Deformation of Dirac structures via $L_\infty$ algebras

Abstract: The deformation theory of a Dirac structure is controlled by a differential graded Lie algebra which depends on the choice of an auxiliary transversal Dirac structure; if the transversal is not involutive, one obtains an $L_\infty$ algebra instead. We develop a simplified method for describing this $L_\infty$ algebra and use it to prove that the $L_\infty$ algebras corresponding to different transversals are canonically $L_\infty$-isomorphic. In some cases, this isomorphism provides a formality map, as we show in several examples including (quasi)-Poisson geometry, Dirac structures on Lie groups, and Lie bialgebras. Finally, we apply our result to a classical problem in the deformation theory of complex manifolds: we provide explicit formulas for the Kodaira-Spencer deformation complex of a fixed small deformation of a complex manifold, in terms of the deformation complex of the original manifold.