An explicit \(L_\infty\) structure for the components of mapping spaces (Q409507)

Let \(f: X\rightarrow Y\) be a map of topological spaces. Let \(\mathrm{map}_f^*(X, Y)\) be the path component of the space of pointed continuous maps from \(X\) to \(Y\) containing \(f\). Let \(\gamma: L \rightarrow L'\) be a DGL model for \(f\). The author describes an explicit \(L_\infty\)-algebra structure on the complex \(\mathcal{D}er_\gamma(L, L')\) of \(\gamma\)-derivations from \(L\) and \(L'\). The main theorem says that under some hypotheses on \(X\), \(Y\) and \(\gamma\), \(\mathcal{D}er_\gamma(L, L')\) is an \(L_\infty\) model for \(\mathrm{map}_f^*(X, Y)\). As an application, a formula is given for estimating the rational Whitehead length of \(\mathrm{map}_f^*(X, Y)\).