A combinatorial tool for computing the effective homotopy of iterated loop spaces (Q2256579)

This paper describes the ``cradle theorem'' which gives an algorithm that collapses the simplicial complex \(\Delta^{p} \times \Delta^{q}\) onto the ``cradle'' \(C^{p,q} := (\Delta^{p} \times \Lambda^{q}) \cup (\Lambda^{p} \times \Delta^{q})\) where \(\Lambda^{q}\) (the \(q\)-horn) is defined to be the subcomplex \(\Lambda^{q} \subset \Delta^{q}\) made up of all the faces of \(\Delta^{q}\) except the \(\partial_{0}\)-face. The authors sketch how this result can be used to compute the effective homotopy of iterated loop spaces. The details of this computation can be found in a separate pre-print at \url{http://www.unirioja.es/cu/anromero/actcehilsev.pdf}.