On the cellular decomposition and the Lusternik-Schnirelmann category of Spin(7). (Q1403829)

The Lusternik-Schnirelmann category (LS category) of a space \(X\), \(\text{cat}X\), is the least integer \(n\) for which \(X\) can be covered by \(n+1\) open sets, each being contractible in \(X\). The strong LS category, \(\text{Cat\,}X\), is the least integer \(n\) such that \(X\) is homotopy equivalent to a space \(X'\) which can be covered by \(n+1\) open sets, each being contractible in themselves. The weak LS category, \(\text{cat\,}X\), is a concept related to the LS category and to the Whitehead characterization of the LS category. The following inequalities hold \[ \text{wcat\,}X\leq \text{cat\,}X\leq \text{Cat\,}X\leq \text{cat\,}X+1. \] The authors of the paper describe a cellular decomposition of \(\text{Spin}(7)\) with a minimal number of cells and such that \(\text{Spin}(7)\) contains \(\text{SU}(4)\) as a subgroup. They prove the following theorem. \[ \text{wcat(Spin}(7))=\text{cat(Spin}(7))=\text{Cat(Spin}(7))=5. \] Since \(\text{Spin}(8) \cong \text{Spin}(7) \times S^7\), this implies that \[ \text{wcat(Spin}(8))=\text{cat(Spin}(8))=\text{Cat(Spin}(8))=6. \]