On the deleted squares of lens spaces (Q2630446)

Let \(F_n(M)\) denote the configuration space of ordered distinct \(n\)-points in \(M\) and call it a deleted square of \(M\) when \(n=2\). Until a few years ago it was conjectured that there is a homotopy equivalence \(F_n(M)\simeq F_n(M')\) if two manifolds \(M\) and \(M'\) are homotopy equivalent. However, in 2005 Longoni and Salvatore proved that two configuration spaces \(F_2(L(7,1))\) and \(F_2(L(7,2))\) are not homotopy equivalent by using the computations of Massey products although these two lens spaces \(L(7,1)\) and \(L(7,2)\) are homotopy equivalent. They also asked whether two arbitrary 3 dimensional lens spaces \(M\) and \(N\) must be homeomorphic in order for \(F_2(M)\) and \(F_2(N)\) to be homotopy equivalent. In this paper, the authors study this question and they give a partial positive answer. More precisely, they prove that two configuration spaces \(F_2(L(p,q))\) and \(F_2(L(p,q'))\) are homotopy equivalent iff the two lens spaces \(L(p,q)\) and \(L(p,q')\) are homeomorphic if \(p\) is a prime number such that \(p\leq 23\). Their proof is based on the analysis of Cheeger-Simon flat differential characters.