A \(\Gamma\)-structure on Lagrangian Grassmannians (Q484263)

The (unoriented) Lagrangian Grassmannian \(\mathcal{L}\) is the space of all Lagrangian subspaces of \(\mathbb R^{2n}\). It can be considered as the homogeneous space \(\mathcal{L}=\mathrm U(n)/\mathrm O(n)\). A closed, connected, orientable manifold \(M\) is said to have the structure of a \(\Gamma\)-manifold if there exists a map \(\Theta : M \times M \to M\) such that the maps \(x \to \Theta(x, y_0)\) and \(y \to \Theta(x_0, y)\) have non-zero mapping degree for all pairs \((x_0, y_0) \in M \times M\). The main result of this paper states that if \(n\) is odd, then \((\mathcal{L}, \Theta)\) together with some naturally defined smooth map \(\Theta : \mathcal{L} \times \mathcal{L} \to \mathcal{L}\) is a \(\Gamma\)-manifold. As a corollary it is reproved that for \(n\) odd the rational cohomology ring of \(\mathcal{L}\) is an exterior algebra with generators of odd degree.