Questions tagged [at.algebraic-topology]
Homotopy theory, homological algebra, algebraic treatments of manifolds.
2,307
questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
138
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Grothendieck-Teichmüller conjecture
(1) In "Esquisse d'un programme", Grothendieck conjectures
Grothendieck-Teichmüller conjecture: the morphism
$$
G_{\mathbb{Q}} \longrightarrow Aut(\widehat{T})
$$
is an isomorphism.
Here $...
83
votes
0
answers
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Which finite abelian groups aren't homotopy groups of spheres?
Someone asked me if all finite abelian groups arise as homotopy groups of spheres. I strongly doubted it, and I bet ten bucks that $\mathbb{Z}_5$ is not $\pi_k(S^n)$ for any $n,k$. But I don't know ...
63
votes
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Are there periodicity phenomena in manifold topology with odd period?
The study of $n$-manifolds has some well-known periodicities in $n$ with period a power of $2$:
$n \bmod 2$ is important. Poincaré duality implies that odd-dimensional compact oriented manifolds ...
50
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Atiyah's paper on complex structures on $S^6$
M. Atiyah has posted a preprint on arXiv on the non-existence of complex structure on the sphere $S^6$.
https://arxiv.org/abs/1610.09366
It relies on the topological $K$-theory $KR$ and in ...
48
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What is the current understanding regarding complex structures on the 6-sphere?
In October 2016, Atiyah famously posted a preprint to the arXiv, "The Non-Existent Complex 6-Sphere" containing a very brief proof $S^6$ admits no complex structure, which I immediately read and ...
46
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answers
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Cochains on Eilenberg-MacLane Spaces
Let $p$ be a prime number, let $k$ be a commutative ring in which $p=0$, and let
$X = K( {\mathbb Z}/p {\mathbb Z}, n)$ be an Eilenberg-MacLane space.
Let $F$ be the free $E_{\infty}$-algebra over $k$ ...
45
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What is the "real" meaning of the $\hat A$ class (or the Todd class)?
In the Atiyah-Singer index theorem as well as in the Grothendieck-Riemann-Roch theorem, one encounters either the $\hat A$-class or the Todd class, depending on the context. I want to focus on the ...
41
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Is there anything to the obvious analogy between Joyal's combinatorial species and Goodwillie calculus?
Combinatorial species and calculus of functors both take the viewpoint that many interesting functors can be expanded in a kind of Taylor series. Many operations familiar from actual calculus can be ...
40
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0
answers
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Homotopy type of TOP(4)/PL(4)
It is known (e.g. the Kirby-Siebenmann book) that $\mathrm{TOP}(n)/\mathrm{PL}(n)\simeq K({\mathbb Z}/2,3)$ for $n>4$. I believe it is also known (Freedman-Quinn) that $\mathrm{TOP}(4)/\mathrm{PL}(...
36
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answers
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Functor that maps to both $KO^n$ and $KO^{-n}$
(my question is also meaningful for complex K-theory, but since Kn(X) is always isomorphic to K-n(X), it's less interesting)
I start by recalling the analytic definition of KO-theory:
The following ...
33
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answers
2k
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Is there a (discrete) monoid M injecting into its group completion G for which BM is not homotopy equivalent to BG?
For a (discrete) monoid $M$, the classifying space $BM$ is the
geometric realization of the nerve of the one object category whose
hom-set is $M$. (This definition gives the usual classfiying space
...
33
votes
0
answers
2k
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Is there software to compute the cohomology of an affine variety?
I have some affine varieties whose cohomology (topological, with $\mathbb{C}$ coefficients) I would like to know. They are very nice, they are all of the form $\mathbb{A}^n \setminus \{ f=0 \}$ for ...
32
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Microlocal geometry - A theorem of Verdier
(1) In "Geometrie Microlocale", Verdier states the following theorem.
Theorem: Let $E$ be a vector space and $F$ a constructible complex on $E$.
Then for $\ell$ a linear form on $E$, we have a ...
31
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answers
849
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The central insight in the proof of the existence of a class of Kervaire invariant one in dimension 126
I understand from a helpful earlier MO question that the techniques leading to the celebrated resolution of the Kervaire invariant one problem in the other candidate dimensions yield no insight on ...
30
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Why do Clifford algebras determine $KO$ (and $K$-)-theory?
In the paper "Clifford modules" by Atiyah-Bott-Shapiro, they construct a family of Clifford algebras $C_k$ over the real numbers, so that $C_k$ is the algebra associated to a negative definite form on ...
30
votes
1
answer
2k
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When is a compact topological 4-manifold a CW complex?
Freedman's $E_8$-manifold is nontriangulable, as proved on page (xvi) of the Akbulut-McCarthy 1990 Princeton Mathematical Notes "Casson's invariant for oriented homology 3-spheres".
Kirby showed that ...
29
votes
0
answers
935
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Todd class as an Euler class
Let $X$ be a relatively nice scheme or topological space.
In various physics papers I've come accross, the Todd class $\text{Td}(T_X)$ is viewed as the Euler class of the normal bundle to $X\to LX$. ...
29
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0
answers
3k
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Why do polytopes pop up in Lagrange inversion?
I'd be interested in hearing people's viewpoints on this. Looking for an intuitive perspective. See Wikipedia for descriptions of polytopes and the Lagrange inversion theorem/formula (LIF) for ...
28
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On the (derived) dual to the James construction.
Background
If $X$ is a based space then the James construction on $X$ is the space $J(X)$ given by
$$
X \quad \cup \quad X^{\times 2} \quad \cup \quad X^{\times 3} \quad \cup \quad \cdots
$$
in ...
27
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0
answers
1k
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Spectral sequences as deformation theory
I believe that running the spectral sequence of a filtered complex / spectrum $ \cdots \to F_n \to F_{n+1} \to \cdots$ can be viewed as doing deformation theory in some very primitive "derived ...
27
votes
0
answers
1k
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Computational complexity of topological K-theory
I am a novice with K-theory trying to understand what is and what is not possible.
Given a finite simplicial complex $X$, there of course elementary ways to quickly compute the cohomology of $X$ with ...
25
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answers
905
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Does the Tate construction (defined with direct sums) have a derived interpretation?
Any abelian group M with an action of a finite group $G$ has a Tate cohomology object $\hat H(G;M)$ in the derived category of chain complexes. There are several ways to define this. One is as the ...
24
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0
answers
792
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The $(\infty, 1)$-category of all topological spaces, including the bad ones
[Edit: Corrected some false claims and modified questions accordingly.]
Let $\mathcal{S}$ be the cocomplete $(\infty, 1)$-category generated by a point.
This is conventionally known as the $(\infty, 1)...
24
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0
answers
1k
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p-Adic String Theory and the String-orientation of Topological Modular Forms (tmf)
I am going to ask a question, at the end below, on whether anyone has tried to make more explicit what should be, it seems to me, a close relation between p-adic string theory and the refinement of ...
23
votes
0
answers
460
views
Topological loops vs. algebro-geometric suspension in Hochschild homology
Let $k$ be a base commutative ring, and let $A$ be a (unital but not necessarily commutative) $k$-algebra. The cone on $A$ is the ring $CA$ of infinite matrices $(a_{ij})_{i,j \geq 1}$ that are ...
23
votes
0
answers
577
views
What is the symmetric monoidal functor from Clifford algebras to invertible K-module spectra?
There ought to be a symmetric monoidal functor from the symmetric monoidal $2$-groupoid whose objects are Morita-invertible real superalgebras (precisely the Clifford algebras), morphisms are ...
23
votes
0
answers
783
views
Characteristic classes for $E_8$ bundles
$\DeclareMathOperator\B{B}\DeclareMathOperator\SU{SU}$Given a principal $E_8$ bundle $P\rightarrow X$ one can take the
adjoint representation $\rho :E_8\rightarrow \SU(\mathbb C^{248})$
and form the ...
22
votes
0
answers
410
views
Unoriented bordism and homology, reference?
The following has undoubtedly been known to the experts for years, but I only noticed it the other day. Can anyone give a reference?
One can prove Thom's theorem to the effect that every mod $2$ ...
22
votes
0
answers
853
views
Bar construction vs. twisted tensor product
One may study the cohomology of a space $E$ expressed as a homotopy pullback of $X$ and $Y$ over $Z$ using either the Eilenberg-Moore spectral sequence or the Serre spectral sequence for the fibration ...
22
votes
0
answers
666
views
Are there "chain complexes" and "homology groups" taking values in pairs of topological spaces?
Throughout this question, notation of the form $(X,A)$ denotes a sufficiently nice pair of topological spaces. I think for most of what I'm saying here, it is enough to assume that the inclusion $A \...