Samelson products in quasi-\(p\)-regular exceptional Lie groups (Q1707285)

Let \(G\) be a compact connected Lie group and \(p\geq 3\) be a prime integer. For maps \(\alpha :A\to G\) and \(\beta :B\to G\), let \(\langle \alpha ,\beta \rangle\) denote the Samelson product of \(\alpha\) and \(\beta\) defined by the composite of the maps \[ A\wedge B \mathop{\longrightarrow}^{\alpha\wedge \beta}G\wedge G \mathop{\longrightarrow}^{\mu}G, \] where \(\mu\) denotes the product of \(G\). It is well-known that there is a rational homotopy equivalence \[ G\simeq_{\mathbb{Q}} S^{2n_1-1}\times S^{2n_2-1}\times \dots \times S^{2n_l-1} \quad (n_1\leq n_2\leq \cdots \leq n_l) \] where the sequence \(\{n_1,\ldots ,n_l\}\) is called \textit{the type} of \(G\) and we denote this sequence by \(t(G)\). Similarly, \(G\) is called \(p\)-\textit{regular} if there is a \(p\)-local homotopy equivalence \[ G\simeq_{p} S^{2n_1-1}\times S^{2n_2-1}\times \dots \times S^{2n_l-1} \quad (n_1\leq n_2\leq \cdots \leq n_l) \] It is known that if \(G\) is simply connected, \(G\) is \(p\)-regular iff \(p\) is no less than the maximum of \(t(G)\). When \(G\) is \(p\)-regular and \(i\in t(G)\), we denote by \(\epsilon_i:S^{2i-1}\to G_{(p)}\) the natural inclusion, where \(G_{(p)}\) denotes the \(p\)-localization of \(G\). Three of the present authors previously proved in [\textit{S. Hasui} et al., Topology Appl. 178, 17--29 (2014; Zbl 1303.55004)] that the Samelson product \(\langle \epsilon_i,\epsilon_j\rangle\) in \(G_{(p)}\) is non-trivial iff there is some number \(k\in t(G)\) such that \(i+j=k+p-1\). The authors consider the generalization of this result. Let \(B(2i-1,2i+2p-3)\) denote the \(S^{2i-1}\)-bundle over \(S^{2i+2p-3}\) classified by the characteristic element \(\frac{1}{2}\alpha_1\in \pi_{2i+2p-4}(S^{2i-1})\cong \mathbb{Z}/p\), where \(\alpha_1\) denotes the well-known \(p\)-local generator. Recall that \(G\) is called \textit{quasi-\(p\)-regular} if \(G\) is \(p\)-locally homotopy equivalent to a product of \(B(2i-1,2i+2p-3)\)'s and spheres. When \(G\) is an exceptional Lie group, it is known that \(G\) is quasi-\(p\)-regular iff \(p\geq 5\) and \(G=G_2,F_4,E_6\) or \(p\geq 1\) and \(G=E_7, E_8\). In this paper, authors consider the case that \(G\) is a quasi-\(p\)-regular exceptional Lie group and they determine the condition that the Samelson product \(\langle \epsilon_i,\epsilon_j\rangle\) in \(G_{(p)}\) is trivial (for \(i,j\in t(G)\)) completely. Their result includes the result of \textit{C. A. McGibbon} [Am. J. Math. 106, 665--687 (1984; Zbl 0574.55004)] that \(G_2\) is mod \(p\) homotopy commutative for \(p=5\).