Quaternionic structures (Q616929)

In [Manuscr. Math. 127, No.~2, 167--186 (2008; Zbl 1157.55011)], the present authors gave a uniform approach to obstruction-theoretic problems on \(8\)-manifolds, namely the problem of reducing the structure group of \(8\)-vector bundles and the problem of obtaining necessary and sufficient cohomological criteria for the existence of complex and quaternionic structures in such bundles. In this paper, the authors consider real and complex vector bundles which are modules over bundles of quaternion algebras. The above mentioned paper inspired them to examine necessary and sufficient conditions for an \(8\)-dimensional real vector bundle over an \(8\)-manifold to have an almost quaternionic structure, which means that its structure group admits a reduction to \(\text{Sp}(1)\times_{\mathbb Z_2}\text{Sp}(2)\). They present some facts concerning bundles of quaternion algebras and \(K\)-theory of their modules. Also, the authors establish not only these facts and their generalizations, but they make a systematic study of algebraic and topological properties of modules over quaternion bundles. Following classical ring theory the authors study Morita equivalence of bundles of quaternion algebras. For a given bundle of quaternion algebras they compute the Grothendieck group of left modules as a classical \(KO\)-group. For modules over a bundle of quaternion algebras they define characteristic classes and find relations between them and the Chern classes for complex vector bundles. Those complex vector bundles which are bundles over quaternion algebras are also characterized. Finally, the authors examine bundles of complexified quaternion algebras and their Morita equivalence.