arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to David Blanc.
We provide a uniform definition of higher order Toda brackets in a general setting, covering the known cases of long Toda brackets for topological spaces and chain complexes and Massey products for differential graded algebras, among others.
For each n\geq 1 we introduce two new Segal-type models of n-types of topological spaces: weakly globular n-fold groupoids, and a lax version of these. We show that any n-type can be represented up to homotopy by such models via an explicit algebraic fundamental n-fold groupoid functor. We compare these models to Tamsamani's weak n-groupoids, and extract from them a model for (k-1)connected n-types
Classical homological algebra considers chain complexes, resolutions, and derived functors in additive categories. We describe "track algebras in dimension n", which generalize additive categories, and we define higher order chain complexes, resolutions, and derived functors. We show that higher order resolutions exist in higher track categories, and that they determine higher order Ext-groups. In particular, the E_m-term of the Adams spectral sequence (m<n+3) is a higher order Ext-group, which is determined by the track algebra of higher cohomology operations.
For any finite group $G$, we define the notion of a Bredon homotopy action of $G$, modelled on the diagram of fixed point sets $(X_H)_{H\leq G}$ for a $G$-space $X$, together with a pointed homotopy action of the group $N_{G}H/H$ on $X^{H}/(\bigcup_{H<K} X^{K})$. We then describe a procedure for constructing a suitable diagram $\underline{X}:O_G^{op}\to Top$ from this data, by solving a sequence of elementary lifting problems. If successful, we obtain a $G$-space $X'$ realizing the given homotopy information, determined up to Bredon $G$-homotopy type. Such lifting methods may also be used to understand other homotopy questions about group actions, such as transferring a $G$-action along a map $f:X\to Y$.
We study the questions of how to recognize when a simplicial set X is of the form X=map(Y,A) for a given space A, and how to recover Y from X, if so. A full answer is provided when A=K(R,n), for $R=\mathbb{F}_p$ or $\mathbb{Q}$, in terms of a mapping algebra structure on X (defined in terms of product-preserving simplicial functors out of a certain simplicially-enriched sketch). In addition, when A is a suitable infinite loop space for a suitable connective ring spectrum, we can recover Y from map(Y,A) given such a mapping algebra structure. Most importantly, our methods provide a new way of looking at the classical Bousfield-Kan R-completion.
Given a fixed object $A$ in a suitable pointed simplicial model category $\C$, we study the problem of recovering the target $Y$ from the pointed mapping space \w{\mapa(A,Y)} (up to $A$-equivalence). We describe a recognition principle, modelled on the classical ones for loop spaces, but using the more general notion of an \emph{\Ama[.]} It has an associated transfinite procedure for recovering \w{\CWA Y} from \w[,]{\mapa(A,Y)} inspired by Dror-Farjoun's construction of \ww{\CWA{}}-approximations.
For any finite group G, we construct a spectral sequence for computing the Bredon cohomology of a G-CW complex X, starting with the cohomology of X^H/\cup_{K>H}X^K with suitable local coefficients, for various H \leq G.
We study the topological and differentiable singularities of the configuration space C(Γ) of a mechanical linkage Γin d-dimensional Euclidean space, defining an inductive sufficient condition to determine when a configuration is singular. We show that this condition holds for generic singularities, provide a mechanical interpretation, and give an example of a type of mechanism for which this criterion identifies all singularities.
There are two main approaches to the problem of realizing a $Π$-algebra (a graded group $Λ$ equipped with an action of the primary homotopy operations) as the homotopy groups of a space $X$. Both involve trying to realize an algebraic free simplicial resolution $G_\bullet$ of $Λ$ by a simplicial space $W_\bullet$ and proceed by induction on the simplicial dimension. The first provides a sequence of André-Quillen cohomology classes in $H_{AQ}^{n+2}(Λ;Ω^{n}Λ)$ for $n \geq 1$ as obstructions to the existence of successive Postnikov sections for $W_\bullet$ by work of Dwyer, Kan and Stover. The second gives a sequence of geometrically defined higher homotopy operations as the obstructions by earlier work of Blanc; these were identified with the obstruction theory of Dwyer, Kan and Smith in earlier work of the current authors. There are also (algebraic and geometric) obstructions for distinguishing between different realizations of $Λ$. In this paper we 1) provide an explicit construction of the cocycles representing the cohomology obstructions; 2) provide a similar explicit construction of certain minimal values of the higher homotopy operations (which reduce to "long Toda brackets"), and 3) show that these two constructions correspond under an evident map.
We introduce the category Pstem[n] of n-stems, with a functor P[n] from spaces to Pstem[n]. This can be thought of as the n-th order homotopy groups of a space. We show how to associate to each simplicial n-stem Q an (n+1)-truncated spectral sequence. Moreover, if Q=P[n]X is the Postnikov n-stem of a simplicial space X, the truncated spectral sequence for Q is the truncation of the usual homotopy spectral sequence of X. Similar results are also proven for cosimplicial n-stems. They are helpful for computations, since n-stems in low degrees have good algebraic models.
We show that three different kinds of cohomology - Baues-Wirsching cohomology, the (S,O)-cohomology of Dwyer-Kan, and the Andre-Quillen cohomology of a Pi-algebra - are isomorphic, under certain assumptions. This is then used to identify the cohomological obstructions in three general approaches to realizability problems: the track category version of Baues-Wirsching, the diagram rectifications of Dwyer-Kan-Smith, and the Pi-Algebra realization of Dwyer-Kan-Stover. Our main tool in this identification is the notion of a mapping algebra: a simplicially enriched version of an algebra over a theory.
We describe a 2-dimensional analogue of track categories, called two-track categories, and show that it can be used to model categories enriched in 2-type mapping spaces. We also define a Baues-Wirsching type cohomology theory for track categories, and explain how it can be used to classify two-track extensions of a track category D by a module over D.
We explain how higher homotopy operations, defined topologically, may be identified under mild assumptions with (the last of) the Dwyer-Kan-Smith cohomological obstructions to rectifying homotopy-commutative diagrams.
Given a diagram of Pi-algebras (graded groups equipped with an action of the primary homotopy operations), we ask whether it can be realized as the homotopy groups of a diagram of spaces. The answer given here is in the form of an obstruction theory, of somewhat wider application, formulated in terms of generalized Pi-algebras. This extends a program begun in [J. Pure Appl. Alg. 103 (1995) 167-188] and [Topology 43 (2004) 857-892] to study the realization of a single Pi-algebra. In particular, we explicitly analyze the simple case of a single map, and provide a detailed example, illustrating the connections to higher homotopy operations.
The aim of this paper is to construct and examine three candidates for local-to-global spectral sequences for the cohomology of diagrams of algebras with directed indexing. In each case, the $E^2$ -terms can be viewed as a type of local cohomology relative to a map or an object in the diagram.
We explain how the approach of Andre and Quillen to defining cohomology and homology as suitable derived functors extends to generalized (co)homology theories, and how this identification may be used to study the relationship between them. As a side benefit, we clarify exactly what assumptions on an (algebraic) category are needed in order for the approach of Beck and Andre-Quillen to work. We also show how the description may be applied to construct universal coefficient and reverse Adams spectral sequences.
Given a suitable functor T:C -> D between model categories, we define a long exact sequence relating the homotopy groups of any X in C with those of TX, and use this to describe an obstruction theory for lifting an object G in D to C. Examples include finding spaces with given homology or homotopy groups.
We describe a collection of higher homotopy operations which determine the rational homotopy type of a simply-connected space X. These are described in terms of simplicial resolutions of successive approximations (L^k,α} to the Quillen DGL model for X. The operations lie in suitable cohomology groups H^*{L^{(k,α)}; π_* X\otimes Q} of these DGLs. To facilitate the recovery of an integral version of the operations from the rational description, we also define a differential graded non-associative algebra model for rational spaces.