The space of commuting \(n\)-tuples in \(SU(2)\) (Q351804)

If \(X\) is a smooth manifold and \(G\) is a compact Lie group, then the space of homomorphisms \(\Hom(\pi_1(X), G)\) may be identified with the space of flat \(G\)-connections on \(X\) modulo based gauge transformations. If \(Y_G[n]\) is this space if \(X= (S^1)^n\), that is \(Y_G[n]:= \Hom(\mathbb{Z}^n, G)\), then \(Y_G[n]\) may be identified with the space of commuting \(n\)-tuples in \(G\). The authors determine the homotopy type \(\Sigma Y_{\text{SU}(2)}[n]\) and the integral cohomology of \(Y_{\text{SU}(2)}[n]\). They prove that \[ \Sigma Y_{\text{SU}(2)}[n]\simeq \sum\Biggl(\bigvee^n_{r=1} {n\choose r}\Sigma S(kL)\Biggr), \] where \(S(kL)\) is the sphere bundle of the Whitney sum of \(k\) copies of the canonical line bundle over \(\mathbb{R} P^2\). This homotopy equivalence is combined with a model of the homotopy type of \(\Sigma S(kL)\) in terms of projective spaces to explicitly describe the homotopy type of \(\sigma Y_{\text{SU}(2)}[n]\) and the integral cohomology of \(Y_{\text{SU}(2)}[n]\).