following problem: given a differential graded Lie algebra $\mathfrak g$, a differential graded Lie subalgebra $\mathfrak h$ of degreewise finite codimension in $\mathfrak g$ and a Maurer-Cartan element $Q\in \mathfrak h^1$, when are Maurer-Cartan elements near $Q$ in $\mathfrak g$ gauge equivalent to elements of $\mathfrak h^1$? We show that the vanishing of a finite-dimensional cohomology group associated to $\mathfrak g,\mathfrak h$ and $Q$ implies a positive answer to the question above, and therefore implies stability of fixed points of the geometric structures described above. In particular, we recover the stability results of Crainic-Fernandes for zero-dimensional leaves, as well as the stability results for higher order singularities of Dufour-Wade.