The height of the first Stiefel-Whitney class of the real flag manifolds (Q1585261)

Let \(F(n_1,\dots,n_r)\) denote the real flag manifold \(O(n)/ O(n_1)\times \cdots\times O(n_r)\), \(n=\sum^r_{i=1} n_i\), \(k=\sum^{r-1}_{i=1} n_i\). Assuming that \(\sum_{i=1}^{r-1}n_i\) is odd, \(n-k\) even, \(4\leq 2k\leq n\) and \(2^s<n\leq 2^{s+1}\), the authors compute the height of the first Stiefel-Whitney class \(w_1\) of \(F(n_1, \dots,n_r)\), that is the largest integer \(p\) such that \(w^p_1\neq 0\). They use the fibration of \(F(n_1, \dots,n_r)\) over the real Grassmannian \(F(k,n-k)\) with fibre \(F(n_1,\dots,n_{r-1})\) and the results of \textit{R. E. Stong} [Topology Appl. 13, 103-113 (1982; Zbl 0469.55005)] on the height of the first Stiefel-Whitney class of \(F(k,n-k)\).