On the unordered configuration space \(C(RP^n,2)\) (Q2189041)

In the present paper, \(\text{C}(\mathbb{R}P^n,2)\) denotes the unordered configuration space of two points in the real projective space \(\mathbb{R}P^n\), \(\text{C}(\mathbb{R}P^n,2)=(\mathbb{R}P^n\times \mathbb{R}P^n-\Delta)/\mathbb{Z}_2\). Also, \(\text{G}_{n+1,2}\) denotes the Grassmann manifold of \(2\)-planes in \(\mathbb{R}^{n+1}\), and \(\text{TC}(-)\) the topological complexity, introduced by \textit{M. Farber} [Discrete Comput. Geom. 29, No. 2, 211--221 (2003; Zbl 1038.68130)]. Note that the author uses the reduced version, i.e., \(\text{TC}(X)=0\) if and only if \(X\) is contractible. The principal Theorems of this paper are as follows: Theorem 1.1. If \(n\) is a 2-power then \(\text{C}(\mathbb{R}P^n,2)\) cannot be immersed in \(\mathbb{R}^{4n-2}\) nor embedded as a closed subspace of \(\mathbb{R}^{4n-1}\). Theorem 1.2. If \(n\) is not a 2-power, then \(\text{C}(\mathbb{R}P^n,2)\) can be immersed in \(\mathbb{R}^{4n-3}\). Theorem 2.1. In the ring \(H^\ast(\text{G}_{n+1,2};\mathbb{Z}_2)\) monomials \(x^iy^j\) are independent if \(i+2j<n\). For \(\epsilon\in\{0,1\}\), if \(2n-2k-\epsilon\geq n\), then \(H^{2n-2k-\epsilon}(\text{G}_{n+1,2};\mathbb{Z}_2)\) has basis \(\beta_1,\ldots,\beta_k\), and \(x^{2i-\epsilon}y^{n-k-i}\) equals the sum of those \(\beta_j\) for which \(i+j\) is a 2-power. Theorem 3.1. If \(0\leq d<2^e\) and \(r=\max\{s\in\mathbb{Z}:~2^s\leq d+1/2\}\), then \(zcl(\text{C}(\mathbb{R}P^{2^e+d},2))=2^{e+2}+2^{r+1}-4\) and \(\text{TC}(\text{C}(\mathbb{R}P^{2^e+d},2))\geq 2^{e+2}+2^{r+1}-4\). Here, the number \(\text{zcl}(X)\) is the zero-divisors-cup-length of \(H^\ast(X;\mathbb{Z}_2)\), it is the longest nontrivial product of elements of \(\text{Ker}(\Delta^\ast:H^\ast(X\times X;\mathbb{Z}_2)\to H^\ast(X;\mathbb{Z}_2))\), where \(\Delta\) is the diagonal map.