Obstruction theory for normal Aleksandrov-Čech cohomologies and Hopf generalized classification theorems (Q2654111)

This paper studies systematic applications of Hopf theory to some geometric questions in homological dimension theory. The paper consists of two parts. The first part concerns homology partitions. Let \(\Phi^n\) be an \(n\)-dimensional compact space, and consider \(r\)-cycles (\(0\leq r\leq n-1\)) homologous to zero in \(\Phi^n\) but not to zero in some compact subset \(\Phi_0\) of \(\Phi^n\). A compact subset \(F\) of \(\Phi^n\setminus\Phi_0\) is said to partition such an \(r\)-cycle if it is not homologous to zero in \(\Phi^n\setminus F\). The second main theorem of homological dimension theory asserts that \(r\)-cycles can be partitioned by a compact subset of dimension \(\leq n-r-1\), and that there exists an \(r\)-cycle that cannot be partitioned by any compact subset of dimension \(< n-r-1\). The author gives a proof of the theorem which is based on Hopf theorems. Using the idea, he shows that any compact subset \(F\) of \(\Phi^n\) partitioning an \(r\)-cycle \(z^r\) can be approximated by compact subsets of dimension \(n-r-1\) partitioning \(z^r\) and that every compact subset \(F\) of \(\Phi^n\) partitioning \(z^r\) admits a compact subset \(F_0 \subseteq F\) irreducibly partitioning \(z^r\), i.e., no proper compact subset of \(F\) partitions \(z^r\). In the second part, the author develops the obstruction theory for Aleksandrov-Čech cohomologies based on normal open coverings, and extends the Hopf classification theorem to general spaces.