Massey products in mapping tori (Q2012288)

If \(X\) is a connected manifold, \(\xi\in H^1(X,\mathbb C)\) is a non-zero cohomology class, and \(\lambda\in\mathbb C^*\), then there is a spectral sequence starting with \(H^*(X,\rho_\lambda)\) and converging to the cohomology \(H^*(X,\rho_{\lambda'})\), where \(\lambda'\) is a generic complex number. For \(\alpha\in\mathbb C\) such that \(e^\alpha=\lambda\), the cohomology \(H^*(X,\rho_\lambda)\) can be computed from the twisted de Rham complex \(\widetilde\Omega^*(X)=\Omega^*(X,\widetilde d)\), where \( \widetilde d(\omega)=d\omega+\alpha\xi\wedge\omega\). An \(r\)-chain starting from \(a\in H^*(X,\rho_\lambda)\) is a sequence of differential forms \(\omega_1,\dots,\omega_r\in\Omega^*(X)\) such that \(d\omega_1=0\), \([\omega_1]=a\), \(d\omega_2=\xi\wedge\omega_1,\dots,d\omega_r=\xi\wedge\omega_{r-1}\). The subspace of all \(a\in H^*(\widetilde\Omega^*(X))\) such that there exists an \(r\)-chain starting from \(a\) is denoted by \(MZ^m_{(r)}\). It is said that the \(r\)-fold Massey product \(\langle\xi,\dots,\xi,a\rangle\) is defined if \(a\in MZ_{(r)}\). The image of the cohomology class of \(\partial C=\xi\wedge\omega_r\) in \(MZ_{(r)}/MB_{(r)}\) is called the \(r\)-fold Massey product of \(\xi\) and \(a\) and denoted by \(\langle\underbrace{\xi,\dots,\xi}_{r\;\text{times}},a\rangle\), where \(MB^m_{(r)}\) is the subspace of all \(\beta\in H^*(\widetilde\Omega^*(X))\) such that there exists an \((r-1)\)-chain \(C\) in \(\beta\). If \(X\) is a \(C^\infty\) manifold, \(Q^*(X)\) is the differential graded algebra of complex-valued differential forms on \(X\), and \({\mathbf M}^*(X)\) is a minimal model for \(Q^*(X)\), then the manifold \(X\) is called formal if there is a differential graded algebra homomorphism \({\mathbf M}^*(X)\to H^*(X,\mathbb C)\) inducing an isomorphism in cohomology. \(X\) is strongly formal if the differential graded algebra \(\overline\Omega^*(X)\) is formal. If \(\varphi:M\to M\) is a diffeomorphism of a \(C^\infty\) compact connected manifold, and \(X\) its mapping torus, then there is a natural fibration \(p:X\to S^1\) and \(\xi\in H^1(X,\mathbb Z)\) is the corresponding cohomology class. For \(\lambda\in\mathbb C^*\), and the representation \(\rho_\lambda:\pi_1(X)\to\mathbb C^*\), \(\rho_\lambda(g)=\lambda^{p_*(g)}\), the corresponding twisted cohomology of \(X\) is \(H^*(X,\rho_\lambda)\). Let \(\varphi_k^*:H^k(M,\mathbb C)\to H^k(M,\mathbb C)\) be the endomorphism induced by \(\varphi\) in the cohomology of \(M\) of degree \(k\). Denote by \(J_k(\lambda)\) the maximal size of its Jordan block of eigenvalue \(\lambda\) and by \(\mu_k(\lambda)\) the maximal length of a non-zero Massey product of the form \(\langle\xi,\dots,\xi,a\rangle\), where \(a\in H^k(X,\rho_\lambda)\). In this paper, the author proves that \(J_k(\lambda)=\mu_k(\lambda)\) for all \(k\) and \(\lambda\). Also, it is shown that if \(X\) is a strongly formal space, then all the Jordan blocks of \(\varphi_k^*\) are of size \(1\), and if \(X\) is a formal space, then all the Jordan blocks of eigenvalue \(1\) are of size \(1\). Finally, the author shows a simple construction of formal but not strongly formal mapping tori.