Axioms for Stiefel-Whitney homology classes of \({\mathbb{Z}}_ 2\)-Euler spaces (Q1063291)

This paper answers a question raised by \textit{J. D. Blanton} and \textit{S. J. P. A. Schweitzer} [Differ. Geom., Proc. Symp. Pure Math. 27, Part 1, Stanford 1973, 349-356 (1975; Zbl 0312.57013)]. Let X and Y be \({\mathbb{Z}}_ 2\)-Euler spaces. A PL-embedding \(\phi\) : \(Y\to X\) is called a regular embedding if dim X\(=\dim Y\), \(\phi\) (Y) is closed in X, \(\phi\) (Int Y)\(\cap \partial X=\emptyset\), and \(\phi\) \(| Int Y\) is an open map, where Int Y\(=Y-\partial Y\). Let \(H_*^{\inf}\) denote the homology theory of infinite chains. Let \(\phi\) : \(Y\to X\) be a regular embedding. Then the induced homomorphism \[ \phi_*: H_*^{\inf}(Y,\partial Y; {\mathbb{Z}}_ 2)\to H_*^{\inf}(X,X-\phi (Int Y);{\mathbb{Z}}_ 2) \] is an isomorphism by the excision property. Define a homomorphism \[ \phi^{\#}: H_*^{\inf}(X,\partial X; {\mathbb{Z}}_ 2)\to H_*^{\inf}(Y,\partial Y; {\mathbb{Z}}_ 2) \] by \(\phi^{\#}=(\phi_*)^{-1}\circ i_*\), where \(i_*: H_*^{\inf}(X,\partial X; {\mathbb{Z}}_ 2)\to H_*^{\inf}(X,X-\phi (Int Y);{\mathbb{Z}}_ 2)\) is the homomorphism induced by the inclusion map i. Let C be the category whose projects are \({\mathbb{Z}}_ 2\)-Euler spaces and whose morphisms are regular embeddings. Let S be a full subcategory of C. Consider a homology class \(S_*(X)=S_ 0(X)+S_ 1(X)+...+S_ n(X)\) for each object X of S, where \(n=\dim X\). If \(S_*(X)\) satisfies the following four axioms, then it is called an axiomatic Stiefel-Whitney homology class of X in S. (1) \(S_ i(X)\) is in \(H_ i^{\inf}(X,\partial X; {\mathbb{Z}}_ 2)\). (2) If \(\phi\) : \(Y\to X\) is a morphism of S, then \(S_*(Y)=\phi^{\#}S_*(X)\). (3) \(S_*(X\times Y)=S_*(X)\times S_*(Y)\), if X, Y and \(X\times Y\) are in S. (4) For every integer \(n\geq 0\), \(S_*(P^ n)=s_*(P^ n)\) where \(s_*(P^ n)\) is the ordinary Stiefel-Whitney homology class of the n-dimensional real projective space \(P^ n\). There always exists at least one axiomatic Stiefel-Whitney class. Theorem. If S satisfies the following two conditions, then the axiomatic Stiefel-Whitney homology class \(S_*(X)\) of X in S coincides with the ordinary Stiefel-Whitney homology class \(s_*(X)\). (1) All compact \({\mathbb{Z}}_ 2\)-Euler spaces are in S. (2) If X is in S, then \(X\times [0,1]\) is in S. In general, axiomatic Stiefel-Whitney homology classes in the cateogry of \({\mathbb{Z}}_ 2\)-Poincaré-Euler spaces are not unique.