Samelson products in \(p\)-regular exceptional Lie groups (Q471441)

For a homotopy associative \(H\)-space with inverse \(X\), the correspondence \(X\wedge X \rightarrow X, (x,y)\rightarrow xyx^{-1}y^{-1}\) induces a binary operation \[ \langle -,-\rangle : \pi_i (X) \otimes \pi_i (X) \rightarrow \pi_{i+j} (X) \] called the \textit{Samelson product} in \(X\). In this work the authors consider the basic Samelson products in \(p\)-regular Lie groups. Let \(G\) be a compact simply connected Lie group. By the Hopf theorem, \(G\) has the rational homotopy type of the product \(S^{2n_1 -1} \times \dots \times S^{2n_l -1}\) where \(n_1 \leq \dots \leq n_l\). The sequence \(n_1, \dots, n_l\) is called the type of \(G\) and is denoted by \(t(G)\). For example the exceptional Lie groups \(G_2,F_4, E_6,E_7,E_8\) have the following types \(t(G)\) \[ G_2: 2,6;\quad F_4: 2,6,8,12 \] and \[ E_6: 2,5,6,8,9,12;\quad E_7: 2,6,8,10,12,14,18; \quad E_8:2,8,12,14,18,20,24,30. \] We say that \(G\) is \textit{p-regular} if it has the \(p\)-local homotopy type of a product of spheres. By the classical result of Serre, it is known that \(G\) is \(p\)-regular if and only if \(p \geq n_l\), in which case \[ G_{(p)} \simeq {S_{(p)}}^{2n_1 -1} \times \dots \times {S_{(p)}}^{2n_l -1}. \] Suppose that \(G\) is \(p\)-regular, and let \(\epsilon_{2{n_i}-1}\) be the composite \[ S^{2n_i-1} \rightarrow {S_{(p)}}^{2n_1 -1} \times \dots \times {S_{(p)}}^{2n_l -1} \simeq G_{(p)}. \] The Samelson products \(\langle\epsilon_{2{n_i}-1}, \epsilon_{2 {n_j}-1}\rangle\) are fundamental in studying the homotopy (non)commutativity of \(G_{(p)}\). Bott computed the Samelson products in the classical groups \(U(n)\) and \(Sp(n)\). Then by combining with the information of the \(p\)-primary component of the homotopy groups of spheres, the (non)triviality of the Samelson products \(\langle\epsilon_{2{n_i}-1}, \epsilon_{2 {n_j}-1}\rangle\) is completely determined when \(G = SU(n), Sp(n), Spin(2n + 1)\), where \(Sp(n)_{(p)}\simeq Spin(2n + 1)_{(p)}\) as loop spaces since \(p\) is odd. For example, when \(G = SU(n)\) and \(p \geq n\), the type of \(G\) is given by \(2, \dots, n\) and \[ \langle\epsilon_{2{n_i}-1}, \epsilon_{2 {n_j}-1}\rangle \Leftrightarrow i+j > p. \] In the present paper the authors consider the exceptional Lie groups. They prove the following conjecture. Let \(G\) be a \(p\)-regular exceptional Lie group. For \(i, j \in t(G)\), there exists \(k \in t(G)\) satisfying \(i + j = k + p-1\) if and only if \(\langle\epsilon_{2{n_i}-1}, \epsilon_{2 {n_j}-1}\rangle\) is non-trivial. For the proof, they proceed as follows. First they reduce the nontriviality of the Samelson products \(\langle\epsilon_{2{n_i}-1}, \epsilon_{2 {n_j}-1}\rangle\) in the \(p\)-regular Lie group \(G\) to a certain condition on the Steenrod operation \(P^1\) on the mod \(p\) cohomology of the classifying space \(BG\). Then for a \(p\)-regular exceptional Lie group \(G\), they compute the mod \(p\) cohomology of \(BG\) as the ring of invariants of the Weyl group of \(G\). With this description of the mod \(p\) cohomology of \(BG\), they compute the action of Steenrod operation \(P^1\) on it. Last they prove the desired result about non-triviality of Samelson products.