Mod 2 cohomology of combinatorial Grassmannians (Q699673)

This paper explores the relationship between matroid bundles (\(=\) combinatorial vector bundles), introduced by R. D. MacPherson, and real vector bundles. If \(M^n\) is a rank \(n\) oriented matroid, then one has a combinatorial Grassmannian \(\Gamma(k,M^n)\) (its definition can be found in the paper; roughly spoken, \(\Gamma(k,M^n)\) is a partially ordered set of rank \(k\) {``subspaces''} of \(M^n\)). In particular, \(\Gamma(k,M_c)\), with \(M_c\) the unique rank \(n\) oriented matroid with elements \(\{1,\dots, n\}\), is called the MacPhersonian, denoted \(\text{MacP}(k,n)\). The limit of the finite MacPhersonians gives an infinite partially ordered set \(\text{MacP}(k,\infty)\); its geometric realization, \(\|\text{MacP}(k,\infty)\|\), is the classifying space for rank \(k\) matroid bundles (as is well known, the real Grassmannian \(G(k,\mathbb R^\infty)\) is the classifying space for rank \(k\) vector bundles.) Let \(B\) be a regular cell complex, and let \(V_k(B)\), \(M_k(B)\), and \(Q_k(B)\) denote the sets of \(B\)-isomorphism classes of rank \(k\) vector bundles, matroid bundles, and spherical quasifibrations respectively. One of their main results, the Combinatorialization Theorem, enables the authors to define a map \(C: V_k(B)\rightarrow M_k(B)\), natural in \(B\). Another central result is the Spherical Quasifibration Theorem, which implies a map \(\|E_0\|: M_k(B)\rightarrow Q_k(B)\), also natural in \(B\). Then the authors derive the Stiefel-Whitney and Euler classes for matroid bundles and prove the Comparison Theorem, which says that the composite \({\|E_0\|}\circ C\) coincides with the forgetful map given by deleting the zero section of a vector bundle. As a consequence, theorems relating topological properties of (geometric realizations of) combinatorial Grassmannians to those of real Grassmannians are obtained. For instance, to define the map \(C: V_k(B)\rightarrow M_k(B)\), the authors use a continuous map \(\widetilde\mu: G(k,\mathbb R^\infty)\rightarrow \|\text{MacP}(k,\infty)\|\). Then, as a corollary of the Comparison Theorem, they have that the induced cohomology homomorphism \(\widetilde\mu^\ast: H^\ast(\|\text{MacP}(k,\infty)\|;\mathbb Z_2)\rightarrow H^\ast(G(k,\mathbb R^\infty);\mathbb Z_2)\) is a split surjection. Results on the homotopy groups of general combinatorial Grassmannians are also derived in the paper. In addition to this, it is shown that the combinatorial characteristic classes, similarly to their classical counterparts, can be interpreted as obstructions to the existence of combinatorial ``orientations'' or combinatorial ``independent sets of vector fields''.