Invariants of boundary link cobordism (Q4432912)

A {link} is a collection of \(n\)-dimensional spheres \(S^n\) disjointly embedded in \(S^{n+2}\). A {boundary} link is one whose components are the boundaries of disjoint \((n+1)\)-dimensional submanifolds of \(S^{n+2}\). This monograph concerns the classification of \(F_\mu\)-links, a refinement of the notion of a \(\mu\)-component boundary link, for \(n\geq 2\). The cobordism group of such links is denoted \(C_n(F_\mu)\). The first main result (Theorem A) gives an expression for \(C_{2q-1}(F_\mu)\) as a direct sum of free abelian groups and torsion groups \(\mathbb Z/2\), \(\mathbb Z/4\) and \(\mathbb Z/8\) (countably many summands of each), for \(\mu \geq 2\) and \(2q-1>1\). This is a generalization of the result of Levine for \(\mu=1\). The second main result (Theorem B, p. 26) gives a list of explicit invariants which decide when two \(2q-1\)-dimensional \(\mu\)-component links are cobordant. The proofs of these theorems are algebraic, and the starting point is the description of the link cobordism groups \(C_{2q-1}(F_\mu)\) by \textit{K. H. Ko} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 299, 657--681 (1987; Zbl 0626.57013)] and \textit{W. Mio} [Math. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 101, 259--266 (1987; Zbl 0632.57015)] in terms of a Witt group of Seifert forms. These groups are analysed by means of a localisation sequence, from which invariants in the Witt groups of finite dimensional division algebras (over \(\mathbb Q\)) are obtained. This is the source of the explicit invariants used in Theorem B, such as signatures and Hasse-Witt invariants. In order to carry out the details, the author explains and uses a lot of interesting material concerning representation varieties, quivers, real algebraic sets, hermitian Morita theory, orderings and signatures.