The homotopy types of \(\mathrm{PU}(3)\)- and \(\mathrm{PSp}(2)\)-gauge groups (Q2630683)

Let \(G\) be a compact connected simple Lie group and let \(\mathcal G_k (G)\) be the gauge group of the principal \(G\)-bundle over \(S^4\) classified by \(k\in\mathbb Z\cong\pi_3(G)\). Let \((m,n)\) be the GCD of the integers \(m\) and \(n\), and let \(\simeq_{(p)}\) denote \(p\)-local homotopy equivalence. There are some classification results on the gauge group \(\mathcal G_k (G)\) proved by \textit{A. Kono} [Proc. R. Soc. Edinb., Sect. A, Math. 117, No. 3--4, 295--297 (1991; Zbl 0722.55008)], \textit{H. Hamanaka} and \textit{A. Kono} [ibid. 136, No. 1, 149--155 (2006; Zbl 1103.55004)], \textit{S. D. Theriault} [Kyoto J. Math. 50, No. 3, 591--605 (2010; Zbl 1202.55004)], and by \textit{Y. Kamiyama} et al. [Glasg. Math. J. 49, No. 2, 405--409 (2007; Zbl 1131.55008)] saying that \(\mathcal G_k (\mathrm{SU}(2)) \simeq \mathcal G_l (\mathrm{SU}(2))\) if and only if \((12,k) = (12,l)\); \(\mathcal G_k (\mathrm{SU}(3)) \simeq \mathcal G_l (\mathrm{SU}(3))\) if and only if \((24,k) = (24,l)\); \(\mathcal G_k (\mathrm{Sp}(2)) \simeq_{(p)} \mathcal G_l (\mathrm{Sp}(2))\) for any prime \(p\) if and only if \((40,k) = (40,l)\); and \(\mathcal G_k (\mathrm{SO}(3)) \simeq \mathcal G_l (\mathrm{SO}(3))\) if and only if \((12,k) = (12,l)\), respectively. In the present paper, the authors show that \(\mathcal G_k (\mathrm{PU}(3)) \simeq \mathcal G_l (\mathrm{PU}(3))\) if and only if \((24,k) = (24,l)\), and \(\mathcal G_k (\mathrm{PSp}(2)) \simeq_{(p)} \mathcal G_l (\mathrm{PSp}(2))\) for any prime \(p\) if and only if \((40,k) = (40,l)\).