arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Stephen Theriault.
We determine loop space decompositions of simply-connected four-manifolds, $(n-1)$-connected $2n$-dimensional manifolds provided $n\notin\{4,8\}$, and connected sums of products of two spheres. These are obtained as special cases of a more general loop space decomposition of certain torsion-free $CW$-complexes with well-behaved skeleta and some Poincaré duality features.
We prove a conjecture of Bahri, Bendersky, Cohen and Gitler: if K is a shifted simplicial complex on n vertices, X_1,..., X_n are spaces and CX_i is the cone on X_i, then the polyhedral product determined by K and the pairs (CX_i,X_i) is homotopy equivalent to a wedge of suspensions of smashes of the X_i's. This generalises earlier work of the two authors in the special case where each X_i is a loop space. Connections are made to toric topology, combinatorics, and classical homotopy theory.
We prove two homotopy decomposition theorems for the loops on co-H-spaces, including a generalization of the Hilton-Milnor Theorem. These are applied to problems arising in algebra, representation theory, toric topology, and the study of quasi-symmetric functions.
Cohen conjectured that for r>=2 there is a space T^2n+1(2^r) and a homotopy fibration sequence Loop^2 S^2n+1 --> S^2n-1 --> T^2n+1(2^r) --> Loop S^2n+1 with the property that the left map composed with the double suspension, Loop^2 S^2n+1 --> S^2n-1 --> Loop^2 S^2n+1, is homotopic to the 2^r-power map. We positively resolve this conjecture when r>=3. Several preliminary results are also proved which are of interest in their own right.
For primes p>=3, Cohen, Moore, and Neisendorfer showed that the exponent of the p-torsion in the homotopy groups of S^2n+1 is p^n. This was obtained as a consequence of a thorough analysis of the homotopy theory of Moore spaces. Anick further developed this for p>=5 by constructing a homotopy fibration S^2n-1 --> T^2n+1(p^r) --> Loop S^2n+1 whose connecting map is degree p^r on the bottom cell. A much simpler construction of such a fibration for p>=3 was given by Gray and the author using new methods. In this paper the new methods are used to start over, first constructing Anick's fibration for p>=3, and then using it to obtain the exponent result for spheres.
Cohen, Moore, and Neisendorfer's work on the odd primary homotopy theory of spheres and Moore spaces, as well as the first author's work on the secondary suspension, predicted the existence of a p-local fibration S^2n-1 --> T --> ΩS^2n+1 whose connecting map is degree p^r. In a long and complex monograph, Anick constructed such a fibration for p>= 5 and r>= 1. Using new methods we give a much more conceptual construction which is also valid for p=3 and r>= 1. We go on to establish several properties of the space T.
The homotopy type of the complement of a complex coordinate subspace arrangement is studied by fathoming out the connection between its topological and combinatorial structures. A family of arrangements for which the complement is homotopy equivalent to a wedge of spheres is described. One consequence is an application in commutative algebra: certain local rings are proved to be Golod, that is, all Massey products in their homology vanish.
The complement of the codimension 2 complex coordinate subspace arrangement is shown to be homotopy equivalent to a wedge of spheres.