Counting the number of homotopy associative multiplications on certain \(H\)-spaces (Q340744)

The calculation of the number of homotopy (associative or commutative) multiplications on an \(H\)-space is a problem with a long history. \textit{I. M. James} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 84, 545--558 (1957; Zbl 0085.17202)] showed that there are \(12\) distinct multiplications on \(S^3\). \textit{M. Arkowitz} and \textit{C. R. Curjel} [Topology 2, 205--208 (1963; Zbl 0121.39804)] generalized this by showing that if \(X\) is an \(H\)-space with a homotopy associative multiplication, then there is a one-to-one correspondence between the number of homotopy multiplications on \(X\) and the homotopy classes of maps \([X \wedge X, X]\), where \(\wedge\) is the smash product. \textit{A. Zabrodsky} [Hopf spaces. York-Oxford: North-Holland Publishing Company (1976; Zbl 0339.55009)] showed that the same result holds for any \(H\)-space. \textit{J. R. Hubbuck} [Topology 8, 119--126 (1969; Zbl 0176.21301)] showed that if \(X\) is a finite \(H\)-space, then there are no multiplications which are both homotopy associative and homotopy commutative unless \(X\) is a torus, and the multiplication is unique. An \(H\)-space \(B\) is \textit{retractile} if there is a triple \((A,i,B)\) satisfying the following three conditions: (i) \(H_*(B) \cong \Lambda (\tilde H_*(A))\), where \(\Lambda(~)\) is the free exterior algebra functor, (ii) there is a map \(i : A \rightarrow B\) inducing the inclusion of the generating set in \(H_* (B)\), and (iii) \(\Sigma i\) has a left homotopy inverse. In this interesting paper, the authors give an upper bound on the number of homotopy associative multiplications for retractile \(H\)-spaces as follows: If \(B\) is a retractile \(H\)-space having a homotopy associative multiplication, then the number is homotopy associative multiplications on \(B\) is bounded above by the order of the group \([A \wedge B,B]\). They also give examples of \(p\)-local \(H\)-spaces with more than one homotopy multiplication but a unique homotopy associative multiplication.