A remark on the homotopy type of certain gauge groups (Q1816609)

The authors compare the gauge groups \({\mathfrak g}_k\) and based gauge groups \({\mathfrak g}_k^0\) of the principal SU(2) bundles \(P_k\) over a closed 1-connected 4-manifold \(X\), where \(c_2(P_k)=k\). They show that the homotopy type of \({\mathfrak g}^0_k\) is independent of \(k\), and that \({\mathfrak g}_k\) and \({\mathfrak g}_{k'}\) have the same homotopy type if, and only if, \((12/d(x),k)=(12/d(x),k')\), where \((12/d(x),k) =12/d(x)\) in case \(k=0\). Here \(d(x)=1\) or 2 according as the intersection form is even or odd.