# A question about differential forms

I have checked Rudin's proof about Poincaré Lemma (Principles of Mathematical Analysis) and it seems to have a mistake. Through Google, I found another guy who has noted such error. More details here. And I look through the other books about differential forms, but they just talked about $C^\infty$.

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• the sum of continuous forms is continuous as the coefficients add in the natural manner. If I read his proof correctly, by that point his induction hypothesis indicates the continuity of each piece which builds $\gamma$ hence $\gamma$ is continuous. – James S. Cook Nov 13 '13 at 10:27
• I don't think he says $\gamma$ is smooth, he says there in $Y_{p-1}$ which as I read it says they're once continuously differentiable. ($p-1$ refers to form degree) – James S. Cook Nov 13 '13 at 10:42
• But why DjFi is continuously differentiable? – gilliatt Nov 13 '13 at 11:30
• If $F_i$ was $C^2$ then $D_jF_i$ would be $C^1$. However, I see you say he only assumes $C^1$ which also leaves me puzzled. – James S. Cook Nov 14 '13 at 3:03

The ambiguity goes away when coefficients are taken in the basis of $\Omega^k(M)$ given by wedges $dx_{i_1}\wedge\cdots\wedge dx_{i_k}$ of ordered tuples of $1$-forms $(dx_{i_1},\ldots,dx_{i_k})$ where $i_1<\cdots<i_k$.