A faithful unitary representation of the 2-compact group \(DI(4)\) (Q1013098)

A \(p\)-compact group, as introduced by \textit{W. G. Dwyer} and \textit{C. W. Wilkerson} in [Ann. Math. (2) 139, No.~2, 395--442 (1994; Zbl 0801.55007)], is the homotopical analogue at a prime \(p\) of a compact Lie group. In fact, the \(p\)-completion of a compact Lie group with a \(p\)-group of components yields such an object and basically the only other, exotic, \(2\)-compact group is \(DI(4)\) (a complete classification has been obtained by \textit{K. K. S. Andersen} and \textit{J. Grodal} after this article has been written [``The classification of \(2\)-compact groups'', J. Am. Math. Soc. 22, No.~2, 387--436 (2009)]). The article under review is concerned with finding a faithful unitary homotopy representation of \(DI(4)\), i.e. a map \(BDI(4) \rightarrow B\text{U}(n)^{\wedge}_2\) with mod \(2\) finite homotopy fibre, which makes therefore \(H^*(BDI(4);\mathbb{F}_2)\) a finitely generated module over \(H^*(B\text{U}(n);\mathbb{F}_2)\). The main result is the construction of such a representation for \(n=2^{46}\). Together with previous work of \textit{N. Castellana} at odd primes [``Representacions homotòpiques de grups \(p\)-compactes'', Ph.D. Thesis, Univ. Autón. Barcelona, Bellatera (2000) and Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 358, No.~7, 2799--2819 (2006; Zbl 1145.55014)] this shows by a case-by-case investigation based on the classification that every \(p\)-compact group admits a faithful unitary representation. The strategy is to consider the centralizer decomposition diagram used by \textit{W. G. Dwyer} and \textit{C. W. Wilkerson} in [J. Am. Math. Soc. 6, No.~1, 37--64 (1993; Zbl 0769.55007)] to construct \(BDI(4)\). The largest centralizer is \(\text{Spin}(7)\) and the author carefully chooses a representation of the (discrete approximation of the) maximal torus normalizer which he shows extends to a homotopy compatible family of maps from the \(p\)-stubborn subgroup decomposition diagram of \(\text{Spin}(7)\). Such a map was proven by the author in [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 212, No.~6, 1525--1541 (2008; Zbl 1138.55009)] to factor through a map \(B\text{Spin}(7) \rightarrow B\text{U}(2^{46})^{\wedge}_2\) (it is unnecessary to refer to the Ph. D. Thesis of the author here). The hardest part is then to prove that this homotopy representation of \(\text{Spin}(7)\) extends to a homotopy compatible family of maps from the centralizer decomposition diagram and the last step is the computation of obstructions, the triviality of which yields the desired representation of \(DI(4)\).