Continuous rational maps into the unit 2-sphere (Q2447689)

The paper deals with the subtle problem of approximating continuous maps \(h:X\to\mathbb{S}^p\) with continuous rational maps (in the compact open topology), where \(X\) is a nonsingular compact algebraic set and \[ \mathbb{S}^p=\{(u_1,\ldots,u_{p+1})\in \mathbb{R}^{p+1}:u_1^2+\cdots +u^2_{p+1}=1\} \] -- \(p\)-dimensional unit sphere. More precisely, denote by \(A^p(X;\mathbb{Z})\) the subgroup of the cohomology group \(H^p(X;\mathbb{Z})\) generated by all adapted cohomology classes. A cohomology class \(u\) in \(H^p(X;\mathbb{Z})\) is said to be {adapted} if there exists an algebraic codimension \(p\) subset \(V\) of \(X\) such that \(Z:=\){\;\textrm Reg\,}\((V)\) is a compact smooth submanifold of \(X\) with trivial normal bundle and \(u\) is equal to the image of the Thom class of \(Z\) in the group \(H^p(X,X\setminus Z;\mathbb{Z})\) by the restriction homomorphism \(H^p(X,X\setminus Z;\mathbb{Z})\to H^p(X;\mathbb{Z})\) induced by the inclusion map \(X\hookrightarrow(X,X\setminus Z)\). The main results of this paper are Theorems 1.2 and 1.4. Theorem 1.2 says: If \(h:X\to \mathbb{S}^2\) is a continuous map such that the cohomology class \(h^*(\sigma_2)\) is in \(A^2(X;Z)\), then \(h\) can be approximated by continuous rational maps, where \(\sigma_2\) is the generator of the cohomology group \(H^2(\mathbb{S}^2;\mathbb{Z})\). This theorem is of particular interest in view of the open problem whether or not for a continuous rational map \(f:X\to \mathbb{S}^p\), the cohomology class \(f^*(\sigma_p)\) is in \(A^p(X;\mathbb{Z})\). Theorem 1.4 is similar to Theorem 1.2. Under additional assumption on \(H^2(X,\mathbb{Z})\), the author uses \(A^2(X,\mathbb{Z}/2)\) instead of \(A^2(X,\mathbb{Z})\).