Characteristic classes as complete obstructions (Q2280122)

Let \(G\) be any topological group whose homotopy groups are countable, and let \(c \in H^k (BG;A)\) be any universal characteristic class corresponding to a map \(c : BG \rightarrow K(A,k)\), where \(K(A,k)\) is the Eilenberg-MacLane space of type \((A,k)\) for \(k \geq 2\) and \(A\) is a countable abelian group. Let \(G^{red}(c)\) be a topological group which gives a model for the homotopy fiber of \(\Omega c : G \simeq \Omega BG \rightarrow K(A;k-1)\). Let \(\Omega^{Mil} X\) be the Milnor model of the based loop space for a countable CW-complex \(X\) of \textit{J. W. Milnor} [Ann. Math. (2) 63, 272--284 (1956; Zbl 0071.17302)], and let \(M^{k} A\) be the \(k\)-fold Milgram delooping of \textit{R. J. Milgram} [Ill. J. Math. 11, 242--250 (1967; Zbl 0152.40502)]. Let \({\mathcal Bun}_*\) be the category of pointed principal bundles, and let \(G^{cof}: = \Omega^{Mil} BG\). The author shows that if \(X\) is a countable CW-complex, then a good CW-replacement \(\epsilon: G^{cof} \rightarrow G\) induces a bijection \[ \epsilon_* : {_X{\mathcal Bun}_{G^{cof}}} /_{\cong} \longrightarrow {_X{\mathcal Bun}_{G}} /_{\cong} \] whose inverse is denoted as \[ (-)^{cof} : {_X{\mathcal Bun}_{G}} /_{\cong} \longrightarrow {_X{\mathcal Bun}_{G^{cof}}} /_{\cong}, \] where \({_X\mathcal Bun}_G\) is the class of principal \(G\)-bundles over \(X\). The author considers a uniform interpretation of characteristic classes. More precisely, if \(E\) is a principal \(G\)-bundle over a CW-complex \(X\), then the following three conditions are equivalent: \begin{itemize} \item There exists a \(G^{red}(c)\)-bundle \(\widehat E\) over \(X\) with \(\widehat E \otimes_{G^{red}(c)} G \cong E\). \item The characteristic class \(c\) of \(E\) is trivial; that is, \(c(E) =0\) in \(H^k (X;A)\). \item The homomorphism of topological groups \(\gamma : G^{cof} \rightarrow M^{k-1} A\) extends to a \(G^{cof}\)-equivariant map \(E^{cof} \rightarrow M^{k-1} A\). \end{itemize} The author defines the \textit{plus-cohomology group} of a principal \(G\)-bundle \(E\) over \(X\) as \[ H^k_+ (E;A) : = {{\mathcal Bun}_* (E^{cof}, M^k A)} /_{\simeq_+}, \] where \(\simeq_+\) is an equivalence relation, and then shows that for every \(G\)-bundle \(E\) over a connected countable CW-complex \(X\), there is a long exact sequence of abelian groups \[ \cdots \longrightarrow H^{k}(X;A) \longrightarrow H^{k}_+ (E;A) \longrightarrow H^{k+1}(BG;A) \longrightarrow^-{\chi_{k+1}}H^{k+1}(X;A) \longrightarrow\cdots, \] where \(\chi_{k+1}\) is the connecting map which is induced by the classifying map of \(E\).