  We present a possible generalization of the exterior differential calculus,
based on the operator d such that d^3=0, but d^2\not=0. The first and second
order differentials generate an associative algebra; we shall suppose that
there are no binary relations between first order differentials, while the
ternary products will satisfy the cyclic relations based on the representation
of cyclic group Z_3 by cubic roots of unity. We shall attribute grade 1 to the
first order differentials and grade 2 to the second order differentials; under
the associative multiplication law the grades add up modulo 3. We show how the
notion of covariant derivation can be generalized with a 1-form A, and we give
the expression in local coordinates of the curvature 3-form. Finally, the
introduction of notions of a scalar product and integration of the Z_3-graded
exterior forms enables us to define variational principle and to derive the
differential equations satisfied by the curvature 3-form. The Lagrangian
obtained in this way contains the invariants of the ordinary gauge field tensor
F_{ik} and its covariant derivatives D_i F_{km}.
