  By exploiting Stueckelberg's approach, we obtain a gauge theory for the two
(1+1)-dimensional (2D) Proca theory and demonstrate that this theory is endowed
with, in addition to the usual Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) and anti-BRST
symmetries, the on-shell nilpotent (anti-)co-BRST symmetries, under which the
total gauge-fixing term remains invariant. The anticommutator of the BRST and
co-BRST (as well as anti-BRST and anti-co-BRST) symmetries define a unique
bosonic symmetry in the theory, under which the ghost part of the Lagrangian
density remains invariant. To establish connections of the above symmetries
with the Hodge theory, we invoke a pseudo-scalar field in the theory.
Ultimately, we demonstrate that the full theory provides a field theoretic
example for the Hodge theory where the continuous symmetry transformations
provide a physical realization of the de Rham cohomological operators and
discrete symmetries of the theory lead to the physical realization of the Hodge
duality operation of differential geometry. We also mention the physical
implications and utility of our present investigation.
