We survey some recent advances in the homotopy theory of classifying spaces, and homotopical group theory. We focus on the classification of p-compact groups in terms of root data over the p-adic integers, and discuss some of its consequences e.g. for finite loop spaces and polynomial cohomology rings.
We generalize Quillen's $F$-isomorphism theorem, Quillen's stratification theorem, the stable transfer, and the finite generation of cohomology rings from finite groups to homotopical groups. As a consequence, we show that the category of module spectra over $C^*(B\mathcal{G},\mathbb{F}_p)$ is stratified and costratified for a large class of $p$-local compact groups $\mathcal{G}$ including compact Lie groups, connected $p$-compact groups, and $p$-local finite groups, thereby giving a support-theoretic classification of all localizing and colocalizing subcategories of this category. Moreover, w…
In a non-compact context the first natural step in the search for periodic orbits of a hamiltonian flow is to detect bounded ones. In this paper we show that, in a non-compact setting, certain algebraic topological constraints imposed to a gradient flow of the hamiltonian function $f$ imply the existence of bounded orbits for the hamiltonian flow of $f$. Once the existence of bounded orbits is established, under favorable circumstances, application of the $C^{1}$-closing lemma leads to periodic ones.
We give a new approach to intersection theory. Our "cycles" are closed manifolds mapping into compact manifolds and our "intersections" are elements of a homotopy group of a certain Thom space. The results are then applied in various contexts, including fixed point, linking and disjunction problems. Our main theorems resemble those of Hatcher and Quinn, but our proofs are fundamentally different.
Let $\rm{Aut}(p)$ denote the space of all self-fibre homotopy equivalences of a principal $G$-bundle $p: E\rightarrow X$ of simply connected CW complexes with $E$ finite. When $G$ is a compact connected topological group, we show that there exists an inequality $$n-{\rm N}(p)\leq {\rm Hnil}_{\mathbb{Q}}({\rm{Aut}}(p)_0)\leq n$$ for any space $X$, where $n$ is the number of non-trivial rational homotopy groups of $G$ and ${\rm N}(p)$ is defined in Section 2. In particular, ${\rm Hnil}_{\mathbb{Q}}({\rm{Aut}}(p)_{0})=n$ if $p$ is a fibre-homotopy trivial bundle and X is finite.
Let M be a smooth compact manifold with boundary. Under some geometric conditions on M, a homotopical model for the pair (M,boundary of M) can be recovered from the configuration category of the interior of M. The grouplike monoid of derived homotopy automorphisms of the configuration category of the interior of M then acts on the homotopical model of the pair (M,boundary of M), in a way which is compatible with a known homotopical action of the homeomorphism group of M minus boundary on (M,boundary of M).
Inspired by his vanishing results of tautological classes and by Harer's computation of the virtual cohomological dimension of the mapping class group, Looijenga conjectured that the moduli space of smooth Riemann surfaces admits a stratification by affine subsets with a certain number of layers. Similarly, Roth and Vakil extended the conjecture to the moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces of compact type, of Riemann surfaces with rational tails and of Riemann surfaces with at most k rational components. As a consequence of Lefschetz's theorem, Roth-Vakil's conjecture would also imply that the pre…
A p-compact group, as defined by Dwyer and Wilkerson, is a purely homotopically defined p-local analog of a compact Lie group. It has long been the hope, and later the conjecture, that these objects should have a classification similar to the classification of compact Lie groups. In this paper we finish the proof of this conjecture, for p an odd prime, proving that there is a one-to-one correspondence between connected p-compact groups and finite reflection groups over the p-adic integers. We do this by providing the last, and rather intricate, piece, namely that the exceptional compact Lie gr…
We show that the Rezk classification diagram of a relative category admitting a homotopical version of the two-sided calculus of fractions is a Segal space up to Reedy-fibrant replacement. This generalizes the result of Rezk and Bergner on the classification diagram of a closed model category, as well as the result of Barwick and Kan on the classification diagram of a partial model category.
In this paper the space of almost commuting elements in a Lie group is studied through a homotopical point of view. In particular a stable splitting after one suspension is derived for these spaces and their quotients under conjugation. A complete description for the stable factors appearing in this splitting is provided for compact connected Lie groups of rank one.By using symmetric products, the colimits $\Rep(\Z^n, SU)$, $\Rep(\Z^n,U)$ and $\Rep(\Z^n, Sp)$ are explicitly described as finite products of Eilenberg-MacLane spaces.
We construct a space $\mathbb{P}$ for which the canonical homomorphism $π_1(\mathbb{P},p) \rightarrow \checkπ_1(\mathbb{P},p)$ from the fundamental group to the first Čech homotopy group is not injective, although it has all of the following properties: (1) $\mathbb{P}\setminus\{p\}$ is a 2-manifold with connected non-compact boundary; (2) $\mathbb{P}$ is connected and locally path connected; (3) $\mathbb{P}$ is strongly homotopically Hausdorff; (4) $\mathbb{P}$ is homotopically path Hausdorff; (5) $\mathbb{P}$ is 1-UV$_0$; (6) $\mathbb{P}$ admits a simply connected generalized covering space …
Let $H$ be a subgroup of $π_{1}(X,x_{0})$. In this paper, we extend the concept of $X$ being SLT space to $H$-SLT space at $x_0$. First, we show that the fibers of the endpoint projection $p_{H}:\tilde{X}_{H}\rightarrow X$ are topological group when $X$ is $H$-SLT space at $x_0$ and $H$ is a normal subgroup. Also, we show that under these conditions the concepts of homotopically path Hausdorff relative to $H$ and homotopically Hausdorff relative to $H$ coincide. Moreover, among other things, we show that the endpoint projection map $p_{H}$ has the unique path lifting property if and only if $H…
This is a summary of a talk given at the "Conference on Pure and Applied Topology", Isle of Skye, June 24, 2005. It contains an announcement and sketch of proof of the classification of 2-compact groups.
In this paper we compute homotopical bordism rings $MU^G_*$ for abelian compact Lie groups G, giving explicit generators and relations. The key constructions are operations on equivariant bordism which should play an important role in equivariant stable homotopy theory more generally. The main technique used is localization of the theory by inverting Euler classes. Applications to homotopy theory include analysis of the completion map from $MU^G_*$ to $MU^*(BG)$. Applications to geometry include classification up to cobordism of S^1 actions on stably complex four-manifolds with precisely three…
Fix a prime $p$. Since their definition in the context of Localization Theory, the homotopy functors $P_{B\Z/p}$ and $CW_{B\Z/p}$ have shown to be powerful tools to understand and describe the mod $p$ structure of a space. In this paper, we study the effect of these functors on a wide class of spaces which includes classifying spaces of compact Lie groups and their homotopical analogues. Moreover, we investigate their relationship in this context with other relevant functors in the analysis of the mod $p$ homotopy, such as Bousfield-Kan completion and Bousfield homological localization.
Sigma models effectively describe ordered phases of systems with spontaneously broken symmetries. At low energies, field configurations fall into solitonic sectors, which are homotopically distinct classes of maps. Depending on context, these solitons are known as textures or defect sectors. In this paper, we address the problem of enumerating and describing the solitonic sectors of sigma models. We approach this problem via an algebraic topological method -- combinatorial homotopy, in which one models both spacetime and the target space with algebraic objects which are higher categorical gene…
We prove that any connected 2-compact group is classified by its 2-adic root datum, and in particular the exotic 2-compact group DI(4), constructed by Dwyer-Wilkerson, is the only simple 2-compact group not arising as the 2-completion of a compact connected Lie group. Combined with our earlier work with Moeller and Viruel for p odd, this establishes the full classification of p-compact groups, stating that, up to isomorphism, there is a one-to-one correspondence between connected p-compact groups and root data over the p-adic integers. As a consequence we prove the maximal torus conjecture, gi…
For a 1-connected spectrum E, we study the moduli space of suspension spectra which come equipped with a weak equivalence to E. We construct a spectral sequence converging to the homotopy of the moduli space in positive degrees. In the metastable range, we get a complete homotopical classification of the path components of the moduli space. Our main tool is Goodwillie's calculus of homotopy functors.
The goal of this paper is to establish a topological version of the notion of an Eilenberg-Mac Lane space. If $X$ is a pointed topological space, $π_1(X)$ has a natural topology coming from the compact-open topology on the space of maps $S^1 \to X$. In general the construction does not produce a topological group because it is possible to create examples where the group multiplication $π_1(X) \times π_1(X) \to π_1(X)$ is discontinuous. This failure to obtain a topological group has been noticed by others, for example Fabel. However, if we work in the category of compactly generated, weakly Hau…
We investigate when a commutative ring spectrum $R$ satisfies a homotopical version of local Gorenstein duality, extending the notion previously studied by Greenlees. In order to do this, we prove an ascent theorem for local Gorenstein duality along morphisms of $k$-algebras. Our main examples are of the form $R = C^*(X;k)$, the ring spectrum of cochains on a space $X$ for a field $k$. In particular, we establish local Gorenstein duality in characteristic $p$ for $p$-compact groups and $p$-local finite groups as well as for $k = \Q$ and $X$ a simply connected space which is Gorenstein in the s…
Compact quotients of homogeneous spaces and homotopy theory of sphere bundles
CNRS and Laboratoire Alexander Grothendieck, Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques, Université Paris-Saclay(法国国家科学研究中心、亚历山大·格罗滕迪克实验室、高等科学研究院、巴黎萨克雷大学);Faculty of Mathematics, Kyushu University(九州大学数学研究院);Laboratoire de Mathématiques d’Orsay, Université Paris-Saclay(奥赛数学实验室、巴黎萨克雷大学)
The aim of this note is to give a quick algebraic proof of (the combinatorial part of) the classification theorem for compact real surfaces, whose classical proofs (as in the Massey book and in the Conway ZIP proof) are based on surgery (and pictures) and look more intricate.
We prove that the inclusion of the space of gradient local maps into the space of all local maps from Hilbert space to itself induces a bijection between the sets of the respective otopy classes of these maps, where by a local map we mean a compact perturbation of identity with a compact preimage of zero.
In this article, we focus on the left (translation) actions on noncommutative compact connected Lie groups ${\rm SU}(2) \times T^n$. We define the rotation vectors of the left actions induced by the elements in the maximal tori of ${\rm SU}(2) \times T^n$, and utilize rotation vectors to give the complete topologically conjugate classifications of left actions. Algebraic conjugacy and smooth conjugacy are also considered.
Every principal G-bundle is classified up to equivalence by a homotopy class of maps into the classifying space of G. On the other hand, for every nice topological space Milnor constructed a strict model of loop space, that is a group. Moreover the morphisms of topological groups defined on the loop space of X generate all the bundles over X up to equivalence. In this paper, we show that the relationship between Milnor's loop space and the classifying space functor is, in a precise sense, an adjoint pair between based spaces and topological groups in a homotopical context. This proof leads to …
The purpose of these notes is to present a fairly complete proof of the classification Theorem for compact surfaces. Other presentations are often quite informal (see the references in Chapter V) and we have tried to be more rigorous. Our main source of inspiration is the beautiful book on Riemann Surfaces by Ahlfors and Sario. However, Ahlfors and Sario's presentation is very formal and quite compact. As a result, uninitiated readers will probably have a hard time reading this book. Our goal is to help the reader reach the top of the mountain and help him not to get lost or discouraged too ea…