The order of the commutator on \(SU(3)\) and an application to gauge groups (Q2376837)

Let \(G\) be a compact connected Lie group and \(c:G\wedge G\to G\) its commutator map. For a fixed homotopy class \([f]\in [\Sigma Y,BG]\) and an integer \(k\in \mathbb Z\), let \(P_k\) denote the principal \(G\)-bundle over \(\Sigma Y\) with the classified map \(kf\in [\Sigma Y,BG]\), and let \({\mathcal G}(P_k)\) be its gauge group. It is known that the order of \(c\) is finite, and that the number of distinct homotopy types of \(\{{\mathcal G}(P_k)\}_{k\in \mathbb Z}\) is finite. In this paper, the authors consider the order \(o(c)\) of the commutator map \(c\), and they investigate an upper bound for the number of distinct \(p\)-local homotopy types of \(\{{\mathcal G}(P_k)\}_{k\in \mathbb Z}\). In particular, they prove that \(o(c)=120\) for \(G=SU(3)\), and they show that the number of distinct \(p\)-local homotopy types of the gauge groups \(\{{\mathcal G}(P_k)\}_{k\in \mathbb Z}\) is at most \(\nu (m) +1\), where \(m=o(c)\) and \(\nu_p(m)\) denotes the largest integer \(r\) such that \(p^r\) divides \(m\) but \(p^{r+1}\)does not divide \(m\). The order of \(o(c)\) for \(G=SU(3)\) is obtained by using the results due to \textit{H. Hamanaka} and \textit{A. Kono} [Proc. R. Soc. Edinb., Sect. A, Math. 136, No. 1, 149--155 (2006; Zbl 1103.55004)] and \textit{M. Mimura} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 146, 473--492 (1969; Zbl 0198.56204)] with some computations of homotopy groups of complexes with few cells. Their second result is proved by using a general criterion obtained by the second author [Kyoto J. Math. 50, No. 3, 591--605 (2010; Zbl 1202.55004)].