Spin\(^h\) manifolds (Q6042946)

In this survey article on quaternionic spin geometry, all basic concepts are introduced and some results are discussed. Firstly, the \(n\)-dimensional Spin\(^h\) group is defined as \(\mathrm{Spin}^h(n):=\mathrm{Spin}(n)\times_{\mathbb{Z}_2}\mathrm{Sp}(1)\). A Spin\(^h\) manifold is an oriented Riemannian manifold \(X\) of dimension \(n\), together with a \(\mathrm{Spin}^h(n)\) bundle \(P_{\mathrm{Spin}^h}\to X\), an oriented Riemannian rank \(3\) vector bundle \(E\to X\), and a bundle map \(P_{\mathrm{Spin}^h} \to P_{\mathrm{SO}(n)}(X)\times_X P_{\mathrm{SO}(3)}(E)\), which is equivariant with respect to the canonical surjection \(\mathrm{Spin}^h(n)\to\mathrm{SO}(n)\times \mathrm{SO}(3)\). A Spin\(^h\) structure on \(X\) with canonical bundle \(E\) exists if and only if \(w_2(X)+w_2(E)=0\). Examples include Spin\(^c\) manifolds and almost quaternionic manifolds. Direct analogues in the Spin\(^h\) setting of concepts from spin geometry like spinor bundles and Dirac operators are discussed. The paper proceeds to give an overview of work by \textit{M. Albanese} and \textit{A. Milivojević} [J. Geom. Phys. 164, Article ID 104174, 13 p. (2021; Zbl 1464.53063)], who studied the existence of Spin\(^h\) structures. For example they proved that every compact oriented manifold of dimension \(\leq 7\) admits a Spin\(^h\) structure, while in dimension \(\geq 8\) there are infinitely many homotopy types of compact simply connected manifolds not admitting a Spin\(^h\) structure. Lastly, the work by \textit{J. Hu} [Invariants of real vector bundles. Stony Brook University (Ph.D. Thesis) (2023)] is discussed. Using Spin\(^h\) manifolds Hu constructed invariants for real vector bundles which completely determine the \(\mathrm{KO}\)-class of the bundle. \(\mathrm{KO}\)-classes can be determined by ``integration'' over cycles in \(\mathrm{KSp}\), the Anderson dual theory to \(\mathrm{KO}\). Quaternionic K-theory is in turn connected to Spin\(^h\) manifolds via an orientation map \(\mathrm{MSpin}^h \to \mathrm{KSp}\). Hu's invariants are then given by the \(\mathrm{KSp}\)-valued indices of twisted Dirac operators over Spin\(^h\) manifolds.