Rational obstruction theory and rational homotopy sets (Q5926366)

Using methods from rational homotopy theory the authors describe the set of homotopy classes of maps between rational spaces. They develop an obstruction theory for homotopy of homomorphisms \(f,g: M\to N\) between minimal differential graded algebras. Because of the categorical equivalence these results translate into corresponding results about homotopy classes of maps of rational spaces. They give a simple proof that there are no non-trivial phantom maps between minimal algebras. This paper also includes results on a conjecture of Copeland-Shar, that the homotopy set \([M,N]\) for minimal algebras \(M\) and \(N\) is either trivial or infinite. Examples of minimal algebras that have few self-maps, including an elliptic minimal algebra with trivial group of homotopy classes of self-equivalences and an example of a non-trivial rational space with trivial group of self-equivalences are given. The final question of the paper is: which finite groups can be realized as the groups of self-homotopy equivalences of a rational space?