We discuss the homotopy type and the cohomology of spaces of locally convex parametrized curves gamma: [0,1] -> S^2, i.e., curves with positive geodesic curvature. The space of all such curves with gamma(0) = gamma(1) = e_1 and gamma'(0) = gamma'(1) = e_2 is known to have three connected components X_{-1,c}, X_1, X_{-1}.
We show several results concerning the homotopy type and cohomology of these spaces. In particular, X_{-1,c} is contractible, X_1 and X_{-1} are simply connected, pi_2(X_{-1}) contains a copy of Z and pi_2(X_1) contains a copy of Z^2. Also, H^n(X_{1}, R) and H^n(X_{-1}, R) are nontrivial for all even n. More, dim H^{4n-2}(X_1, R) >= 2 and dim H^{4n}(X_{-1}, R) >= 2 for all positive n.
The comparison map from bounded cohomology to singular cohomology plays an important role in the study of bounded cohomology theory and its applications. The vanishing and covering theorems of Gromov and Ivanov show interesting and useful properties of the comparison map under appropriate assumptions. We discuss an approach to these theorems, based on the general homotopy-theoretic properties of the comparison map, and obtain new proofs and refined versions of these results.
In the paper of Montgomery, D. and Yang, C.T. [5], they discuss the de-suspension of smooth free actions of S1 on (2n+1)-dimensional homotopy spheres. In this paper we discuss the de-suspension of smooth free actions of S3 on (4n + 3)-dimensional homotopy spheres.
We show that an infinite sequence of homotopy 4-spheres constructed by Cappell-Shaneson are all diffeomorphic to S^4. This generalizes previous results of Akbulut-Kirby and Gompf.
We construct cohomology classes in the space of knots by considering a bundle over this space and "integrating along the fiber" classes coming from the cohomology of configuration spaces using a Pontrjagin-Thom construction. The bundle we consider is essentially the one considered by Bott and Taubes, who integrated differential forms along the fiber to get knot invariants. By doing this "integration" homotopy-theoretically, we are able to produce integral cohomology classes. We then show how this integration is compatible with the homology operations on the space of long knots, as studied by B…
We extend Lipshitz-Sarkar's definition of a stable homotopy type associated to a link L whose cohomology recovers the Khovanov cohomology of L. Given an assignment c (called a coloring) of positive integer to each component of a link L, we define a stable homotopy type X_col(L_c) whose cohomology recovers the c-colored Khovanov cohomology of L. This goes via Rozansky's definition of a categorified Jones-Wenzl projector P_n as an infinite torus braid on n strands. We then observe that Cooper-Krushkal's explicit definition of P_2 also gives rise to stable homotopy types of colored links (using t…
Configuration space integrals have in recent years been used for studying the cohomology of spaces of (string) knots and links in $\mathbb{R}^n$ for $n>3$ since they provide a map from a certain differential algebra of diagrams to the deRham complex of differential forms on the spaces of knots and links. We refine this construction so that it now applies to the space of homotopy string links -- the space of smooth maps of some number of copies of $\mathbb{R}$ in $\mathbb{R}^n$ with fixed behavior outside a compact set and such that the images of the copies of $\R$ are disjoint -- even for $n=3…
We introduce the (general) homotopy groups of spheres as link invariants for Brunnian-type links through the investigations on the intersection subgroup of the normal closures of the meridians of strongly nonsplittable links. The homotopy groups measure the difference between the intersection subgroup and symmetric commutator subgroup of the normal closures of the meridians and give the invariants of the links obtained in this way. Moreover the higher homotopy-group invariants can produce some links that could not be detected by the Milnor invariants. Furthermore all homotopy groups of spheres…
We give a generalization of Fukaya's Morse homotopy theoretic approach for 2-loop Chern--Simons perturbation theory to 3-valent graphs with arbitrary number of loops at least 2. We construct a sequence of invariants of integral homology 3-spheres with values in a space of 3-valent graphs (Jacobi diagrams or Feynman diagrams) by counting graphs in an integral homology 3-sphere satisfying certain condition described by a set of ordinary differential equations.
In this paper a geometric approach toward stable homotopy groups of spheres, based on the Pontrjagin-Thom construction is proposed. From this approach a new proof of Hopf Invariant One Theorem by J.F.Adams for all dimensions except $15,31,63,127$ is obtained. It is proved that for $n>127$ in the stable homotopy group of spheres $Π_n$ there is no elements with Hopf invariant one. The new proof is based on geometric topology methods. The Pontrjagin-Thom Theorem (in the form proposed by R.Wells) about the representation of stable homotopy groups of the real projective infinite-dimensional space (…
The Lipshitz-Sarkar stable homotopy link invariant defines Steenrod squares on the Khovanov cohomology of a link. Lipshitz-Sarkar constructed an algorithm for computing the first two Steenrod squares. We develop a new algorithm which implements the flow category simplification techniques previously defined by the authors and Dan Jones. We give a purely combinatorial approach to calculating the second Steenrod square and Bockstein homomorphisms in Khovanov cohomology, and flow categories in general. The new method has been implemented in a computer program by the third author and applied to lar…
In this paper we provide a computation of the mod 2 cohomology groups of the third finite subset space of the sphere $S^n$ using known results about the cohomology of the symmetric product of spheres.
We characterize those planar Peano continua that are homotopy equivalent to 1-dimensional sets. While many planar Peano continua are not homotopically 1-dimensional, we prove that each has fundamental group that embeds in the fundamental group of a 1-dimensional planar Peano continuum. We leave open the following question: Is a planar Peano continuum homotopically 1- dimensional if its fundamental group is isomorphic with the fundamental group of a 1-dimensional planar Peano continuum?
We consider a simple and natural coboundary operator, on the Lie algebra valued differential forms on a manifold, which in the abelian case reduces to usual exterior derivative of such forms. Using the corresponding de Rham cohomology Lie superalgebra H*(M,G) we obtain numerical smooth invariants--as opposed to homotopy invariants--for manifolds. The corresponding Hodge theory yields finiteness of nonabelian Betti numbers. A genralized Poincaré lemma, along with a Poincaré duality, a Mayer-Vietoris, and a particularly empowered Bockstein makes our cohomology computable. Bockstein also allows u…
We introduce a rational homotopy invariant P of a topological space, which is a quintic tensor on the cohomology. For n > 1, formality of a closed (n-1)-connected manifold of dimension up to 5n-2 is equivalent to vanishing of P and the Bianchi-Massey tensor introduced by Crowley and the second author arXiv:1505.04184. We show also that elements of the group of closed simply-connected spin 8-manifolds with the cohomology of an r-fold connected sum of S^2 x S^6 are determined up to torsion by the value of P.
Let X be a pseudomanifold. In this text, we use a simplicial blow-up to define a cochain complex whose cohomology with coefficients in a field, is isomorphic to the intersection cohomology of X, introduced by M. Goresky and R. MacPherson. We do it simplicially in the setting of a filtered version of face sets, also called simplicial sets without degeneracies, in the sense of C.P. Rourke and B.J. Sanderson. We define perverse local systems over filtered face sets and intersection cohomology with coefficients in a perverse local system. In particular, as announced above when X is a pseudomanifol…
We establish an interesting connection between Morin singularities and stable homotopy groups of spheres. We apply this connection to computations of cobordism groups of certain singular maps. The differentials of the spectral sequence computing these cobordism groups are given by the composition multiplication in the stable homotopy groups of spheres.
We use surgery along 2-tori embedded in a union of two copies of a product of punctured 2-tori to produce a new collection of homotopy 4-spheres (4-manifolds homotopy equivalent to $S^4$ and hence homeomorphic to $S^4$ but possibly not diffeomorphic to $S^4$). It is still unknown if these new examples are in fact exotic.
A so-called special generic map is by definition a map of smooth manifolds all of whose singularities are definite fold points. It is in general an open problem posed by Saeki in 1993 to determine the set of integers $p$ for which a given homotopy sphere admits a special generic map into $\mathbb{R}^{p}$. By means of the technique of Stein factorization we introduce and study certain special generic maps of homotopy spheres into Euclidean spaces called standard. Modifying a construction due to Weiss, we show that standard special generic maps give naturally rise to a filtration of the group of…
We give a brief survey of some facts about homotopy $4$-spheres \cite{a1}, then give a proof that the curious homotopy sphere constructed in \cite{a2} is in fact diffeomorphic to the standard $S^4$, and discuss its relation to infinite order loose corks and anti-corks.
A smooth curve $γ: [0,1] \to S^2$ is locally convex if its geodesic curvature is positive at every point. J. A. Little showed that the space of all locally positive curves $γ$ with $γ(0) = γ(1) = e_1$ and $γ'(0) = γ'(1) = e_2$ has three connected components $L_{-1,c}$, $L_{+1}$, $L_{-1,n}$. The space $L_{-1,c}$ is known to be contractible but the topology of the other two connected components is not well understood. We study the homotopy and cohomology of these spaces. In particular, for $L_{-1} = L_{-1,c} \sqcup L_{-1,n}$, we show that $\dim H^{2k}(L_{(-1)^{k}}, \RR) \ge 1$, that $\dim H^{2k}…
We establish a connection between Morin singularities and stable homotopy groups of spheres. This connection allows us to describe how the images of singularity strata behave around the image of a more complicated stratum.
A smooth curve $γ: [0,1] \to S^2$ is locally convex if its geodesic curvature is positive at every point. J. A. Little showed that the space of all locally positive curves $γ$ with $γ(0) = γ(1) = e_1$ and $γ'(0) = γ'(1) = e_2$ has three connected components $L_{-1,c}$, $L_{+1}$, $L_{-1,n}$. The space $L_{-1,c}$ is known to be contractible but the topology of the other two connected components is not well understood. We prove that all connected components of $L_I$ are simply connected, that $H^2(L_{+1};Z) = Z^2$ and $H^2(L_{-1,n};Z) = Z$.
This paper gives a uniform-theoretic refinement of classical homotopy theory. Both cubical sets (with connections) and uniform spaces admit classes of weak equivalences, special cases of classical weak equivalences, appropriate for the respective Lipschitz and uniform settings. Cubical sets and uniform spaces admit the additional compatible structures of categories of (co)fibrant objects. A categorical equivalence between classical homotopy categories of cubical sets and spaces lifts to a full and faithful embedding from an associated Lipschitz homotopy category of cubical sets into an associa…
We prove that the 2-primary $π_{61}$ is zero. As a consequence, the Kervaire invariant element $θ_5$ is contained in the strictly defined 4-fold Toda bracket $\langle 2, θ_4, θ_4, 2\rangle$. Our result has a geometric corollary: the 61-sphere has a unique smooth structure and it is the last odd dimensional case - the only ones are $S^1, S^3, S^5$ and $S^{61}$. Our proof is a computation of homotopy groups of spheres. A major part of this paper is to prove an Adams differential $d_3(D_3) = B_3$. We prove this differential by introducing a new technique based on the algebraic and geometric Kahn-…
With any (open or closed) cover of a space T we associate certain homotopy classes of maps T into n-spheres. These homotopy invariants can be considered as obstructions for extensions of covers of a subspace A to a space X. We using these obstructions for generalizations of the classic KKM (Knaster-Kuratowski-Mazurkiewicz) and Sperner lemmas. In particular, we show that in the case when A is a k-sphere and X is a (k+1)-disk there exist KKM type lemmas for covers by n+2 sets if and only if the k-homotopy group of n-sphere is not zero.
Gompf proposed a conjecture on Cappell-Shaneson matrices whose affirmative answer implies that all Cappell-Shaneson homotopy 4-spheres are diffeomorphic to the standard 4-sphere. We study Gompf conjecture on Cappell-Shaneson matrices using various algebraic number theoretic techniques. We find a hidden symmetry between trace $n$ Cappell-Shaneson matrices and trace $5-n$ Cappell-Shaneson matrices which was suggested by Gompf experimentally. Using this symmetry, we prove that Gompf conjecture for the trace $n$ case is equivalent to the trace $5-n$ case. We confirm Gompf conjecture for the specia…
We use K-area homology to summarize some results about the Novikov conjecture and the Hirzebruch L-class. In fact, we provide necessary and sufficient conditions for closed manifolds to have a homotopy invariant L-class. In order to obtain additional properties we also introduce the cohomology of infinite K--area which preserves the cup product of singular cohomology.
We provide a sufficient condition for the nontriviality of the Lipschitz homotopy group of the Heisenberg group, $π_m^{Lip}(H_n)$, in terms of properties of the classical homotopy group of the sphere, $π_m(S^n)$. As an application we provide a new simplified proof of the fact that $π_n^{Lip}(H_n)\neq 0$, $n=1,2,...$, and we prove a new result that $π_{4n-1}^{Lip}(H_{2n})\neq 0$ for $n=1,2,...$ The last result is based on a new generalization of the Hopf invariant. We also prove that Lipschitz mappings are not dense in the Sobolev space $W^{1,p}(M,H_{2n})$ when $dim M\geq 4n$ and $4n-1\leq p<4n…
We show the homotopy spheres $Σ_{n} = -W\smile_{f^{n}}W$, formed by doubling the infinite order loose-cork $(W,f)$ by iterates of the cork diffeomorphism $f: \partial W \to \partial W$ is $S^4$. To do this we first show that $Σ_{n} $ are obtained by Gluck twistings of $S^4$; then from this we show how to cancel $3$-handles of $Σ_{n}$ and identify it by $S^{4}$.
Generically, the set of points along which two non-singular vector fields on the three-sphere are positively (resp. negatively) collinear form a link. We prove that the two vector fields are homotopic if and only if the linking number of those links is zero. We use this criterion to give a new proof of a result of Yano: every non-singular vector field on the three-sphere is homotopic to a non-singular Morse-Smale vector field.
