Triality, characteristic classes, \(D_4\) and \(G_2\) singularities (Q897104)

In the paper under review, the authors follow relations of the triality with theory of simple singularities in the sense of V. I. Arnold, S. M. Gusein-Zade, and A. N. Varchenko [\textit{V. I. Arnol'd} et al., Singularities of differentiable maps. Volume I: The classification of critical points, caustics and wave fronts. Transl. from the Russian by Ian Porteous, ed. by V. I. Arnol'd. Boston-Basel-Stuttgart: Birkhäuser (1985; Zbl 0554.58001)]. The authors recall É. Cartan's construction (from 1925) of the triality automorphism of the Lie algebra \(\mathfrak{so(8)}\), give a matrix representation for the real form \(\mathfrak{so(4,4)}\), describe how the cohomology homomorphism induced by the triality automorphism operates on the characteristic classes in the cohomology of the classifying space \(B\text{Spin}(8)\), and study the triality automorphism of the singularity \(D_4\). The reviewer remarks that the following paper (not listed in the references) is closely related to the cohomology aspect of this work: [\textit{A. Gray} and \textit{P. Green}, Pac. J. Math. 34, 83--96 (1970; Zbl 0194.22804)].