Link concordance invariants and Massey products (Q1184331): Difference between revisions

Let \({\mathcal L}=(K,L)\) be a codimension-2 link in \(S^ n\), i.e. \(K\) and \(L\) are disjoint oriented \((n-2)\)-dimensional submanifolds of the \(n\)- sphere, \(n\geq 3\). If \({\mathcal L}\) is ``\(j\)-admissible'' (i.e. under certain assumptions related to the intersection behaviour of Seifert surfaces) the author defines \(j\) link concordance invariants \(B^ i({\mathcal L})\in\pi_ n(S^ 2\vee S^ 3)\), \(1\leq i\leq j\), and describes the value combinations which they can realize. Moreover, he relates \(B^ i({\mathcal L})\) to his previously defined \(\theta\)-invariants (which are stronger) and to T. Cochran's invariants \(\beta^ i({\mathcal L})\) (which are weaker). In particular, it turns out that all these invariants are well defined but, alas, also trivial for spherical semiboundary links (when \(K\cong L\cong S^{n-2}\)). In a last section it is shown that \(\theta_ k\) is defined if and only if \(\theta_ 2\) is defined and all \(k\)-fold Massey products in \(H^ 2(S^ n-{\mathcal L})\) vanish.