  In the framework of augmented superfield approach, we provide the geometrical
origin and interpretation for the nilpotent (anti-)BRST charges, (anti-)co-BRST
charges and a non-nilpotent bosonic charge. Together, these local and conserved
charges turn out to be responsible for a clear and cogent definition of the
Hodge decomposition theorem in the quantum Hilbert space of states. The above
charges owe their origin to the de Rham cohomological operators of differential
geometry which are found to be at the heart of some of the key concepts
associated with the interacting gauge theories. For our present review, we
choose the two $(1 + 1)$-dimensional (2D) quantum electrodynamics (QED) as a
prototype field theoretical model to derive all the nilpotent symmetries for
all the fields present in this interacting gauge theory in the framework of
augmented superfield formulation and show that this theory is a {\it unique}
example of an interacting gauge theory which provides a tractable field
theoretical model for the Hodge theory.
