The homotopy types of \(\mathrm{Sp}(2)\)-gauge groups over closed simply connected four-manifolds (Q2285410)

Let $G$ be a simple, simply connected compact Lie group and let $M$ be a closed simply connected $4$-manifold. Let $P_k\to M$ be a principal $G$-bundle classified by the second Chern number $k\in \mathbb{Z}$, and let $\mathcal{G}_k(M)$ be its gauge group. For integers $a$ and $b$, let $(a,b)$ denote the greatest common denominator. When $X$ and $Y$ are connected spaces, we write $X\simeq_0 Y$ if $X$ and $Y$ are rationally homotopy equivalent. In this paper, the authors study the homotopy type classification problem of gauge groups $\{\mathcal{G}_k(M)\}_{k\in \mathbb{Z}}$ for $G=Sp(2)$. In particular, when $M$ is Spin, they show that if there is a homotopy equivalence $\mathcal{G}_k(M)\simeq\mathcal{G}_l(M)$ then the equality $(40,k)=(40,l)$ holds. Conversely, when $M$ is Spin, they also show that there is a $p$-local homotopy equivalence $\mathcal{G}_k(M)\simeq_p\mathcal{G}_l(M)$ for any prime $p$ or $p=0$ if the equality $(40,k)=(40,l)$ holds. Next, they consider the case that $M$ is non-Spin, and they prove that if there is a homotopy equivalence $\mathcal{G}_k(M)\simeq\mathcal{G}_l(M)$ then the equality $(20,k)=(20,l)$ holds. Similarly, when $M$ is non-Spin, they show that there is a $p$-local homotopy equivalence $\mathcal{G}_k(M)\simeq_p\mathcal{G}_l(M)$ for any prime $p$ or $p=0$ if the equality $(20,k)=(20,l)$ holds. Their proof is based on the careful analysis of the evaluation fibration sequence \[ \mathcal{G}_k(M) \stackrel{}{\longrightarrow} G \stackrel{\partial_k}{\longrightarrow} \text{Map}_k^*(M,BG) \stackrel{}{\longrightarrow} B\mathcal{G}_k(M) \stackrel{ev}{\longrightarrow} BG \] and their previous results [\textit{T. So}, Glasg. Math. J. 61, No. 2, 349--371 (2019; Zbl 1429.55008); \textit{S. D. Theriault}, Algebr. Geom. Topol. 10, No. 1, 535--564 (2010; Zbl 1196.55009)] that there are homotopy equivalences \[ \mathcal{G}_k(M)\simeq \begin{cases} \mathcal{G}_k(S^4)\times \prod_{i=1}^d\Omega^2G & \text{ if }M\text{ is Spin}, \\ \mathcal{G}_k(\mathbb{C}\mathrm{P}^2)\times \prod_{i=1}^{d-1}\Omega^2G & \text{ if }M\text{ is non-Spin}. \end{cases} \]