Extremal stability for configuration spaces (Q6169565)

Let \(M\) be a manifold of dimension \(d \geq 2\). Classical work of \textit{D. McDuff} [Topology 14, 91--107 (1975; Zbl 0296.57001)], \textit{G. Segal} [Acta Math. 143, 39--72 (1979; Zbl 0427.55006)], and \textit{T. Church} [Invent. Math. 188, No. 2, 465--504 (2012; Zbl 1244.55012)] establishes rational homological stability for the unordered configuration spaces \(B_n(M)\). If \(d\) is even, then their results can be interpreted as saying that there exists a polynomial in \(n\) of degree at most \(\dim(H_0(M;\mathbb{Q}))-1\), which coincides with the \(i\)-th rational Betti number of \(B_n(M)\) for \(n\) large enough. In particular, this is a pattern in (constant) low homological dimension \(i\). If \(d\) is odd, then work of \textit{C. F. Bödigheimer} et al. [Topology 28, No. 1, 111--123 (1989; Zbl 0689.55012)] gives a closed form expression for the rational homology. Focussing therefore on the case \(d\) even, the authors prove \textit{extremal stability}, a new phenomenon occurring in (constant) low homological \textit{codimension}. Precisely, letting \(v_n = n(d-1)+|\pi_0(M)|\), they show that for each \(i\) there are two polynomials in \(n\), each of degree at most \(H_{d-1}(M;\mathbb{Q}^{w})-1\), such that for \(n\) large, the dimension of \(H_{v_n-i}(B_n(M;\mathbb{Q}))\) coincides with the first polynomial if \(n\) is even and the second if \(n\) is odd. The example of the surface of genus 2 shows that their degree bound is sharp. The case \(M = \mathbb{C}P^3\) was already known, and is due to \textit{M. Maguire} [``Computing cohomology of configuration spaces'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:1612.06314}]. The only other known example of extremal stability, due to \textit{J. Miller} et al. [Compos. Math. 156, No. 4, 822--861 (2020; Zbl 1458.11085)], is for congruence subgroups of \(SL_n(\mathbb{Z})\).