Homotopy representations of \(\mathrm{SO}(7)\) and \(\mathrm{Spin}(7)\) at the prime 2 (Q2477652)

The author classifies homotopy representations of the compact Lie groups \(\mathrm{SO}(7)\) and \(\mathrm{Spin}(7)\) at the prime \(2\). Let \(L\) be a compact Lie group, \(T\) a maximal torus of \(L\) and \(N_p(T)\) a \(p\)-normalizer of \(T\). Following [\textit{S. Jackowski, J. E. McClure, B. Oliver}, Ann. Math. (2) 135, No.~1, 183--226 (1992; Zbl 0758.55004); part II ibid. No.~2, 227--270 (1992; Zbl 0771.55003)], a map \(f \colon BN_p(T) \to BU(n)^{\wedge}_{p}\) is said to be \(\mathcal{R}_p(L)\)-invariant if \(f_{\mid BP} \simeq f_{\mid BQ} \circ B\alpha\) for all \(p\)-stubborn subgroups \(P,Q \subseteq N_p(T)\) and \(\alpha \colon P \to Q\) induced by conjugation in \(L\). The author shows that when \(L = \mathrm{SO}(7)\) or \(\mathrm{Spin}(7)\) then a map \(f \colon BN_2(T) \to BU(n)^{\wedge}_{2}\) extends to a map \(f \colon BL \to BU(n)^{\wedge}_{2}\) if and only if \(f\) is \(\mathcal{R}_2(L)\)-invariant. The proof makes use of the subgroup decomposition of Jackowski-McClure-Oliver [op. cit.] and an obstruction theory for extending maps into homotopy colimits [\textit{Z. Wotjkowiak}, Algebraic topology, Proc. Symp., Barcelona/Spain 1986, Lect. Notes Math. 1298, 227--236 (1987; Zbl 0641.55014)]. The technical details are considerable.