Configuration spaces on the sphere and higher loop spaces (Q706103)

Let \(M\) be a compact manifold and \((X,*)\) be a pointed space. The space \(C(M; X)\) of finite configurations in \(M\) with labels in \(X\) is the quotient \(C(M; X)= (\coprod_{k\geq 1} F(M, k)\times_{\Sigma_k} X^k)/\sim\) where \(\sim\) is generated by the relations \((z_1,\dots, z_k; x_1,\dots, x_k)\sim (z_1,\dots, z_{k-1}; x_1,\dots, x_{k-1})\) if \(x_k= *\). For instance when \(X= S^0\) then \(C(M; X)= \coprod_{k\geq 1} C_k(M)\) is the space of all finite configurations in \(M\). The subspaces \(C_i(M; X)= \coprod^i_{k=1} F(M, k)\times_{\Sigma_k} X^k/\sim\) define a natural filtration of the space \(C(M; X)\) with \(C_1(M; X)= M\wedge X\). For any \(k\geq 1\) the natural inclusions \(C_{k-1}(M; X)\hookrightarrow C_k(M; X)\) are closed cofibration with cofibres, \(D_k(M; X)= C_k(M; X)/C_{k-1}(M; X)= F(M, k)\times_{\Sigma_k} X^{\wedge k}/F(M, k)\times_{\Sigma_k}*\). If \(X\) is connected then the space \(C(M, X)\) stably splits as \(\bigvee_k D_k(M; X)\), [\textit{C.-F. Bödigheimer}, Stable splitting of mapping spaces, Algebraic topology, Proc. Workshop, Seattle/Wash. 1985, Lect. Notes Math. 1286, 174--187 (1987; Zbl 0641.55006)]. In particular for any field of coefficients \(\mathbb{F}\), we have \(\widetilde H_*(C(M; X); \mathbb{F})\cong\bigoplus_{k\geq 1}\widetilde H_*(D_k(M; X); \mathbb{F})\). Furthermore if \(X= S^q\) is an even-dimensional sphere, then \(\widetilde H_*(D_k(M; X); \mathbb{F}))\cong H_*(C_k(M); (\widetilde H_*S^q)^{\otimes k})\), where \(\Sigma_k\) acts by permutation of coordinates on \((\widetilde H_* S^q)^{\otimes k}\) with the usual sign conventions. Since \(\widetilde H_*(S^q)\) is concentrated in an even degree, \((\widetilde H_* S^q)^{\otimes k}\) is a trivial \(\Sigma_k\)-module. Therefore, by [\textit{C.-F. Bödigheimer}, loc. cit.] \(\widetilde H_*(C(M; S^q); \mathbb{F})= \bigoplus^\infty_{k=1} s^{qk}H_*(C_k(M); \mathbb{F})\). The fundamental result of \textit{D. McDuff} [Topology 14, 91--107 (1975; Zbl 0296.57001)] states that if \(M\) is compact and if either \(M\) or else \(X\) is connected then there is a weak homotopy equivalence \(C(M; X)\to \Gamma(M; X)\), where \(\Gamma(M; X)\) denotes the space of sections of the fibration \(\tau^+_X\) defined as follows. First consider the one point fibrewise compactification, \(\tau^+_M\), of the tangent bundle of \(M\). The fibrewise smash product of \(\tau^+_M\) with the trivial bundle \(M\times X\), is also a fiber bundle, denoted \(\tau^+(X)\). By elementary obstruction theory one can see that if \(X\) is \((r-1)\)-connected with \(r> m\), then the space \(\Gamma(M; X)\) is \((r-m)\)-connected. Thus, the McDuff theorem implies that the spaces \(C(M; X)\) and \(\Gamma(M;X)\) have the same rational homotopy type. Using ``Browder operations'' the author computes the homology (with coefficients in a field) of the space \(\Gamma(\tau^+_{S^n}(X))\) assuming that \(X\) is a (non-necessary connected) CW-complex. Then he compares the homology (with coefficients in a field) of the free mapping space \((\Sigma^n X)^{S^n}\) with those of \(\Gamma(\tau^+_{S^n}(X))\). Relevant examples and applications of these results are given in the last section.