Topological realizations of chain complexes. I: The general theory (Q1074180)

A pointed, connected space X is said to realize a projective \({\mathbb{Z}}\pi\)-chain complex C if a) there is a fixed identification \(\pi =\pi_ 1X\), and b) the singular chain complex of the universal cover of X is \({\mathbb{Z}}\pi\)-chain equivalent to C. The author describes an inductive construction for realizing C under the necessary assumptions \(H_ 0C={\mathbb{Z}}\) and \(H_ 1C=0\). The construction inductively produces \({\mathbb{Z}}\pi\)-modules \(M_ i\) and classes \(c_ i\in H^ i(C;M_ i)\) whose vanishing is proved both necessary and sufficient for the existence of a realization X. Other classes \(s_ i\in H^{i-1}(C;M_ i)\) are produced during the construction, and it is asserted that these classify the realizations. Finally, let A be a projective, finite-dimensional \({\mathbb{Q}}\pi\)-chain complex with \(H_ 0A=0\), let \(\Sigma^ nA\) be its n-fold suspension, and let \({\mathbb{Q}} \oplus_{\eta} \Sigma^ nA\) denote its twisted direct sum with \({\mathbb{Q}}\) \((= the\) field of rational numbers). The author shows that, for n suitably large, this last chain complex is realizable. Related realizability results, in the context of Bredon's equivariant homotopy theory, were obtained by \textit{G. Triantafillou} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 274, 509-532 (1982; Zbl 0516.55010)] and the reviewer [ibid. (to appear)].