Geometric representation of cohomology classes for the Lie groups \(\operatorname{Spin}(7)\) and \(\operatorname{Spin}(8)\) (Q6932696)

The Thom morphism \(\tau : MU^k(\mathrm{Spin}(n)) \rightarrow H^k(\mathrm{Spin}(n);\mathbb{Z})\) is surjective for \(n \le 6\) and all \(k\), but in general not surjective for \(n \ge 7\) and \(k \ge 3\). This works examines the special cases of \(\tau : MU^3(\mathrm{Spin}(7)) \rightarrow H^3(\mathrm{Spin}(7);\mathbb{Z})\) and \(\tau : MU^3(\mathrm{Spin}(8)) \rightarrow H^3(\mathrm{Spin}(8);\mathbb{Z})\) to produce elements in complex cobordism that map to certain elements in (integral) singular cohomology under the respective Thom morphisms, thus representing those cohomology elements geometrically.\N\NAs discussed in the introduction, no non-torsion generator \(\gamma_3\) of \(H^3(\mathrm{Spin}(n);\mathbb{Z})\) is in the image of the Thom morphism (for any \(n\)). The point of this work is that the element \(8 \cdot \gamma_3\) is indeed in this image whenever \(n=7\) or \(n=8\). The work leading to Definition 3.4 produces a map \(\varphi : \widetilde{\mathrm{GR}_2} (\mathbb{R}^7) \times S^1 \times \widetilde{\mathrm{GR}_2} (\mathbb{R}^5) \times S^1 \rightarrow \mathrm{Spin}(7)\), and Lemma 3.5 shows that this map is complex-oriented and smooth, thus representing an element \([\varphi] \in MU^3(\mathrm{Spin}(7))\). The main result Theorem 4.1 then shows that the Thom morphism maps this \([\varphi]\) to \(8 \cdot \gamma_3\) (up to a sign).\N\NThe success of this construction comes from the symmetry properties of the octonions: \(\mathrm{Spin}(7)\) is the double cover space of \(\mathrm{SO}(7)\), which acts naturally on the imaginary octonions. These properties, reviewed in Section 2, are a fundamental ingredient in the proof of Lemma 3.2: each element in the construction of \(\varphi\) is well-defined (from some special \textit{rotations} in \(\mathrm{SO}(8)\)).\N\NCorollary 4.2 extends the above reasonings to the Thom morphism \(\tau : MU^3(\mathrm{Spin}(8)) \rightarrow H^3(\mathrm{Spin}(8);\mathbb{Z})\), presenting an element that (up to a sign) maps to \(8 \cdot \gamma_3 \in H^3(\mathrm{Spin}(8);\mathbb{Z})\).\N\NThe authors also apply their result to the differential Thom morphism \(\check{\tau} : \check{MU}(4)^4(\mathrm{Spin}(7)) \rightarrow \check{H}(4)^4(\mathrm{Spin}(7))\) of Hopkins-Singer, and prove (in Theorem 1.3) that the element \(\frac{1}{8} [\varphi]\) is in the kernel of \(\check{\tau}\) but not in the ideal generated by \(MU^{*<0}\).