On the homotopy type of Poincaré spaces (Q1420361)

In the paper under review, the authors study the homotopy type of finite oriented Poincaré spaces in even dimensions and they obtain a new formula for the top-dimensional obstruction for extending maps to homotopy equivalences. The authors obtain the formula by relating polarized homotopy types over a stage of the Postnikov tower with the concept of CW-tower of categories introduced by J. H. Baues. Also, the authors present a criterion for classifying the homotopy type, and they show that if \(X\) is a closed orientable connected \((2n)\)-dimensional manifold (for \(n \geq 2\)) with free fundamental group of rank \(p \geq 1\) and appropriate homology, then \(X\) is homotopy equivalent (homeomorphic for \(n \geq 3\)) to the connected sum of \(p\) copies of \(S^1 \times S^{2n-1}\). Moreover, if \(X\) is an oriented connected \((2n)\)-dimensional Poincaré space (for \(n \geq 2\)) with free fundamental group of rank \(p \geq 1\) and appropriate homology, then the skeleton \(X^{(2n-1)}\) is homotopy equivalent to a bouquet of spheres consisting of \(p\) copies of \(S^1\), \(r\) copies of \(S^n\) for some integer \(r\), and \(p\) copies of \(S^{2n-1}\).