Self-intersection number of immersions and enumeration of non-stable vector bundles (Q761675)

For smooth manifolds \(N^ n\) and \(M^{2n}\), N closed, and an immersion \(f: N\to M\) with normal crossings, let \(I(f)\) denote the self- intersection number. For n even, and N, M oriented, \textit{R. K. Lashof} and \textit{S. Smale} determined [in J. Math. Mech. 8, 143-157 (1959; Zbl 0093.375)] the integer I(f) in terms of \(f_*([N])\) and the non-stable normal bundle \(\nu(f).\) In the remaining cases, \(I(f)\in {\mathbb{Z}}/2\) is not always an invariant of the homotopy class of f and the normal bundle \(\nu(f).\) The author shows this to be the case if there exists an n-plane bundle stably equivalent to \(\nu(f)\) but not isomorphic to it. In the proof, a construction due to \textit{E. H. Brown} jun. [Ann. Math., II. Ser. 95, 368-383 (1972; Zbl 0241.57014)] is used to express I(f) as the difference of two stable homotopy classes in \(\{S^{2n+k}\), \(T(\zeta)\wedge K({\mathbb{Z}}/2,n\}\), where \(\zeta\) denotes the classifying bundle associated to a Wu-orientation. In the case attacked by the author, these homotopy classes are shown to be invariant. The proof of the formula uses the Hopf ladder due to \textit{J. M. Boardman} and \textit{B. Steer} [Comment. Math. Helv. 42 180-221 (1967; Zbl 0166.192)] and the geometrical identification of James-Hopf invariants due to \textit{U. Koschorke} and \textit{B. Sanderson} [Topology 17, 283-290 (1978; Zbl 0398.57030)].