The classifying space of the gauge group of an \(SO(3)\)-bundle over \(S^2\) (Q2764652)

Given a principal \(SO(3)\)-bundle \(P\) over the sphere \(S^2\), the authors exhibit a stable decomposition of the space \(B{\mathcal G}(P)_+\); i.e. the classifying space of the gauge group of \(P\), with a disjoint base point. Specifically, if \(P\) is non-trivial, they show that \(B{\mathcal G}(P)_+\) splits stably into a wedge whose summands are Thom spaces of the bundles \(H^{\oplus 2k}\), \(k\geq 0\). Here \(H\) is the canonical complex line bundle over \(BU(1)\). A similar result holds if \(P\) is trivial. Subsequently they use this decomposition to determine the integral cohomology ring of \(B{\mathcal G}(P)\). \noindent Analogous results are obtained for principal \(U(2)\)- or \(SO(4)\)-bundles over \(S^2\). Further results, obtainable with the same methods, are suggested for principal \(SU(2)\)-, \(SO(3)\times SO(3)\)- and \(\text{Spin}(4)\)-bundles over \(S^2\). To achieve such splittings, the authors rely on the method of \textit{R. L. Cohen} [Math. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 88, 149-151 (1980; Zbl 0453.55009)] to split the suspension spectrum of \(\Omega^nS^n X\).