A decomposition theorem for the integral homology of a variety (Q789457)

If X is a projective variety over \({\mathbb{C}}\) decomposed into locally closed subsets \(W_ j\) with \(W_ j\) a locally trivial bundle over \(X_ j\) with fibre \({\mathbb{C}}^{m_ j}\) (in the usual topology) then, under certain conditions, there is an isomorphism \(H_ k(X;{\mathbb{Z}})\cong \oplus \{H_{k-2m_ j}(X_ j;{\mathbb{Z}})\}.\) This situation often arises given a \({\mathbb{C}}^*\)-action on X: one can take the fixed point set as \(\cup X_ j\), and the retractions \(\zeta_ j:W_ j\to X_ j\) are given by \(\zeta_ j(x)=\lim_{\lambda \to 0}\lambda \cdot x\). The conditions needed are that the \(\zeta_ j\) have meromorphic extensions which satisfy a technical irreducibility condition, and that the \(W_ j\) are strata of a filtration of X by closed subsets. The authors present a clear discussion of the relation of the theorem to earlier results of the same kind, and an interesting collection of examples illustrating in particular the necessity of all the hypotheses. A feature of this result is that \(X_ j\) may be singular. The main step in the proof is the construction of homomorphisms \(H_ k(X_ j;{\mathbb{Z}})\to H_{k+2m_ j}(\bar W_ j;{\mathbb{Z}}).\) This is accomplished by filtering \(X_ j\) by certain subvarieties \(X_{jk}\), and then defining a geometrical lifting of subanalytic chains on \(X_ j\) which are ''transverse'' - i.e. meeet \(X_{jk}\) in a subset of real codimension \(\geq 2(k+1)\). The technical condition is needed to ensure that \(X_{jk}\) has complex codimension at least \((k+1)\), and hence that transverse chains define the standard homology.