Self-closeness numbers of non-simply-connected spaces (Q6071782)

For a pointed connected CW complex $X$, let $[X,X]$ denote the monoid consisting of all pointed homotopy classes of self-maps $f:X\to X$ whose multiplication is induced from the composition of maps. Let $\mathcal{E}(X)\subset [X,X]$ denote the group of self-homotopy equivalences of $X$. For each integer $n\geq 0$, let $\mathcal{A}^n_{\#}(X)\subset [X,X]$ denote the subset consisting of all $f\in [X,X]$ inducing isomorphisms on the homotopy groups $\pi_k(\#)$ for any $k\leq n$. Note that $\mathcal{A}^n_{\#}(X)$ is a monoid such that there is the following filtration of submonoids \[ \mathcal{A}^1_{\#}(X)\supset\mathcal{A}^2_{\#}(X)\supset\cdots\supset \mathcal{A}^n_{\#}(X)\supset\mathcal{A}^{n+1}_{\#}(X)\supset\cdots\supset \mathcal{A}^{\infty}_{\#}(X)=\mathcal{E}(X). \] Recall that $\mathcal{A}^n_{\#}(X)=\mathcal{E}(X)$ if $\dim X=n$. Then the self-closeness number $\mathrm{N}\mathcal{E}(X)$ is defined as $\mathrm{N}\mathcal{E}(X)=\min\{n:\mathcal{A}^n_{\#}(X)=\mathcal{E}(X)\}. $ Recall that a simply connected space $X$ is called an $\mathrm{H}_0$-space if its rationalization is an $\mbox{H}$-space. For a graded algebra $A$, let $\mbox{d}(A)$ denote the maximal degree of generators of $A$. Note that the cohomological dimension of $X$ is the number defined by \[ \mbox{cd}(X)=\sup\{n:H^n(X,M)\not= 0\mbox{ for some }\pi_1(X)\text{-module } M\}. \] In this paper, the author studies the self-closeness number $\mathrm{N}\mathcal{E}(X)$ when $X$ is a non-simply connected CW complex. In particular, he proves the following two results: Theorem. Let $X$ be a finite non-simply connected complex, let $\tilde{X}$ denote its universal cover, and assume that $\pi_1(X)$ acts trivially on $H^*(\tilde{X};\mathbb{Q}).$ \begin{itemize} \item[1.] If $\tilde{X}$ is a finite $\mathrm{H}_0$-space and $\mathrm{d}(H^*(\tilde{X};\mathbb{Z}))=\mathrm{d}(H^*(\tilde{X};\mathbb{Q}))$, $\mathrm{N}\mathcal{E}(X)=\mathrm{N}\mathcal{E}(\tilde{X})=\mathrm{d}(H^*(\tilde{X};\mathbb{Q})).$ \item[2.] If $\tilde{X}$ is a finite co-$\mathrm{H}_0$-space and $\mathrm{cd}(X)=\mathrm{d}(H^*(\tilde{X};\mathbb{Q}))$, $\mathrm{N}\mathcal{E}(X)=\mathrm{N}\mathcal{E}(\tilde{X})=\mathrm{d}(H^*(\tilde{X};\mathbb{Q})).$ \end{itemize} As an application, he computes the self closeness number $\mathrm{N}\mathcal{E}(X)$ for several interesting cases. For example, he computes it for \begin{align*} X&=\mbox{the topological spherical space for of dimension }2n-1, \\ X&=(S^{2m+1}\times S^n)/H,\mbox{ or }X=K/G, \end{align*} where $H$ is the symmetric group $\Sigma_3$ for order $3$ or $D_{2q}$ (the dihedral group), $K$ is a compact simply connected Lie group with no-torsion in homology, and $G$ is a finite subgroup of $G$.