Rational cohomologies of classifying spaces for homogeneous spaces of small rank (Q508917)

In rational homotopy theory, a simply connected CW-complex \(X\) is said to be (rationally) elliptic if \(\pi_*(X)\otimes\mathbb{Q}\) and \(H^*(X;\mathbb{Q})\) are both finite dimensional. Such a space is called an \(F_0\)-space if moreover \(\dim \pi_{\text{even}}(X)\otimes \mathbb{Q} = \dim \pi_{\text{odd}}(X)\otimes \mathbb{Q}\). The \( F_0 \)-spaces have pure minimal Sullivan models and are well known through the famous Halperin conjecture [\textit{S. Halperin}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 230, 173--199 (1977; Zbl 0364.55014)] which states that the Serre spectral sequences of all fibrations \(X\rightarrow E\rightarrow B\) of simply-connected CW complexes degenerate at the \(E_2\) term for any \(F_0\)-space \(X\). Recall that a fibration \(X\rightarrow E\rightarrow B\) degenerates at the \(E_2\)-term if and only if the induced map \(H^*(E;\mathbb{Q}) \rightarrow H^*(X; \mathbb{Q})\) is onto. Such a fibration is said to be totally non-cohomologous to zero (TNCZ for short). Now, let aut\(_1X\) be the space of the identity component of self-homotopy equivalences of a space \(X\) and denote by \(\mathrm{Baut}_1(X)\) its Dold-Lashof classifying space. An equivalent version to the Halperin conjecture established in [\textit{W. Meier}, Math. Ann. 258, 329--340 (1982; Zbl 0466.55012)] states that when \(X\) is an \(F_0\)-space, the rational cohomology algebra \(H^*(\mathrm{Baut}_1X; \mathbb{Q})\) is a finitely generated polynomial algebra. Based on some examples of fibrations \(X\rightarrow E\rightarrow B\) exhibiting different behaviors of the TNCZ property even if \(H^*(\mathrm{Baut}_1X; \mathbb{Q})\) is a polynomial algebra, the authors propose the following: \newline \textbf{Question} If the Serre spectral sequence of any fibration with a rationally elliptic fibre \(X\) degenerates at the \(E_2\) term, then is \(H^*(\mathrm{Baut}_1X; \mathbb{Q})\) a polynomial algebra? In particular, does this hold when \(X\) is pure?. The first main result (Theorem 1.3) gives an affirmative answer for fibrations on a sphere \(\mathbb{S}^n\) and fiber a pure space \(X\) (said of type \((2,3)\)) satisfying \(\dim \pi_{\text{even}}(X)\otimes \mathbb{Q} = 2\) and \(\dim \pi_{\text{odd}}(X)\otimes \mathbb{Q} = 3\). Indeed, the authors make use of their result in [\textit{H. Nishinobu} and \textit{T. Yamaguchi}, Topol. Appl. 196, 290--307 (2015; Zbl 1329.55011)] where the only cases in which \(H^*(\mathrm{Baut}_1(X);\mathbb{Q})\) is not a polynomial algebra are exhibited. By assuming separately one of them, they construct non TNCZ fibrations \(X{\rightarrow} E\rightarrow \mathbb{S}^n\). In [\textit{S. B. Smith}, Contemp. Math. 274, 299--307 (2001; Zbl 0983.55009)], it is shown that for a pure formal space \(X\) of type \((2,3)\), \(H^*(\mathrm{Baut}_1(X); \mathbb{Q})\) is not necessarily a polynomial algebra. In their second main result (Theorem 1.6), the authors use minimal Sullivan models as a major tool to construct examples showing that this still holds for non-formal homogeneous spaces of type \((2,3)\).