Isotropy Groups of Homotopy Classes of Maps (Q4032440)

The independent work of \textit{C. Wilkerson} [Topology 15, 111-130 (1976; Zbl 0345.55011)] and \textit{D. Sullivan} [Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 47(1977), 269-331 (1978; Zbl 0374.57002)] produced the fact that, for a finite nilpotent complex \(X\) with rationalization \(X_ 0\), the group of homotopy classes of self-equivalences of \(X\), \(\text{aut}(X)\), is commensurable to an arithmetic subgroup of the algebraic group of homotopy classes of self-equivalences of \(X_ 0\), \(\text{aut}(X_ 0)\). One immediate consequence is the finite presentability of \(\text{aut}(X)\). Subsequently, \textit{H. Scheerer} [Manuscr. Math. 31, 413- 424 (1980; Zbl 0451.55006)] extended the Wilkerson-Sullivan results to various groups of fibre-homotopy equivalence classes. Given a finite nilpotent complex \(X\) and a finite type nilpotent complex \(Y\), there is an action (by precomposition) of \(\text{aut}(X)\) on the set of homotopy classes of maps \([X,Y]\). Of course there is a compatible action of \(\text{aut}(X_ 0)\) on \([X_ 0,Y_ 0]\). The purpose of this paper is to show that, given a class \([f]\in[X,Y]\), the isotropy group \(\text{aut}(X)_{[f]}\) of \([f]\) under the precomposition action is commensurable to an arithmetic subgroup of the \(\mathbb{Q}\)-algebraic isotropy group \(\text{aut}(X_ 0)_{[f_ 0]}\). The approach is via Sullivan minimal models. The main difficulty in obtaining the requisite \(\mathbb{Q}\)- algebraic group structure is in realizing a homotopical differential graded algebra isotropy group by actual automorphisms. This problem is overcome by judicious use of the minimal DGA extension of a DGA model of the map \(f\). This extension is also crucial to the arithmeticity result.