We prove that the coefficients of the so-called conjugation equation for conjugation spaces in the sense of Hausmann-Holm-Puppe are completely determined by Steenrod squares. This generalises a result of V.A. Krasnov for certain complex algebraic varieties. It also leads to a generalisation of a formula given by Borel and Haefliger, thereby largely answering an old question of theirs in the affirmative.
Let D_n be the Dickson invariant ring of F_2[X_1,...,X_n] acted by the general linear group GL(n,\F_2). In this paper, we provide an elementary proof of the conjecture by [Hung]: each element in D_n is in the image of the Steenrod square in F_2[X_1,...,X_n], where n>3.
In 1947, N.E. Steenrod defined the Steenrod Squares, which are mod 2 cohomology operations, using explicit cochain formulae for cup-i products of cocycles. He later recast the construction in more general homological terms, using group homology and acyclic model methods, rather than explicit cochain formulae, to define mod p operations for all primes p. Steenrod's student J. Adem applied the homological point of view to prove fundamental relations, known as the Adem relations, in the algebra of cohomology operations generated by the Steenrod operations. In this paper we give a proof of the mod…
Operations on the cohomology of spaces are important tools enhancing the descriptive power of this computable invariant. For cohomology with mod 2 coefficients, Steenrod squares are the most significant of these operations. Their effective computation relies on formulas defining a cup-$i$ construction, a structure on (co)chains which is important in its own right, having connections to lattice field theory, convex geometry and higher category theory among others. In this article we present new formulas defining a cup-$i$ construction, and use them to introduce a fast algorithm for the computat…
Lipshitz and Sarkar recently introduced a space-level refinement of Khovanov homology. This refinement induces a Steenrod square operation $\Sq^2$ on Khovanov homology which they describe explicitly. This paper presents some computations of $\Sq^2$. In particular, we give examples of links with identical integral Khovanov homology but with distinct Khovanov homotopy types.
We present here a combinatorial method for computing cup-$i$ products and Steenrod squares of a simplicial set $X$. This method is essentially based on the determination of explicit formulae for the component morphisms of a higher diagonal approximation (i.e., a family of morphisms measuring the lack of commutativity of the cup product on the cochain level) in terms of face operators of $X$. A generalization of this method to Steenrod reduced powers is sketched. This description can be considered as a translation of the most ancient definition of Steenrod squares to the general setting of the …
We show that there are prime knots so that the Steenrod operations of Lipshitz and Sarkar arXiv:1204.5776 are non trivial on their Khovanov homology. This answers a question posed by Lipshitz and Sarkar in their paper arXiv:1709.03602. We then go on to show that there are hyperbolic and satellite knots so that the Steenrod operations are non trivial on their Khovanov homology.
The groups of differential characters of Cheeger and Simons admit a natural multiplicative structure. The map given by the squares of degree 2k differential characters reduces to a homomorphism of ordinary cohomology groups. We prove that the homomorphism factors through the Steenrod squaring operation of degree 2k. A simple application shows that five-dimensional Chern-Simons theory for pairs of B-fields is SL(2, Z)-invariant on spin manifolds.
We prove a conjecture raised by M. Goresky and W. Pardon, concerning the range of validity of the perverse degree of Steenrod squares in intersection cohomology. This answer turns out of importance for the definition of characteristic classes in the framework of intersection cohomology. For this purpose, we present a construction of ${\rm cup}_{i}$-products on the cochain complex, built on the blow-up of some singular simplices and introduced in a previous work. We extend to this setting the classical properties of the associated Steenrod squares, including Adem and Cartan relations, for any g…
This paper shows that a functorial version of the "higher diagonal" of a space used to compute Steenrod squares actually contains far more topological information --- including (in some cases) the space's integral homotopy type.
We describe stable cup-i products on the cochain complex with $F^2$ coefficients of any augmented semi-simplicial object in the Burnside category. An example of such an object is the Khovanov functor of Lawson, Lipshitz and Sarkar. Thus we obtain explicit formulas for cohomology operations on the Khovanov homology of any link.
In a previous paper, we defined a space-level version X(L) of Khovanov homology. This induces an action of the Steenrod algebra on Khovanov homology. In this paper, we describe the first interesting operation, Sq^2:Kh^{i,j}(L) -> Kh^{i+2,j}(L). We compute this operation for all links up to 11 crossings; this, in turn, determines the stable homotopy type of X(L) for all such links.
Steenrod defined in 1947 the Steenrod squares on the mod 2 cohomology of spaces using explicit cochain formulae for the cup-$i$ products; a family of coherent homotopies derived from the broken symmetry of Alexander--Whitney's chain approximation to the diagonal. He later defined his homonymous operations for all primes using the homology of symmetric groups. This approach enhanced the conceptual understanding of the operations and allowed for many advances, but lacked the concreteness of their definition at the even prime. In recent years, thanks to the development of new applications of coho…
Unstable modules over the Steenrod algebra with only the top $k$ operations are introduced in the language of ringoids. We prove the category of such modules has homological dimension at most $k$. A pratical method, which generalizes the $Λ$ complex, to compute the $\mathrm{Ext}$ group from such modules to spheres is proposed. We are also able to establish several functors to relate such modules and unstable modules over the Steenrod algebra, and to describe the connections between the $\mathrm{Ext}$ groups in them.
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 note, working in the context of simplicial sets, we give a detailed study of the complexity for computing chain level Steenrod squares, in terms of the number of face operators required. This analysis is based on the combinatorial formulation given in [R. Gonzalez-Diaz, P. Real. A Combinatorial Method for Computing Steenrod Squares. J. of Pure and Applied Algebra, 139 (1999) 89-108]. As an application, we give here an algorithm for computing cup-$i$ products over integers on a simplicial complex at chain level.