Abstract

We define and investigate deformed n-Calabi–Yau completions of homologically smooth differential graded (= dg) categories. Important examples are: deformed preprojective algebras of connected non-Dynkin quivers, Ginzburg dg algebras associated to quivers with potentials and dg categories associated to the category of coherent sheaves on the canonical bundle of a smooth variety. We show that deformed Calabi–Yau completions do have the Calabi–Yau property and that their construction is compatible with derived equivalences and with localizations. In particular, Ginzburg dg algebras have the Calabi–Yau property. We show that deformed 3-Calabi–Yau completions of algebras of global dimension at most 2 are quasi-isomorphic to Ginzburg dg algebras and apply this to the study of cluster-tilted algebras and to the construction of derived equivalences associated to mutations of quivers with potentials. In the appendix, Michel Van den Bergh uses non-commutative differential geometry to give an alternative proof of the fact that Ginzburg dg algebras have the Calabi–Yau property.