Groupoids in Diffeology

Abstract

This expository paper recounts the development and application of the concept of the diffeological groupoid, from its introduction in 1985 to its use in current research. We demonstrate how this single concept has served as a powerful and unifying tool for defining fundamental structures, analyzing the stratification of complex spaces like orbifolds, building a bridge to noncommutative geometry, and, most recently, forging new approaches to geometric quantization. The paper aims to provide a cohesive narrative of this journey, making explicit certain concepts like the "Klein groupoid" and showcasing the enduring vitality of the diffeological groupoid in modern geometry and physics.