Dirac operators coupled to instantons on positive definite four-manifolds (Q2458871)

Let \(X\) be a simply connected closed oriented 4-manifold with positive definite intersection form and positive scalar curvature. Let \(P\) be a \(SU(r)\)-principal bundle with Chern class \(c_2(P)=-k<0\) where \(r\geq 2k\). We consider \(\mathcal{M}_k^r(X)\) the moduli space of equivalence classes of connections whose curvature is self-dual with respect to the Hodge \(*\) operator. As for \(r'>r\), the inclusion \(SU(r)\rightarrow SU(r')\) induces a map \(\mathcal{M}_k^r(X)\rightarrow \mathcal{M}_k^{r'}(X)\), one obtains by taking the direct limit \(\mathcal{M}_k^{\infty}(X)=\underrightarrow{\lim}\,\mathcal{M}_k^r(X)\). First of all, the author realises the homotopy equivalences \(\mathcal{M}_k^{\infty}(S^4)\simeq BU(k)\) and \(\mathcal{M}_k^{\infty}(\mathbb{CP}^2)\simeq BU(k)\times BU(k)\) by considering the inclusions of orbits of the \(SU(r)\) action (the homotopy equivalences were known to exist by the work of \textit{J. Bryan, M. Sanders} and \textit{F. Kirwan} [Topology 39, No. 2, 331--352 (2000; Zbl 0938.58009)]). A consequence of this result is that the Dirac operators \(D_{\pm}\) on \(\mathbb{CP}^2\) (with associated Chern classes the generators \(\pm 1 \in H^2(\mathbb{CP}^2)\)) satisfy \[ \mathrm{Ind}(D_{\pm})=k. \] Moreover the associated classifying maps \(f_{\pm}:\mathcal{M}_k^{\infty}(\mathbb{CP}^2)\rightarrow BU(k)\) give a homotopy equivalence \(\mathcal{M}_k^{\infty}(\mathbb{CP}^2)\rightarrow BU(k)\times BU(k)\). Now if \(X=X_q\) is homeomorphic to a product of \(q\) copies of \(\mathbb{CP}^2\), it is not true that for a general \(q\) there is a homotopy equivalence between \(\mathcal{M}_k^{\infty}(X)\) and \(\prod BU(k)\) [J. Reine Angew. Math. 589, 129--158 (2005; Zbl 1088.14004)]. On the other hand, the author shows that there is a homotopy equivalence \(\mathcal{M}_{\infty}^{\infty}(X)\rightarrow \prod BU\). This comes from the study of the orbit \(Orb([A_n])\) of a connection in \(A_n\in \mathcal{M}_{nq}^{r}(X_q)\) and the surjectivity of the maps \(Orb([A_n])\rightarrow \mathcal{M}_{nq}^{r}(X_q) \rightarrow \mathcal{M}_{\infty}^{\infty}(X_q) \rightarrow \prod BU\). Moreover, if \(X=X_q\) is diffeomorphic to a connected sum of \(q\) copies of \(\mathbb{CP}^2\), then for \(k=1,2\) one obtains a surjective map in cohomology for \(f:\mathcal{M}_k^{\infty}(X)\rightarrow\prod BU(k)\). This allows the author to give a description of the rings \(H^*(\mathcal{M}_k^{\infty}(X))\) for \(k=1,2\). A key ingredient of the proofs is to define for each triple \(k,r,q\) a suitable subspace \(\Sigma_{q,k,r} \subset \mathcal{M}_{k}^{r}(X_q)\) as a finite union of the \(SU(r)\)-orbits and compute explicitly the composition with \(f\) \[ \Sigma_{q,k,r} \rightarrow \mathcal{M}_{k}^{r}(X_q) \rightarrow \prod_0^q BU(k) \] The case \(X=S^4\) is treated using the results of M. Sanders, while the case \(X=\mathbb{CP}^2\) is studied using the monad description of self dual connections by \textit{N. P. Buchdahl} [J. Differ. Geom. 37, No.~3, 669--687 (1993; Zbl 0793.53025)] in order to show that \(\Sigma_{1,k,\infty} \hookrightarrow \mathcal{M}_{k}^{\infty}(\mathbb{CP}^2)\) is a homotopy equivalence. Finally let us consider the space \(\mathcal{A}(E)\) of smooth connections of \(E\) compatible with its hermitian structure, where \(E\rightarrow X_q\) is the complex vector bundle associated to \(P\). Let us denote \(\mathcal{G}\) the gauge group of \(E\). The evaluation map \(ev_{\infty}:\mathcal{G}\rightarrow SU(E_{| x})\) over a fiber at \(x\in X_q\) has a kernel \(\mathcal{G}_0\), the subgroup of the elements that are identity at \(x\). This gives a natural quotient \(\mathcal{B}_{k}^r(X_q)=\mathcal{A}(P)/\mathcal{G}_0\supset \mathcal{M}_{k}^r(X_q)\). Since the author shows that there is a surjective map in cohomology for the inclusion in the classifying space \(\mathcal{M}_{k}^{\infty}(X_q)\hookrightarrow \mathcal{B}_{k}^{\infty}(X_q)=\underrightarrow{\lim}\,\mathcal{B}_k^r(X_q)\) for \(q=1,2\), this leads naturally to the following interesting question. Does the inclusion \(\mathcal{M}_{k}^{\infty}(X_q)\hookrightarrow \mathcal{B}_{k}^{\infty}(X_q)\) induce a surjective map in cohomology for all \(q\)?