The realizability of operations on homotopy groups concentrated in two degrees (Q897098)

In homotopy theory, there is the problem asking whether or not for a given sequence of groups \(\{A_i\}\), there is a space \(X\) such that the \(i\)-th homotopy group of \(X\) is isomorphic to \(A_i\) for all \(i\). In the case where \(A_n\neq 0\) and \(A_i=0\) for \(i\neq n\), such a space is an Eilenberg-MacLane space. In this paper, the authors study the case where \(A_i\neq 0\) if \(i=n\geq 2\) and \(n+k\geq 4\), and \(=0\) otherwise, and provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of such a space. A sequence of groups is called a \(\varPi\)-algebra if it satisfies the properties that the homotopy groups would have if such a space exists. Using the functor \(\Gamma_n^k\) considered in [\textit{H.-J. Baues} and \textit{P. Goerss}, Topology 39, No. 1, 161--192 (2000; Zbl 0958.55013)], the authors define an endomorphic functor \(\widetilde \Gamma^k_n\) on the category of abelian groups, whose comma category is isomorphic to the subcategory of \(\varPi\)-algebras consisting of \(\varPi\)-algebras concentrated in two degrees. Then, using the language of the comma category, the main theorem is stated and proved. The authors also study the stable case, and provide infinite families of non-realizable examples using elements in the image of the \(J\)-homomorphism.