Intersections of quadrics, moment-angle manifolds and connected sums (Q1954189)

Let \(m>d\) be positive integers and let \(k=m-d-1\). Let \(\Lambda=(\Lambda_1,\ldots, \Lambda_m)\) be an \(k\times m\) matrix with real entries such that the following `weak hyperbolicity condition' is satisfied: the origin is not the convex hull of any \(k\) column vectors of \(\Lambda\). Define \(Z=Z(\Lambda)\) be the subspace of unit sphere in \(\mathbb{R}^m\) defined by the system of quadratic equations \(\sum_{1\leq j\leq m} \Lambda_{j}x_j^2=0, ~1\leq i\leq k.\) The weak hyperbolicity implies that \(Z(\Lambda)\) is smooth manifold. The paper under review studies the topology of these manifolds and the related manifold \(Z^\mathbb{C}=Z^\mathbb{C}(\Lambda)\) contained in the unit sphere of \(\mathbb C^m\) defined by the system equations as above with \(x_j\) replaced by \(|z_j|\). Special cases of these have been studied previously in various guises. For example, \(2\)-connected \(Z^\mathbb C\) are the moment-angle manifolds constructed by \textit{M. W. Davis} and \textit{T. Januszkiewicz} [Duke Math. J. 62, No. 2, 417--451 (1991; Zbl 0733.52006)]. Let \(J=(j_1,\ldots, j_m)\) be a sequence of positive integers. Denote by \(\Lambda^J\) the matrix replicating the \(i\)-th column of \(\Lambda\) \(j_i\) times, \(1\leq i\leq m\). The resulting manifold \(Z(\Lambda^J)\) is denoted \(Z^J\). When \(J=(2,\ldots, 2)\), \(Z^J=Z^\mathbb{C}\). One of the main results of this paper is is the following theorem which is proved by an inductive procedure. Call a product \(\mathbb{S}^m\times \mathbb{S}^n\) of two spheres a `sphere product'. {Theorem 1.3. } Assume \(Z\) is of dimension \(2c\) and \(c-1\) connected. Then (1) if \(c\geq 3\), \(Z\) is a connected sums of certain sphere products, that is, \(Z\cong \#_{i} \mathbb{S}^{m_i}\times \mathbb{S}^{n_i}\) for suitable positive integers \(m_i,n_i\); (2) if \(c\geq 2\) and if \(Z^J\) is of dimension at least \(5\), then \(Z^J\) is a connected sum of certain sphere products. It has been conjectured by Bosio and Meersseman that if \(Z\) is of dimension \(2c\) and is \((c-1)\)-connected, then \(Z^\mathbb{C}\) is a connected sum of sphere products. The above theorem establishes the conjecture for \(c\geq 2\). The authors point out, the `counterexample' to the conjecture announced by \textit{D. Allen} and \textit{J. La Luz} [Contemporary Mathematics 460, 37--45 (2008; Zbl 1149.14306)], is based on incorrect computation of \(\pi_6(Z)\). There is a natural action of \(\mathbb{Z}_2^m\) action on \(Z\) with quotient \(P\) being a simple polytope. The polytope \(P\) may be identified with the intersection of \(Z\) with \(\mathbb{R}_{\geq 0}^m\). Then \(Z=Z(P)\) can be recovered from \(P\) at least as a \(PL\)-manifold. The topological effect of cutting off a vertices and edges of \(P\) is described. If \(C_v\) is the \(3\)-dimensional cube \(C\) with one of its vertices cut off, it is shown that the mod \(2\) cohomology algebra of \(Z=Z(C_v)\) is \textit{not} isomorphic as an ungraded ring to the cohomology algebra of \(Z^\mathbb{C}(C_v)\). The authors point out that this contradicts an earlier result of \textit{M. de Longueville} [Math. Z. 233, No. 3, 553--577 (2000; Zbl 0956.52020)].