On the minimal sum of Betti numbers of an almost complex manifold (Q1733247)

For a ring $R$, an $n$-dimensional manifold $M$ with $H^*(M;R)\cong H^*(S^n;R)$ is called an $n$-dimensional $R$ homology sphere. When $R=\mathbb{Z}$, then $M$ is said to be an integral homology sphere and when $R=\mathbb{Q}$, $M$ is a rational homology sphere. Rational homology spheres, and hence integral homology spheres, are necessarily orientable as $H^n(M;\mathbb{Q})\ne 0$. Rational homology spheres can alternatively be characterized among closed orientable manifolds as those which have the smallest possible sum of Betti numbers, namely two. It is known that the only spheres which admit almost complex structures are $S^2$ and $S^6$. One of the problems in the topology of closed smooth manifolds is to determine whether the existence of an integrable complex structure imposes restrictions on the topology of the manifold beyond those imposed by the existence of an almost complex structure itself. In the symplectic setting, the existence of a closed non-degenerate two-form $\omega$ on an even-dimensional manifold $M^{2n}$ assures that the sum of the Betti numbers $\dim H^i(M;\mathbb{R})$ is at least $n+1$, provided by the cohomology classes $[\omega^i]$. \par In this paper, among $2n$-manifolds admitting an almost complex structure $J$, the authors consider the possible values of sums of Betti numbers and ask whether requiring the presence of an integrable $J$ would increase these possible values. They show that for manifolds of dimension $2n>8$ not equal to a power of two, the minimal possible sum of Betti numbers is four, both for almost complex and complex manifolds, and this bound is achieved by Hopf and Calabi-Eckmann manifolds, which have the homotopy type of a product of two odd-dimensional spheres. The authors prove that if $M$ is a rational homology sphere and $M$ admits an almost complex structure, then $\dim M=2$ or $6$, and not all six-dimensional rational homology spheres admit an almost complex structure. Moreover, the authors provide infinitely many examples of six-dimensional rational homology spheres which admit an almost complex structures, and infinitely many which do not. Finally, they show that if $M$ is a closed almost complex manifold with sum of Betti numbers three, then $\dim M$ is a power of two.