Some cohomology classes in principal fiber bundles and their application to riemannian geometry

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1971 Apr;68(4):791-4. doi: 10.1073/pnas.68.4.791.

Abstract

We define some new global invariants of a fiber bundle with a connection. They are cohomology classes in the principal fiber bundle that are defined when certain characteristic curvature forms vanish. In the case of the principal tangent bundle of a riemannian manifold, they are invariant under a conformal transformation of the metric. They give necessary conditions for conformal immersion of a riemannian manifold in euclidean space.