No label defined (Q4787526)

The aim of this beautiful book is to study the homotopy classes of maps between simply connected closed topological \(4\)-manifolds. A celebrated result of Freedman says that each simply connected Poincaré \(4\)-complex \(X\) is homotopy equivalent to such a manifold. Here \(X\) is a CW-complex of the form \[ X = \mathbb S^2 \lor \cdots \lor \mathbb S^2 \cup_g e^4 \] obtained by attaching a \(4\)-cell to a one-point union of \(2\)-spheres. The attaching map \(g\) is given by a unimodular form on the free abelian group \(A = H_2(X)\). The complex \(X\) is called a \((2, 4)\)-Poincaré complex and the homotopy category consisting of \((2, 4)\)-Poincaré complexes and homotopy classes of maps is denoted by \(\mathbf P(2, 4)\). Then \(\mathbf P(2, 4)\) is equivalent to the homotopy category of simply connected closed \(4\)-manifolds. In general, attaching more than one \(4\)-cell yields the homotopy category \(\mathbf{CW}(2, 4)\) of \((2, 4)\)-complexes. There are natural inclusions of categories \[ \mathbf P(2, 4) \subset \mathbf{CW}(2, 4) \subset \mathbf{Top}^{*}/ \simeq \] where \(\mathbf{Top}^{*}/\simeq\) is the homotopy category of pointed topological spaces. Chapter 1 is devoted to show that \(\mathbf{CW}(2, 4)\) is part of a linear extension of categories \[ D @> + >> \mathbf{CW}(2, 4) @> H_{*} >> \mathbf H(2, 4) \] where \(H_{*}\) is the homology functor. It carries a \((2, 4)\)-complex \(X\) to the homotopy class \(g = b_X\) of the attaching map \(g\) of \(X\), that is, \[ H_{*}(X) : = \{ b_X : H_4(X) \to \Gamma(H_2(X))\} \] is given by the Whitehead exact sequence (here \(\Gamma\) denotes the quadratic functor defined on the category of abelian groups). The naturality of the Whitehead sequence shows that \(H_{*}\) is a well-defined functor. The restriction of \(H_{*}\) to \((2, 4)\)-Poincaré complexes yields the functor \[ H_{*} : \mathbf P(2, 4) \to \mathbf{UF} \] where \(\mathbf{UF}\) is the full subcategory of unimodular forms in \(\mathbf H(2, 4)\). The objects of \(\mathbf{UF}\) are homomorphisms \(g : B = \mathbb Z \to \Gamma(A)\) for which \(g(1)\) is unimodular. A morphism \((\xi, \eta) : f \to g\) in \(\mathbf{UF}\) yields an integer \(\xi \in \mathbb Z\) which is called the degree. Subsequently, the author introduces and studies an algebraic category \(\mathbf T\) together with a natural equivalence relation \(\simeq\) such that the quotient category \(\mathbf T/\simeq\) admits an equivalence of categories \[ \mathbf T/\simeq = \mathbf{CW}(2, 4) \] which is also an equivalence of linear extensions (see Chapter 5 for the proofs). The algebraic model \(\mathbf T/\simeq\) of the category \(\mathbf{CW}(2, 4)\) relies on the construction of certain quadratic refinements of the Whitehead quadratic functor \(\Gamma\). The construction of \(\mathbf T/\simeq\) arises from algebraic models of certain track categories treated in Chapters 3, 4, and 5. The linear extension of categories \[ D @> + >> \mathbf{P}(2, 4) @> H_{*} >> \mathbf{UF} \] represents a cohomology class \[ \{ \mathbf P(2, 4)\} \in H^2(\mathbf{UF}, D) \] which determines the extension, up to equivalence. The author proves that the cohomology class \(\{\mathbf P(2, 4)\}\) is a nontrivial element. This implies that there is no functor \(s : \mathbf{UF} \to \mathbf P(2, 4)\) which splits the homology functor \(H_{*} : \mathbf P(2, 4) \to \mathbf{UF}\). This result is very interesting!, expecially in connection with the properties of the group of homotopy equivalences of \(X\) in \(\mathbf P(2, 4)\). In fact, there is an extension of groups \[ D(1, 1) \longrightarrow \Aut(X) @> H_{*} >> \Aut(g) \] where \(H_{*}\) is the homology, and \(\Aut(g)\) is the group of automorphisms of the form \(g\) of \(X\) in \(\mathbf{UF}\). The cohomology class \[ \{ \Aut(X)\} \in H^2(\Aut(g), D(1, 1)) \] is trivial for all \(X\) in \(\mathbf P(2, 4)\), hence, in this case, there is a group homomorphism from \(\Aut(g)\) to \(\Aut(X)\) which splits the homomorphism \(H_{*} : \Aut(X)\to\Aut(g)\) (see Chapter 2 for details). The author computes also the subextension \[ D\longrightarrow \mathbf{P}(2, 4)_0 @> H_{*} >> \mathbf{UF}_0 \] consisting of morphisms with nontrivial degree, and determines explicitly the cohomology class \(\{ \mathbf P(2, 4)_0 \}\). It turns out that this class is a nontrivial element of order \(2\). As an application, this yields the computation of the group \(\Aut(X)\) originally obtained by Cochran and Habegger (see Chapter 2). Further computations for the Lie part \(\mathbf L(2, 4)_0\), the stable part \(\mathbf S(2, 4)_0\) and the odd part \(\mathbf S(\text{odd})\) of \(\mathbf P(2, 4)_0\) complete the book. Let \(\mathbf{nil}\) be the subcategory of groups consisting of groups \(F/\Gamma_3 F\), where \(F\) is a finitely generated free group and \(\Gamma_3 F\) is the subgroup of triple commutators. Then it is shown that \(\mathbf L(2, 4)_0\) is algebraically derived from the category \(\mathbf {nil}\). Chapters 6 and 7 deal with crossed chain complexes and quadratic chain complexes, respectively, and algebraic models of tracks. These algebraic tools permit to obtain the algebraic model of the homotopy category \(\mathbf {CW}(2, 4)\). The author is one of the major expert in constructing algebraic model categories of homotopy theory, and he has written a lot of interesting and useful monographs on the topic (some of them are listed below; for more references see the bibliography of the book under review). Recall that some explicit computations can also be found in the current literature, essential for rational homotopy theory. However, there are only few examples of computations for homotopy categories over the integers. The author's results obtained for \(\mathbf P(2, 4)_0\) and \(\mathbf {CW}(2, 4)\) fill a gap in this direction. The book is written in a very precise and readable style. It looks like a self-contained and fundamental work on the algebraic characterization of the homotopy category of simply connected Poincaré \(4\)-spaces and \(4\)-manifolds. I suggest reading the book, along with the other fine monographs written by the author on related topics (see below). Finally, this book is heartily recommended to anyone interested in studying homotopy theories from a categorial point of view. Ref no. 1: \textit{H. J. Baues}, Algebraic Homotopy; Cambridge Studies in Advanced Math. 15, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge (1989; Zbl 0688.55001); Ref no. 2: \textit{H. J. Baues}, Commutator Calculus and Groups of Homotopy Classes; London Math. Soc. Lecture Notes 50, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge (1981; Zbl 0473.55001); Ref no. 3: \textit{H. J. Baues}, Combinatorial Homotopy and \(4\)-Dimensional Complexes; DeGruyter Verlag, Berlin (1991; Zbl 0716.55001); Ref no. 4: \textit{H. J. Baues}, Homotopy Type and Homology; Oxford Math. Monograph, Oxford Univ. Press (1996; Zbl 0857.55001).