SearcharxivSearch

arXiv · 2512.18277

Cobordism of nested manifolds

Abstract

We study cobordisms of nested manifolds, which are manifolds together with embedded submanifolds, which can themselves have embedded submanifolds, etc. We identify a nested analog of the Pontryagin-Thom construction. Moreover, when the highest-dimensional manifold has a normal bundle with a framed direction, we find spaces homotopy equivalent to the nested Pontryagin-Thom spaces that relate nested manifolds up to cobordism with links up to cobordism. This gives rise to nested cobordism invariants coming from previously studied cobordism invariants of links. In addition, we provide an alternative proof of a result by Wall about the splitting of the stable nested cobordism groups.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Alba Sendón Blanco. 2025-12-20. Cobordism of nested manifolds. https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.18277

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Homogeneous Milnor fibers and Kato--Matsumoto bounds via simplicial multiwedges

For every $n\geq 3$ and $s\geq 2$, we construct a homogeneous polynomial of degree $n(n+1)/2$ whose Milnor fiber is exactly $2s$-connected and whose rational cohomology contains a strictly defined nontrivial $n$-fold Massey product on classes of degree $2s+1$, implying that the Milnor fiber is non-formal, while attaining the Kato--Matsumoto connectivity bound. Our construction is based on the simplicial multiwedges of the nerve complexes of simple polytopes introduced by Limonchenko, combined with Suciu's realization of weighted homogeneous Milnor fibers. We thereby answer two problems posed by Suciu.

math.AT

The homotopy types of directed path and trace spaces

We construct a saturated directed space with a Hausdorff $\Delta$-generated underlying space and two distinct points such that the trace space between them is homeomorphic to a square, whereas the directed path space has a nontrivial fundamental group. In particular, the canonical quotient map is not a weak homotopy equivalence. The same conclusion holds for regular directed paths modulo increasing homeomorphisms.

math.AT

Moduli spaces of geometric functorial field theories

We develop tools to compute moduli spaces of geometric functorial field theories as mapping spaces of equivariant simplicial presheaves. Given a d-dimensional geometric structure F, presented as a presheaf on the site of smooth families of d-manifolds, we define its Cartesian realization, which is an O(d)-equivariant simplicial presheaf on the site of Cartesian spaces. We use Cartesian realizations to present the moduli space of functorial field theories with geometric structure F as a mapping space between O(d)-equivariant simplicial presheaves. In a companion paper, we use this result to compute the moduli space of smooth one-dimensional oriented Riemannian functorial field theories valued in an arbitrary smooth symmetric monoidal infinity-category.

math.AT