Covariant Euler-Poincaré Reduction for Field Theories on Centered Semidirect Products
Let $G$ be a Lie group equipped with commuting left and right linear representations on a vector space $V$, and let $G\Join V$ be the associated centered semidirect product. We develop a reduction scheme for covariant field theories on principal bundles with structure group $G\Join V$ from both Lagrangian and Hamiltonian perspectives, obtaining the reduced Euler-Poincaré and Lie-Poisson field equations decomposed into their $\mathfrak g$- and $V$-components, where $\mathfrak g$ is the Lie algebra of $G$. We also derive the reduced multisymplectic form formula, as well as the Noether and energy-momentum balance laws. Our reduction results are compared with those for principal bundles with standard semidirect-product structure groups, and the role of the centered variables is investigated: they retain the original two-sided geometric data and separate the left and right contributions via the heart and diamond operators. The framework is then applied to a two-sided matrix microstructural model and to the second-order jet group on $\mathbb R^r$, $G_r^2$. For the matrix model, the conjugation representation decomposes $\operatorname{Mat}(3)$ into scalar, vector, and symmetric-traceless sectors, clarifying its precise relation to director and alignment-tensor variables without identifying it with standard nematodynamics. For the one-dimensional jet group on a $(1+1)$-dimensional Minkowski base, we obtain a semilinear symmetric-hyperbolic system and an exact traveling conversion front with explicit energy-momentum exchange between the linear- and quadratic-jet sectors. Its hyperbolic-target interpretation yields a conserved positive energy for the linearized perturbations. A nonlinear numerical experiment illustrates the reduced evolution and reconstruction of the group-valued field, with consistency assessed through mesh refinement and an independent wave-map computation.