Unboundedness of some higher Euler classes (Q2187727)

Milnor gave a bound on the Euler number of \(\mathrm{SL}(2, \mathbb R)\)-bundles over surfaces with discrete structure group, and Wood generalized the argument to topological circle bundles (in order to obtain a characterization of the oriented, topological circle bundles over surfaces that admit a fibration transverse to the fibres); equivalently, the real Euler class in \(H^2(\mathrm{Homeo}_0(S^1); \mathbb R)\) is bounded, for the case \(M = S^1\). On the other hand, for the case \(M = \mathbb R^2\), \textit{D. Calegari} [Geom. Topol. Monogr. 7, 431--491 (2004; Zbl 1181.57022)] showed that discrete Euler classes of topological \(\mathbb R^2\)-bundles are unbounded, and \textit{K. Mann} and \textit{C. Rosendal} [Ergodic Theory Dyn. Syst. 38, No. 7, 2748--2779 (2018; Zbl 1404.37028)] showed a similar result for the case of the 2-torus. In the present paper, the question is considered for 3-manifolds, and specifically for Seifert fibered 3-manifolds. The main result is the following: Let \(M\) be a closed Seifert fibered 3-manifold such that the inclusion \(\mathrm{SO}(2)\hookrightarrow \mathrm{Homeo}_0(M)\) induces an inclusion of \(\pi_1(\mathrm{SO}(2))\) as a direct factor in \(\pi_1(\mathrm{Homeo}_0(M))\); then any class in \(H^2(\mathrm{Homeo}_0(M); \mathbb R)\) with nonzero image in \(H^2(\mathrm{SO}(2))\) is unbounded. By the solution of the generalized Smale conjecture, for most Seifert fibered 3-manifolds rotation of the fibers gives a homotopy equivalence \(\mathrm{SO}(2) \to \mathrm{Homeo}_0(M)\) (or at least a \(\mathbb Z\)-factor in \(\pi_1(\mathrm{Homeo}_0(M))\)), and hence an Euler class for \(M\)-bundles. The main result of the present paper then says that all of these discrete Euler classes are unbounded; in particular, the author gives examples of flat topological \(M\)-bundles over a genus 3 surface whose Euler class takes arbitrary values. (For bounded cohomology in general, cf. the survey by \textit{N. Monod} [in: Proceedings of the international congress of mathematicians (ICM), Madrid, Spain, August 22--30, 2006. Volume II: Invited lectures. Zürich: European Mathematical Society (EMS). 1183--1211 (2006; Zbl 1127.55002)]).