A (concrete) differential $n$-form on a normed space $E$: a smooth map assigning to each point an alternating continuous $n$-linear form.
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Pullback of a differential form along a smooth map: $(f^*\omega)_x(v_1,\dots,v_n) = \omega_{f(x)}(df_x v_1, \dots, df_x v_n)$.
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Concrete deformation retract data $i : X \hookrightarrow U$ and $\pi : U \to X$ with a chain homotopy operator $K$ satisfying $dK + Kd = \mathrm{id} - \pi^* i^*$, used to prove $i^* : H^*(U) \xrightarrow{\sim} H^*(X)$.
Instances For
The exterior derivative squares to zero: $d \circ d = 0$ on smooth forms in $U$.
$d$ is linear in subtraction: $d(\omega_1 - \omega_2) = d\omega_1 - d\omega_2$.
$d$ is additive: $d(\omega_1 + \omega_2) = d\omega_1 + d\omega_2$.
Pullback along $i$ commutes with the exterior derivative: $i^*(d\omega) = d(i^*\omega)$.
Pullback distributes over subtraction: $i^*(\omega_1 - \omega_2) = i^*\omega_1 - i^*\omega_2$.
Pullback of the zero form by $\pi$ is the zero form: $\pi^* 0 = 0$.
Surjectivity at the cocycle level: every form $\alpha$ on $X$ is the pullback $i^*\beta$ of a form $\beta$ on $U$ (take $\beta = \pi^*\alpha$).
Injectivity at cohomology level: a closed form $\beta$ on $U$ whose restriction $i^*\beta$ is exact is itself exact, proved using the chain-homotopy formula.
Corollary 1: for a deformation retract $i: X \hookrightarrow U$, the pullback $i^* : H^*(U, \mathbb{R}) \to H^*(X, \mathbb{R})$ is an isomorphism (surjective on cocycles, injective in positive degree, and injective on degree-$0$ closed forms).
Pullback along the identity is the identity: $\mathrm{id}^*\omega = \omega$.
The exterior derivative of the zero form is zero: $d 0 = 0$.
Any function out of a subsingleton normed space is smooth (it is constant).
The trivial deformation retract instance on a subsingleton (e.g., a point), with $K \equiv 0$.