Counting homotopy classes of mappings via Dijkgraaf-Witten invariants (Q386214)

Let \(M\) be a closed oriented manifold and \(\Gamma\) a finite group with an orientation-preserving free action on \(S^n\). A classical result by \textit{P. Olum} [Ann. Math. (2) 58, 458--480 (1953; Zbl 0052.19901)] states that the homotopy classes of mappings \(f:M\to S^n/\Gamma\) are classified by \(\deg f\) and the induced homomorphism \(\pi_1(f):\pi_1(M)\to\Gamma\). According to \textit{D. S. Freed} [Commun. Math. Phys. 159, No. 2, 343--398 (1994; Zbl 0790.58007)] for a cohomology class \([\omega]\in H^n(B\Gamma;U(1))\) the Dijkgraaaf-Witten invariant is defined as \[ Z^{[\omega]}(M)=\frac1m\sum_{\phi:\pi_1(M)\to\Gamma}\left<[\omega],f(\phi)_*[M]\right> \] where \(m\) is the order of \(\Gamma\) and \(f(\phi)_*:H_n(M;\mathbb{Z})\to H_n(B\Gamma;\mathbb{Z})\) is induced by \(f(\phi):M\to B\Gamma\). In the present situation \(H^n(B\Gamma;U(1))\cong\mathbb{Z}/m\mathbb{Z}\) and the pairing \(H^n(B\Gamma;U(1))\times H_n(B\Gamma;\mathbb{Z})\to U(1)\) is given by \(\left<\bar{l},\bar{k}\right>=\zeta_m^{kl}\) where \(\zeta_m=\exp(2\pi i/m)\). The author proves that each homotopy set \(\deg^{-1}(\{k\})\) is finite and has precisely \(\sum_{\bar{l}\in\mathbb{Z}/m\mathbb{Z}}Z^{\bar{l}}(M)\zeta_m^{-kl}\) elements.