The homotopy classification of \((n-1)\)-connected \((n+3)\)-dimensional polyhedra, \(n\geq{} 4\) (Q1814438)

Whitehead (1949) classified \((n-1)\)-connected \((n+2)\)-dimensional polyhedra as one point unions of indecomposable complexes. A partial extension of this result is given by the authors, where, in the stable range, the dimension is extended by one. Theorem. Each finite \((n-1)\)-connected \((n+3)\)-dimensional polyhedron \(X\), \(n\geq 4\), admits a homotopy equivalence \(X\simeq X_ 1\vee\dots\vee X_ r\), where the right hand side is a one point union of indecomposable complexes, which is unique up to permutation. Moreover a complete list of these indecomposable complexes is given by the corresponding spheres and Moore-spaces of cyclic groups \({\mathbb{Z}}/p^ k\), \(p\) prime, and by the complexes \(X(w)\), \(X(w,\varphi)\). For example, in the stable range, \(\Sigma^{n-1}({\mathbb{R}}P^ 3)\simeq S^{n+2}\vee M({\mathbb{Z}}/2,n)\) and \(\Sigma^{n-1}{\mathbb{R}}P^ 4\) is indecomposable. Also, as an application, each \((n-1)\)-connected \((2n+3)\)- dimensional compact manifold \((n\geq4)\) has the homotopy type of \((X_ 1\vee \dots\vee X_ m)\cup e^{2n+3}\), where the \(X_ i\) are indecomposable as above. The proof proceeds in the general case by replacing homotopy types, in a 1-1 correspondence, with algebraic objects which the authors call stable \(A^ 3_ n\)-systems. The indecomposable complexes \(X(w)=(M(A,n)\vee M(B,n+1))\cup C(M(D,n+2)\vee M(E,n+1))\) and \(X(w,\varphi)=M(F,n)\cup CM(G,n+1),\) where \(B\) is free abelian, are mapping cones on unions of certain Moore spaces, and are in 1-1 correspondence with certain algebraically defined ``special words''.