The Lie algebra perturbation lemma

Abstract

Let g be a differential graded Lie algebra and suppose given a contraction of chain complexes of g onto a general chain complex M. We show that the data determine an sh-Lie algebra structure on M, that is, a coalgebra perturbation of the coalgebra differential on the cofree coaugmented differential graded cocommutative coalgebra S' on the suspension of M, a Lie algebra twisting cochain from the perturbed coalgebra S" to the given Lie algebra g, and an extension of this Lie algebra twisting cochain to a contraction of chain complexes from the Cartan-Chevalley-Eilenberg coalgebra on g onto S" which is natural in the data. This extends a result established in a joint paper of the author with J. Stashef [Forum math. 14 (2002), 847-868, math.AG/9906036] where only the particular where M is the homology of g has been explored.