On H-spaces which are the homotopy fibres of self-maps of spheres (Q2640937)

Denoting the homotopy fibre of the self map of \(S^{2n+1}\) of degree \(p^ j\) by \(S^{2n+1}\{p^ j\}\) where p is odd, \(\tilde H_ k(S^{2n+1}\{p^ j\},{\mathbb{Z}})\cong {\mathbb{Z}}/p^ j{\mathbb{Z}}\) if \(k\equiv 0 mod 2n\), \(k>0\) and is zero otherwise. The authors show that any 1- connected H-space with this homology has a mod p homology ring which is a tensor product of a symmetric and an exterior algebra on single generators. Further, if the H-space is a loop space, the mod p cohomology ring of the classifying space has a similar algebraic structure, n divides p-1 and there is a weak homotopy equivalence with \(S^{2n+1}\{p^ j\}\). The proofs use classical techniques and give a major simplification of earlier work of H. Cejten and S. Kleinerman.