The cohomology of exotic 2-local finite groups (Q2501122)

\textit{W. G. Dwyer} and \textit{C. W. Wilkerson} constructed in [J. Am. Math. Soc. 6, No. 1, 37--64 (1993; Zbl 0769.55007)] the mod 2 finite loop space DI(4), whose classifying space BDI(4) realizes the mod \(2\) Dickson algebra. \textit{D. J. Benson} [Lond. Math. Soc. Lect. Note Ser. 252, 10--23 (1998; Zbl 0928.55017)] noticed that one can use ``Adams operations'' \(\psi^q: \text{BDI}(4) \rightarrow \text{BDI}(4)\), for any odd prime power \(q\), to construct spaces BSol\((q)\) as certain homotopy pull-backs, just like finite Chevalley groups arise from compact Lie groups. These spaces are closely related to a 2-fusion pattern studied earlier by \textit{R. Solomon} [J. Algebra 28, 174--181 (1974; Zbl 0345.20018)], which does not correspond to any finite group. In fact work of \textit{R. Levi} and \textit{B. Oliver} [Geom. Topol. 6, 917--990 (2002; Zbl 1021.55010)] shows that it corresponds to a so-called exotic 2-local finite group, a notion they introduced in joint work with \textit{C. Broto} [J. Am. Math. Soc. 16, No. 4, 779--856 (2003; Zbl 1033.55010)]. In the present article the author computes the mod \(2\) cohomology, as an algebra over the Steenrod algebra, together with the action of the higher Bockstein operations. From the Eilenberg-Moore sequence for Benson's pull-back square, she infers that, as an \(H^*(\text{BDI}(4); \mathbb F_2)\)-module, \(H^*(\text{BSol}(q); \mathbb F_2)\) splits as \(H^*(\text{BDI}(4); \mathbb F_2) \otimes H^*(DI(4); \mathbb F_2)\), which had already been observed by Benson. A finer study shows then that the extension does not split in the category of algebras over the Steenrod algebra. The same techniques are then applied to the computation of the mod 2 cohomology of~\(G_2(q)\).