scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question

Showing papers on "Equivariant map published in 2018"


Posted Content
TL;DR: Tensor field neural networks are introduced, which are locally equivariant to 3D rotations, translations, and permutations of points at every layer, and demonstrate the capabilities of tensor field networks with tasks in geometry, physics, and chemistry.
Abstract: We introduce tensor field neural networks, which are locally equivariant to 3D rotations, translations, and permutations of points at every layer. 3D rotation equivariance removes the need for data augmentation to identify features in arbitrary orientations. Our network uses filters built from spherical harmonics; due to the mathematical consequences of this filter choice, each layer accepts as input (and guarantees as output) scalars, vectors, and higher-order tensors, in the geometric sense of these terms. We demonstrate the capabilities of tensor field networks with tasks in geometry, physics, and chemistry.

542 citations


Proceedings ArticleDOI
01 Jun 2018
TL;DR: In this article, steerable filter convolutional neural networks (SFCNNs) are proposed to achieve joint equivariance under translations and rotations by design, which achieves state-of-the-art performance on the rotated MNIST benchmark and on the ISBI 2012 2D EM segmentation challenge.
Abstract: In many machine learning tasks it is desirable that a model's prediction transforms in an equivariant way under transformations of its input. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) implement translational equivariance by construction; for other transformations, however, they are compelled to learn the proper mapping. In this work, we develop Steerable Filter CNNs (SFCNNs) which achieve joint equivariance under translations and rotations by design. The proposed architecture employs steerable filters to efficiently compute orientation dependent responses for many orientations without suffering interpolation artifacts from filter rotation. We utilize group convolutions which guarantee an equivariant mapping. In addition, we generalize He's weight initialization scheme to filters which are defined as a linear combination of a system of atomic filters. Numerical experiments show a substantial enhancement of the sample complexity with a growing number of sampled filter orientations and confirm that the network generalizes learned patterns over orientations. The proposed approach achieves state-of-the-art on the rotated MNIST benchmark and on the ISBI 2012 2D EM segmentation challenge.

320 citations


Proceedings Article
27 Sep 2018
TL;DR: This paper provides a characterization of all permutation invariant and equivariant linear layers for (hyper-)graph data, and shows that their dimension, in case of edge-value graph data, is 2 and 15, respectively.
Abstract: Invariant and equivariant networks have been successfully used for learning images, sets, point clouds, and graphs. A basic challenge in developing such networks is finding the maximal collection of invariant and equivariant linear layers. Although this question is answered for the first three examples (for popular transformations, at-least), a full characterization of invariant and equivariant linear layers for graphs is not known. In this paper we provide a characterization of all permutation invariant and equivariant linear layers for (hyper-)graph data, and show that their dimension, in case of edge-value graph data, is 2 and 15, respectively. More generally, for graph data defined on k-tuples of nodes, the dimension is the k-th and 2k-th Bell numbers. Orthogonal bases for the layers are computed, including generalization to multi-graph data. The constant number of basis elements and their characteristics allow successfully applying the networks to different size graphs. From the theoretical point of view, our results generalize and unify recent advancement in equivariant deep learning. In particular, we show that our model is capable of approximating any message passing neural network Applying these new linear layers in a simple deep neural network framework is shown to achieve comparable results to state-of-the-art and to have better expressivity than previous invariant and equivariant bases.

294 citations


Proceedings Article
03 Dec 2018
TL;DR: The experimental results confirm the effectiveness of 3D Steerable CNNs for the problem of amino acid propensity prediction and protein structure classification, both of which have inherent SE(3) symmetry.
Abstract: We present a convolutional network that is equivariant to rigid body motions. The model uses scalar-, vector-, and tensor fields over 3D Euclidean space to represent data, and equivariant convolutions to map between such representations. These SE(3)-equivariant convolutions utilize kernels which are parameterized as a linear combination of a complete steerable kernel basis, which is derived analytically in this paper. We prove that equivariant convolutions are the most general equivariant linear maps between fields over ℝ3. Our experimental results confirm the effectiveness of 3D Steerable CNNs for the problem of amino acid propensity prediction and protein structure classification, both of which have inherent SE(3) symmetry.

292 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Topological cyclic homology as mentioned in this paper is a refinement of Connes-Tsygan homology which was introduced by Bokstedt-Hsiang-Madsen in 1993 as an approximation to algebraic $K$-theory.
Abstract: Topological cyclic homology is a refinement of Connes–Tsygan’s cyclic homology which was introduced by Bokstedt–Hsiang–Madsen in 1993 as an approximation to algebraic $K$-theory. There is a trace map from algebraic $K$-theory to topological cyclic homology, and a theorem of Dundas–Goodwillie–McCarthy asserts that this induces an equivalence of relative theories for nilpotent immersions, which gives a way for computing $K$-theory in various situations. The construction of topological cyclic homology is based on genuine equivariant homotopy theory, the use of explicit point-set models, and the elaborate notion of a cyclotomic spectrum. The goal of this paper is to revisit this theory using only homotopy-invariant notions. In particular, we give a new construction of topological cyclic homology. This is based on a new definition of the $\infty$-category of cyclotomic spectra: We define a cyclotomic spectrum to be a spectrum $X$ with $S^1$-action (in the most naive sense) together with $S^1$-equivariant maps $\varphi_p : X \to X^{t C_p}$ for all primes $p$. Here, $X^{t C_p} = \mathrm{cofib}(\mathrm{Nm} : X^{h C_p} \to X^{h C_p})$ is the Tate construction. On bounded below spectra, we prove that this agrees with previous definitions. As a consequence, we obtain a new and simple formula for topological cyclic homology. In order to construct the maps $\varphi_p : X \to X^{t C_p}$ in the example of topological Hochschild homology, we introduce and study Tate-diagonals for spectra and Frobenius homomorphisms of commutative ring spectra. In particular, we prove a version of the Segal conjecture for the Tate-diagonals and relate these Frobenius homomorphisms to power operations.

234 citations


Book ChapterDOI
01 Sep 2018
TL;DR: In this article, the authors introduce graduate students and researchers to global equivariant homotopy theory based on the new notion of global equivalences for orthogonal spectra, a much finer notion of equivalence than what is traditionally considered.
Abstract: Equivariant homotopy theory started from geometrically motivated questions about symmetries of manifolds. Several important equivariant phenomena occur not just for a particular group, but in a uniform way for all groups. Prominent examples include stable homotopy, K-theory or bordism. Global equivariant homotopy theory studies such uniform phenomena, i.e., universal symmetries encoded by simultaneous and compatible actions of all compact Lie groups. This book introduces graduate students and researchers to global equivariant homotopy theory. The framework is based on the new notion of global equivalences for orthogonal spectra, a much finer notion of equivalence than what is traditionally considered. The treatment is largely self-contained and contains many examples, making it suitable as a textbook for an advanced graduate class. At the same time, the book is a comprehensive research monograph with detailed calculations that reveal the intrinsic beauty of global equivariant phenomena.

162 citations


Book ChapterDOI
08 Sep 2018
TL;DR: In this article, an idealized model is proposed to preserve a meaningful representation of the voxelized object, while explaining the pose-difference between the two inputs, and an equivariant representation vector has two components: the invariant identity part and a discernable encoding of the transformation.
Abstract: 3D Convolutional Neural Networks are sensitive to transformations applied to their input. This is a problem because a voxelized version of a 3D object, and its rotated clone, will look unrelated to each other after passing through to the last layer of a network. Instead, an idealized model would preserve a meaningful representation of the voxelized object, while explaining the pose-difference between the two inputs. An equivariant representation vector has two components: the invariant identity part, and a discernable encoding of the transformation. Models that can’t explain pose-differences risk “diluting” the representation, in pursuit of optimizing a classification or regression loss function.

131 citations


Posted Content
TL;DR: The theory enables a systematic classification of all existing G-CNNs in terms of their symmetry group, base space, and field type and considers a fundamental question: what is the most general kind of equivariant linear map between feature spaces (fields) of given types.
Abstract: We present a general theory of Group equivariant Convolutional Neural Networks (G-CNNs) on homogeneous spaces such as Euclidean space and the sphere. Feature maps in these networks represent fields on a homogeneous base space, and layers are equivariant maps between spaces of fields. The theory enables a systematic classification of all existing G-CNNs in terms of their symmetry group, base space, and field type. We also consider a fundamental question: what is the most general kind of equivariant linear map between feature spaces (fields) of given types? Following Mackey, we show that such maps correspond one-to-one with convolutions using equivariant kernels, and characterize the space of such kernels.

81 citations


Proceedings Article
01 Jun 2018
TL;DR: Group equivariant capsule networks as mentioned in this paper use a generic routing by agreement algorithm defined on elements of a group and prove that equivariance of output pose vectors, as well as output activations, hold under certain conditions.
Abstract: We present group equivariant capsule networks, a framework to introduce guaranteed equivariance and invariance properties to the capsule network idea. Our work can be divided into two contributions. First, we present a generic routing by agreement algorithm defined on elements of a group and prove that equivariance of output pose vectors, as well as invariance of output activations, hold under certain conditions. Second, we connect the resulting equivariant capsule networks with work from the field of group convolutional networks. Through this connection, we provide intuitions of how both methods relate and are able to combine the strengths of both approaches in one deep neural network architecture. The resulting framework allows sparse evaluation of the group convolution operator, provides control over specific equivariance and invariance properties, and can use routing by agreement instead of pooling operations. In addition, it is able to provide interpretable and equivariant representation vectors as output capsules, which disentangle evidence of object existence from its pose.

73 citations


Book
18 Oct 2018
TL;DR: In this article, the authors introduce graduate students and researchers to global equivariant homotopy theory based on the new notion of global equivalences for orthogonal spectra, a much finer notion of equivalence than is traditionally considered.
Abstract: Equivariant homotopy theory started from geometrically motivated questions about symmetries of manifolds. Several important equivariant phenomena occur not just for a particular group, but in a uniform way for all groups. Prominent examples include stable homotopy, K-theory or bordism. Global equivariant homotopy theory studies such uniform phenomena, i.e. universal symmetries encoded by simultaneous and compatible actions of all compact Lie groups. This book introduces graduate students and researchers to global equivariant homotopy theory. The framework is based on the new notion of global equivalences for orthogonal spectra, a much finer notion of equivalence than is traditionally considered. The treatment is largely self-contained and contains many examples, making it suitable as a textbook for an advanced graduate class. At the same time, the book is a comprehensive research monograph with detailed calculations that reveal the intrinsic beauty of global equivariant phenomena.

72 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Mirror Theorems for toric Deligne-Mumford stacks and toric complete intersections were proved in this article, and the Mellin-Barnes method for analytic continuation of hypergeometric functions.

Posted Content
TL;DR: The group equivariant capsule networks are presented, a framework to introduce guaranteed equivariance and invariance properties to the capsule network idea and are able to combine the strengths of both approaches in one deep neural network architecture.
Abstract: We present group equivariant capsule networks, a framework to introduce guaranteed equivariance and invariance properties to the capsule network idea. Our work can be divided into two contributions. First, we present a generic routing by agreement algorithm defined on elements of a group and prove that equivariance of output pose vectors, as well as invariance of output activations, hold under certain conditions. Second, we connect the resulting equivariant capsule networks with work from the field of group convolutional networks. Through this connection, we provide intuitions of how both methods relate and are able to combine the strengths of both approaches in one deep neural network architecture. The resulting framework allows sparse evaluation of the group convolution operator, provides control over specific equivariance and invariance properties, and can use routing by agreement instead of pooling operations. In addition, it is able to provide interpretable and equivariant representation vectors as output capsules, which disentangle evidence of object existence from its pose.

Posted Content
TL;DR: In this paper, a generalization of the universal approximation theorem for neural networks to maps invariant or equivariant with respect to linear representations of groups has been proposed, which is called the charge-conserving convnet.
Abstract: We describe generalizations of the universal approximation theorem for neural networks to maps invariant or equivariant with respect to linear representations of groups. Our goal is to establish network-like computational models that are both invariant/equivariant and provably complete in the sense of their ability to approximate any continuous invariant/equivariant map. Our contribution is three-fold. First, in the general case of compact groups we propose a construction of a complete invariant/equivariant network using an intermediate polynomial layer. We invoke classical theorems of Hilbert and Weyl to justify and simplify this construction; in particular, we describe an explicit complete ansatz for approximation of permutation-invariant maps. Second, we consider groups of translations and prove several versions of the universal approximation theorem for convolutional networks in the limit of continuous signals on euclidean spaces. Finally, we consider 2D signal transformations equivariant with respect to the group SE(2) of rigid euclidean motions. In this case we introduce the "charge--conserving convnet" -- a convnet-like computational model based on the decomposition of the feature space into isotypic representations of SO(2). We prove this model to be a universal approximator for continuous SE(2)--equivariant signal transformations.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a class of real analytic functions on the upper half plane satisfying a certain modular transformation property is studied, which are modular equivariant versions of real and imaginary parts of iterated integrals of holomorphic modular forms.
Abstract: This introductory paper studies a class of real analytic functions on the upper half plane satisfying a certain modular transformation property. They are not eigenfunctions of the Laplacian and are quite distinct from Maass forms. These functions are modular equivariant versions of real and imaginary parts of iterated integrals of holomorphic modular forms and are modular analogues of single-valued polylogarithms. The coefficients of these functions in a suitable power series expansion are periods. They are related both to mixed motives (iterated extensions of pure motives of classical modular forms) and to the modular graph functions arising in genus one string perturbation theory.

Posted Content
TL;DR: This work studies the effect of injecting local scale equivariance into Convolutional Neural Networks and shows that this improves the performance of the model by over 20% in the scale Equivariant task of regressing the scaling factor applied to randomly scaled MNIST digits.
Abstract: We study the effect of injecting local scale equivariance into Convolutional Neural Networks. This is done by applying each convolutional filter at multiple scales. The output is a vector field encoding for the maximally activating scale and the scale itself, which is further processed by the following convolutional layers. This allows all the intermediate representations to be locally scale equivariant. We show that this improves the performance of the model by over 20% in the scale equivariant task of regressing the scaling factor applied to randomly scaled MNIST digits. Furthermore, we find it also useful for scale invariant tasks, such as the actual classification of randomly scaled digits. This highlights the usefulness of allowing for a compact representation that can also learn relationships between different local scales by keeping internal scale equivariance.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the back stable Schubert calculus of the infinite flag variety was studied and a formula for back stable (double) Schuber classes expressing them in terms of a symmetric function part and a finite part was given.
Abstract: We study the back stable Schubert calculus of the infinite flag variety. Our main results are: 1) a formula for back stable (double) Schubert classes expressing them in terms of a symmetric function part and a finite part; 2) a novel definition of double and triple Stanley symmetric functions; 3) a proof of the positivity of double Edelman-Greene coefficients generalizing the results of Edelman-Greene and Lascoux-Schutzenberger; 4) the definition of a new class of bumpless pipedreams, giving new formulae for double Schubert polynomials, back stable double Schubert polynomials, and a new form of the Edelman-Greene insertion algorithm; 5) the construction of the Peterson subalgebra of the infinite nilHecke algebra, extending work of Peterson in the affine case; 6) equivariant Pieri rules for the homology of the infinite Grassmannian; 7) homology divided difference operators that create the equivariant homology Schubert classes of the infinite Grassmannian.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a parallel equivariant conjecture for toric Calabi-Yau 4-folds is proposed and proved for smooth toric divisors and verified for more general toric Divisors in many examples.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work proposes Deep Rotation Equivariant Network consisting of cycle layers, isotonic layers and decycle layers, and evaluates DRENs on Rotated MNIST and CIFAR-10 datasets and demonstrates that it can improve the performance of state-of-the-art architectures.

Posted Content
TL;DR: G-CNNs are established as a universal class of equivariant network architectures on homogeneous spaces like Euclidean space or the sphere if and only if the input and output feature spaces transform according to an induced representation.
Abstract: Group equivariant and steerable convolutional neural networks (regular and steerable G-CNNs) have recently emerged as a very effective model class for learning from signal data such as 2D and 3D images, video, and other data where symmetries are present. In geometrical terms, regular G-CNNs represent data in terms of scalar fields ("feature channels"), whereas the steerable G-CNN can also use vector or tensor fields ("capsules") to represent data. In algebraic terms, the feature spaces in regular G-CNNs transform according to a regular representation of the group G, whereas the feature spaces in Steerable G-CNNs transform according to the more general induced representations of G. In order to make the network equivariant, each layer in a G-CNN is required to intertwine between the induced representations associated with its input and output space. In this paper we present a general mathematical framework for G-CNNs on homogeneous spaces like Euclidean space or the sphere. We show, using elementary methods, that the layers of an equivariant network are convolutional if and only if the input and output feature spaces transform according to an induced representation. This result, which follows from G.W. Mackey's abstract theory on induced representations, establishes G-CNNs as a universal class of equivariant network architectures, and generalizes the important recent work of Kondor & Trivedi on the intertwiners between regular representations.

Posted Content
TL;DR: In this paper, a convolutional network that is equivariant to rigid body motions is presented, using scalar-, vector-, and tensor fields over 3D Euclidean space.
Abstract: We present a convolutional network that is equivariant to rigid body motions. The model uses scalar-, vector-, and tensor fields over 3D Euclidean space to represent data, and equivariant convolutions to map between such representations. These SE(3)-equivariant convolutions utilize kernels which are parameterized as a linear combination of a complete steerable kernel basis, which is derived analytically in this paper. We prove that equivariant convolutions are the most general equivariant linear maps between fields over R^3. Our experimental results confirm the effectiveness of 3D Steerable CNNs for the problem of amino acid propensity prediction and protein structure classification, both of which have inherent SE(3) symmetry.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a sheaf-theoretic interpretation of the Gopakumar-Vafa conjecture on CY 4-folds using Donaldson-Thomas theory was proposed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the Mirkovic-Vilonen conjecture was shown to hold in full generality for good characteristic on a connected reductive group over an algebraically closed field of good characteristic, satisfying some mild conditions.
Abstract: Let G be a connected reductive group over an algebraically closed field F of good characteristic, satisfying some mild conditions. In this paper we relate tilting objects in the heart of Bezrukavnikov's exotic t-structure on the derived category of equivariant coherent sheaves on the Springer resolution of G, and Iwahori-constructible F-parity sheaves on the affine Grassmannian of the Langlands dual group. As applications we deduce in particular the missing piece for the proof of the Mirkovic-Vilonen conjecture in full generality (i.e. for good characteristic), a modular version of an equivalence of categories due to Arkhipov-Bezrukavnikov-Ginzburg, and an extension of this equivalence.

Posted Content
TL;DR: In this paper, the Atiyah-Hirzebruch spectral sequence (AHSS) was used for equivariant K-theory in the context of band theory.
Abstract: We study the Atiyah-Hirzebruch spectral sequence (AHSS) for equivariant K-theory in the context of band theory. Various notions in the band theory such as irreducible representations at high-symmetric points, the compatibility relation, topological gapless and singular points naturally fits into the AHSS. As an application of the AHSS, we get the complete list of topological invariants for 230 space groups without time-reversal or particle-hole invariance. We find that a lot of torsion topological invariants appear even for symmorphic space groups.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a sequence of symplectic capacities for star-shaped domains in ℝ2n is defined, which are conjecturally equal to the Ekeland-Hofer capacities, but satisfy axioms which allow them to be computed in many more examples.
Abstract: We use positive S1–equivariant symplectic homology to define a sequence of symplectic capacities ck for star-shaped domains in ℝ2n. These capacities are conjecturally equal to the Ekeland–Hofer capacities, but they satisfy axioms which allow them to be computed in many more examples. In particular, we give combinatorial formulas for the capacities ck of any “convex toric domain” or “concave toric domain”. As an application, we determine optimal symplectic embeddings of a cube into any convex or concave toric domain. We also extend the capacities ck to functions of Liouville domains which are almost but not quite symplectic capacities.

Posted Content
TL;DR: In this article, the notions of generalized Ricci tensor and scalar curvature on a general Courant algebroid were reexamine and reformulated using objects natural w.r.t. pull-backs and reductions, obtaining them from the variation of a natural action functional.
Abstract: We reexamine the notions of generalized Ricci tensor and scalar curvature on a general Courant algebroid, reformulate them using objects natural w.r.t. pull-backs and reductions, and obtain them from the variation of a natural action functional. This allows us to prove, in a very general setup, the compatibility of the Poisson-Lie T-duality with the renormalization group flow and with string background equations. We thus extend the known results to a much wider class of dualities, including the cases with gauging (so called dressing cosets, or equivariant Poisson-Lie T-duality). As an illustration, we use the formalism to provide new classes of solutions of modified supergravity equations on symmetric spaces.

Posted Content
TL;DR: In this paper, it was shown that the K-polystability of Q-Fano varieties is equivalent to the equivariant K polystability, that is, to check K-Polystability it is sufficient to check special test configurations which are equivariant under the torus action.
Abstract: We prove two new results on the K-polystability of Q-Fano varieties based on purely algebro-geometric arguments. The first one says that any K-semistable log Fano cone has a special degeneration to a uniquely determined K-polystable log Fano cone. As a corollary, we combine it with the differential-geometric results to complete the proof of Donaldson-Sun's Conjecture which says that the metric tangent cone of any close point appearing on a Gromov-Hausdorff limit of Kahler-Einstein Fano manifolds only depends on the algebraic structure of the singularity. The second result says that for any log Fano variety with a torus action, the K-polystability is equivalent to the equivariant K-polystability, that is, to check K-polystability, it is sufficient to check special test configurations which are equivariant under the torus action.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a functorial desingularization of noetherian quasi-excellent schemes over Q with ordered boundaries is deduced, and a standard simple argument extends these results to other categories including algebraic stacks, formal schemes, complex and non-archimedean analytic spaces.
Abstract: Our main result establishes functorial desingularization of noetherian quasi-excellent schemes over Q with ordered boundaries. A functorial embedded desingularization of quasi-excellent schemes of characteristic zero is deduced. Furthermore, a standard simple argument extends these results to other categories including, in particular, (equivariant) embedded desingularization of the following objects of characteristic zero: qe algebraic stacks, qe formal schemes, complex and non-archimedean analytic spaces. We also obtain a semistable reduction theorem for formal schemes.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proved equivalences of categories relating the derived category of a block of the category of representations of a connected reductive algebraic group over an algebraically closed field of characteristic p bigger than the Coxeter number.
Abstract: In this paper we prove equivalences of categories relating the derived category of a block of the category of representations of a connected reductive algebraic group over an algebraically closed field of characteristic p bigger than the Coxeter number and a derived category of equivariant coherent sheaves on the Springer resolution (or a parabolic counterpart). In the case of the principal block, combined with previous results, this provides a modular version of celebrated constructions due to Arkhipov-Bezrukavnikov-Ginzburg for Lusztig's quantum groups at a root of unity. As an application, we prove a "graded version" of a conjecture of Finkelberg-Mirkovic describing the principal block in terms of mixed perverse sheaves on the dual affine Grassmannian, and deduce a new proof of Lusztig's conjecture in large characteristic.

Posted Content
TL;DR: In this paper, the Atiyah-Hirzebruch spectral sequence was used to unify various notions in crystalline SPT phases such as the layer construction, higher-order SPT phase and Lieb-Schultz-Mattis type theorems.
Abstract: We propose that symmetry protected topological (SPT) phases with crystalline symmetry are formulated by equivariant generalized homologies $h^G_n(X)$ over a real space manifold $X$ with $G$ a crystalline symmetry group. The Atiyah-Hirzebruch spectral sequence unifies various notions in crystalline SPT phases such as the layer construction, higher-order SPT phases and Lieb-Schultz-Mattis type theorems. Our formulation is applicable to interacting systems with onsite and crystalline symmetries as well as free fermions.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a nilpotent BRST charge is defined to act on both the background and the quantum fields, as well as on background and quantum ghosts, and the background is restricted to be invariant under a residual isometry group, and background ghosts must be restricted accordingly and play the role of the parameters of background isometries.
Abstract: We develop BRST quantization of gauge theories with a soft gauge algebra on spaces with asymptotic boundaries. The asymptotic boundary conditions are imposed on background fields, while quantum fluctuations about these fields are described in terms of quantum fields that vanish at the boundary. This leads us to construct a suitable background field formalism that is generally applicable to soft gauge algebras, and therefore to supergravity. We define a nilpotent BRST charge that acts on both the background and the quantum fields, as well as on the background and quantum ghosts. When the background is restricted to be invariant under a residual isometry group, the background ghosts must be restricted accordingly and play the role of the parameters of the background isometries. Requiring in addition that the background ghosts will be BRST invariant as well then converts the BRST algebra into an equivariant one. The background fields and ghosts are then invariant under the equivariant transformations while the quantum fields and ghosts transform under both the equivariant and the background transformations. We demonstrate how this formalism is suitable for carrying out localization calculations in a large class of theories, including supergravity defined on asymptotic backgrounds that admit supersymmetry.