Vector fields and transfers (Q1176269)

The Becker-Gottlieb transfer map [\textit{J. C. Becker} and \textit{D. H. Gottlieb}, Topology 14, 1-12 (1975; Zbl 0306.55017)]\ has turned out to be an important tool in topology. In this paper the construction is generalized to the case where in addition a vertical vector field on the total space \(E\) of a smooth fibre bundle \(F\rightarrow E\rightarrow B\) is given. This generalization and also the treatment is similar and analogous to Dold's fixed point transfer for fibre preserving maps [see, e.g., \textit{A. Dold}, Contemp. Math. 12, 105-115 (1982; Zbl 0508.55002)]. Let \(\xi=(F @>>> E @>p>> B)\) be a smooth fibre bundle with \(F\) a compact manifold with boundary \(\partial F\) and \(B\) a closed manifold. A vector field \(V\) defined on an open subset of \(E\) is called vertical if it is tangent to the fibres and has no zeros on \(\partial E\). For such \(V\), the authors define an \(S\)-map \(\tau_ V: B^ +\rightarrow E^ +\) satisfying the usual properties. In particular, in ordinary homology \(p_ *\circ\tau_ V\) is multiplication by the index of \(V\) restricted to \(F\). The main result is the following transfer formula \(\tau=\tau_ V+i\circ\tau_{\partial_ -V}\) generalizing a well-known equation for vector field indices on manifolds with boundary. Here \(\tau\) is the usual transfer of \(p\); \(\tau_{\partial_ -V}\) is a transfer \(B^ +\rightarrow\partial E^ +\) based on \(\partial_ -V\), a vector field on \(\partial E\) constructed from \(V\mid\partial E\), and \(i: \partial E\rightarrow E\) the inclusion. As an application it is shown that \(w_ *: \{X,\Omega B\}\rightarrow\{X,F\}\) is annihilated by the vector field index of \(V\mid F\), where \(V\) and \(\xi\) are as above and \(w: \Omega B\rightarrow F\) is the transgression of \(\xi\). Further applications concern the case of equivariant vector fields.