Given a link map f into a manifold of the form Q = N \times \Bbb R, when can it be deformed to an unlinked position (in some sense, e.g. where its components map to disjoint \Bbb R-levels) ? Using the language of normal bordism theory as well as the path space approach of Hatcher and Quinn we define obstructions \widetildeω_ε(f), ε= + or ε= -, which often answer this question completely and which, in addition, turn out to distinguish a great number of different link homotopy classes. In certain cases they even allow a complete link homotopy classification.
Our development parallels recent advances in Nielsen coincidence theory and leads also to the notion of Nielsen numbers of link maps.
In the special case when N is a product of spheres sample calculations are carried out. They involve the homotopy theory of spheres and, in particular, James--Hopf--invariants.
In classical fixed point and coincidence theory the notion of Nielsen numbers has proved to be extremely fruitful. We extend it to pairs (f_1,f_2) of maps between manifolds of arbitrary dimensions, using nonstabilized normal bordism theory as our main tool. This leads to estimates of the minimum numbers MCC(f_1,f_2) (and MC(f_1,f_2), respectively) of path components (and of points, resp.) in the coincidence sets of those pairs of maps which are homotopic to (f_1,f_2). Furthermore, we deduce finiteness conditions for MC(f_1,f_2). As an application we compute both minimum numbers explicitly in v…
The Lefschetz number and fixed point index can be thought of as two different descriptions of the same invariant. The Lefschetz number is algebraic and defined using homology. The index is defined more directly from the topology and is a stable homotopy class. Both the Lefschetz number and index admit generalizations to coincidences and the comparison of these invariants retains its central role. In this paper we show that the identification of the Lefschetz number and index using formal properties of the symmetric monoidal trace extends to coincidence invariants. This perspective on the coinc…
We give a homotopy invariant construction of the Reidemeister trace for the coincidence of two maps between closed manifolds of not necessarily the same dimensions. It is realized as a homology class of the homotopy equalizer, which coincides with the Hurewicz image of Koschorke's stabilized bordism invariant. To define it, we use a kind of shriek maps appearing string topology. As an application, we compute the coincidence Reidemeister trace for the self-coincidence of the projections of $S^1$-bundles on $\mathbb{C}P^n$. We also mention how to relate our construction to the string topology op…
Let N_1, N_2, M be smooth manifolds with dim N_1 + dim N_2 +1 = dim M$ and let phi_i, for i=1,2, be smooth mappings of N_i to M with Im phi_1 and Im phi_2 disjoint. The classical linking number lk(phi_1,phi_2) is defined only when phi_1*[N_1] = phi_2*[N_2] = 0 in H_*(M). The affine linking invariant alk is a generalization of lk to the case where phi_1*[N_1] or phi_2*[N_2] are not zero-homologous. In arXiv:math.GT/0207219 we constructed the first examples of affine linking invariants of nonzero-homologous spheres in the spherical tangent bundle of a manifold, and showed that alk is intimately …
Basic examples show that coincidence theory is intimately related to central subjects of differential topology and homotopy theory such as Kervaire invariants and divisibility properties of Whitehead products and of Hopf invariants. We recall some recent results and ask a few questions which seems to be important for a more comprehensive understanding.
Given two maps between smooth manifolds, the obstruction to removing their coincidences (via homotopies) is measured by minimum numbers. In order to determine them we introduce and study an infinite hierarchy of Nielsen numbers N_i, i = 0, 1, ..., \infty. They approximate the minimum numbers from below with decreasing accuracy, but they are (in principle) more easily computable as i grows. If the domain and the target manifold have the same dimension (e.g. in the fixed point setting) all these Nielsen numbers agree with the classical definition. However, in general they can be quite distinct. …
Given two fiberwise maps f1, f2 between smooth fiber bundles over a base manifold B, we develop techniques for calculating their Nielsen coincidence number. In certain settings we can describe the Reidemeister set of (f1,f2) as the orbit set of a group operation of π1(B). The size and number of orbits captures crucial extra information. E.g. for torus bundles of arbitrary dimensions over the circle this determines the minimum coincidence numbers of the pair (f1,f2) completely. In particular we can decide when f1 and f2 can be deformed away from one another or when a fiberwise selfmap can be ma…
To each three-component link in the 3-sphere, we associate a geometrically natural characteristic map from the 3-torus to the 2-sphere, and show that the pairwise linking numbers and Milnor triple linking number that classify the link up to link homotopy correspond to the Pontryagin invariants that classify its characteristic map up to homotopy. This can be viewed as a natural extension of the familiar fact that the linking number of a two-component link in 3-space is the degree of its associated Gauss map from the 2-torus to the 2-sphere. When the pairwise linking numbers are all zero, we giv…
In this paper we continue to study (`strong') Nielsen coincidence numbers (which were introduced recently for pairs of maps between manifolds of arbitrary dimensions) and the corresponding minimum numbers of coincidence points and pathcomponents. We explore compatibilities with fibrations and, more specifically, with covering maps, paying special attention to selfcoincidence questions. As a sample application we calculate each of these numbers for all maps from spheres to (real, complex, or quaternionic) projective spaces. Our results turn out to be intimately related to recent work of D Gonca…
It was recently proved that for finitely determined germs $ Φ: ( \mathbb{C}^2, 0) \to ( \mathbb{C}^3, 0) $ the number $C(Φ)$ of Whitney umbrella points and the number $T(Φ)$ of triple values of a stable deformation are topological invariants. The proof uses the fact that the combination $C(Φ)-3T(Φ)$ is topological since it equals the linking invariant of the associated immersion $S^3 \looparrowright S^5$ introduced by Ekholm and Szűcs. We provide a new, direct proof for this equality. We also clarify the relation between various definitions of the latter invariant.
Minimum numbers of fixed points or of coincidence components (realized by maps in given homotopy classes) are the principal objects of study in topological fixed point and coincidence theory. In this paper we investigate fiberwise analoga and represent a general approach e.g. to the question when two maps can be deformed until they are coincidence free. Our method involves normal bordism theory, a certain pathspace EB and a natural generalization of Nielsen numbers. As an illustration we determine the minimum numbers for all maps between torus bundles of arbitrary (possibly different) dimensio…
Given two maps f_1, f_2 : M^m \longrightarrow N^n between manifolds of the indicated arbitrary dimensions, when can they be deformed away from one another? More generally: what is the minimum number MCC (f_1, f_2) of pathcomponents of the coincidence space of maps f'_1, f'_2 where f'_i is homotopic to f_i, i = 1, 2? Approaching this question via normal bordism theory we define a lower bound N (f_1, f_2) which generalizes the Nielsen number studied in classical fixed point and coincidence theory (where m = n). In at least three settings N (f_1, f_2) turns out to coincide with MCC (f_1, f_2): (i…
We discuss coincidences of pairs (f_1, f_2) of maps between manifolds. We recall briefly the definition of four types of Nielsen numbers which arise naturally from the geometry of generic coincidences. They are lower bounds for the minimum numbers MCC and MC which measure to some extend the 'essential' size of a coincidence phenomenon. In the setting of fixed point theory these Nielsen numbers all coincide with the classical notion but in general they are distinct invariants. We illustrate this by many examples involving maps from spheres to the real, complex or quaternionic projective space K…
We initiate the study of classical knots through the homotopy class of the n-th evaluation map of the knot, which is the induced map on the compactified n-point configuration space. Sending a knot to its n-th evaluation map realizes the space of knots as a subspace of what we call the n-th mapping space model for knots. We compute the homotopy types of the first three mapping space models, showing that the third model gives rise to an integer-valued invariant. We realize this invariant in two ways, in terms of collinearities of three or four points on the knot, and give some explicit computati…
We give a new solution of the "homotopy periods" problem, as highlighted by Sullivan, which places explicit geometrically meaningful formulae first dating back to Whitehead in the context of Quillen's formalism for rational homotopy theory and Koszul-Moore duality. Geometrically, we show that homotopy groups are rationally given by "generalized linking/intersection invariants" of cochain data. Moreover, we give a method for determining when two maps from $S^n$ to $X$ are homotopic after allowing for multiplication by some integer. For applications, we investigate wedges of spheres and homogene…
Minimum numbers measure the obstruction to removing coincidences of two given maps (between smooth manifolds M and N of dimensions m and n, resp.). In this paper we compare them to four distinct types of Nielsen numbers. These agree with the classical Nielsen number when m = n (e.g. in the fixed point setting where M = N and one of the maps is the identity map). However, in higher codimensions m - n > 0 their definitions and computations involve distinct aspects of differential topology and homotopy theory. We develop tools which help us 1.) to decide when a minimum number is equal to a Nielse…
The linking integral is an invariant of the link-type of two manifolds immersed in a Euclidean space. It is shown that the ordinary Gauss integral in three dimensions may be simplified to a winding number integral in two dimensions. This result is then generalized to show that in certain circumstances the linking integral between arbitrary manifolds may be similarly reduced to a lower dimensional integral.
Bott and Taubes constructed knot invariants by integrating differential forms along the fiber of a bundle over the space of knots, generalizing the Gauss linking integral. Their techniques were later used to construct real cohomology classes in spaces of knots and links in higher-dimensional Euclidean spaces. In previous work, we constructed cohomology classes in knot spaces with arbitrary coefficients by integrating via a Pontrjagin--Thom construction. We carry out a similar construction over the space of string links, but with a refinement in which configuration spaces are glued together acc…
This paper continues math.DG/9903140. Here we construct a linking form on the torsion part of middle dimensional extended L^2 homology and cohomology of odd-dimensional manifolds. We give a geometric necessary condition when this linking form is hyperbolic. We compute this linking form in case when the manifold bounds. We introduce and study new numerical invariants of the linking form: the Novikov - Shubin signature and the torsion signature. We compute these invariants explicitly for manifolds with $π_1 = Z$ in terms of the Blanchfield form. We develop a notion of excess for extensions of to…
We describe a new approach to triple linking invariants and integrals, aiming for a simpler, wider and more natural applicability to the search for higher order helicities of fluid flows and magnetic fields. To each three-component link in Euclidean 3-space, we associate a geometrically natural generalized Gauss map from the 3-torus to the 2-sphere, and show that the pairwise linking numbers and Milnor triple linking number that classify the link up to link homotopy correspond to the Pontryagin invariants that classify its generalized Gauss map up to homotopy. This can be viewed as a natural e…
Let $ f_1, f_2 \colon X^m \longrightarrow Y^n $ be maps between smooth connected manifolds of the indicated dimensions $ \!m\! $ and $ \!n \!\!\!$. Can $ f_1, f_2 $ be deformed by homotopies until they are coincidence free (i.e. $ f_1(x) \neq f_2(x) $ for all $ x \in X $)? The main tool for addressing such a problem is tradionally the (primary) Nielsen number $ N(f_1, f_2) $. E.g. when $ m < 2n - 2 $ the question above has a positive answer precisely if $ N(f_1, f_2) = 0 $. However, when $ m = 2n - 2 $ this can be dramatically wrong, e.g. in the fixed point case when $ m = n = 2 $. Also, in a …
The topological significance of the spectral Atiyah-Patodi-Singer eta-invariant is investigated under the parity conditions of P. Gilkey. We show that twice the fractional part of the invariant is computed by the linking pairing in K-theory with the orientation bundle of the manifold. The Pontrjagin duality implies the nondegeneracy of the linking form. An example of a nontrivial fractional part for an even-order operator is presented. This result answers the question of P. Gilkey (1989) concerning the existence of even-order operators on odd-dimensional manifolds with nontrivial fractional pa…
