Commutative cocycles and stable bundles over surfaces (Q2279814)

Let \(X\) be a finite \(CW\)-complex and \(E\to X\) be a real vector bundle. \(E\) is called transitionally commutative if it has a trivialization where all transition functions simultaneously commute, this defines \textsl{commutative} real \(K\)-theory, \(KO_{\mathrm{comm}}(X)\). On the other hand, this theory has its classifying space \(B_{\mathrm{comm}}OG\). The authors compute \(\widetilde{KO}_{\mathrm{comm}}(\Sigma)\) for \(\Sigma\) a closed connected surface, proving the isomorphism of (non-unital) rings: \(\widetilde{KO}_{\mathrm{comm}}(\Sigma)\cong \widetilde{KO}(\Sigma)\times \langle y\rangle\) where \(y\) is a class that satisfies \(y^{2}=2y=0\). The authors also construct infinitely many non-isomophic transitionally commutative bundles on the 2-sphere and describe the ring structure of real commutative \(K\)-theory of surfaces.