A counting invariant for maps into spheres and for zero loci of sections of vector bundles

Abstract: The set of unrestricted homotopy classes

[M, S^{n}]

where

M

is a closed and connected spin

(n + 1)

-manifold is called the

n

-th cohomotopy group

p i^{n} (M)

of

M

. Moreover it is known that

p i^{n} (M) = H^{n} (M; m a t h b b Z) o p l u s m a t h b b Z_{2}

by methods from homotopy theory. We will provide a geometrical description of the

m a t h b b Z_{2}

part in

p i^{n} (M)

analogous to Pontryagin's computation of the stable homotopy group

p i_{n + 1} (S^{n})

. This

m a t h b b Z_{2}

number can be computed by counting embedded circles in

M

with a certain framing of their normal bundle. This is a analogous result to the mod

2

degree theorem for maps

M o S^{n + 1}

. Finally we will observe that the zero locus of a section in an oriented rank

n

vector bundle

E o M

defines an element in

p i^{n} (M)

and it turns out that the

m a t h b b Z_{2}

part is an invariant of the isomorphism class of

E

. At the end we show, that if the Euler class of

E

vanishes this

m a t h b b Z_{2}

invariant is the final obstruction to the existence of a nowhere vanishing section.

Review text

The set of unrestricted homotopy classes \(\pi^n(M)=[M, \mathbb{S}^n]\), where \(M\) is a closed and connected spin \((n + 1)\)-manifold is called the \(n\)-th cohomotopy group of \(M\). Using homotopy theory it is known that \(\pi^n(M) = H^n(M,\mathbb{Z})\oplus \mathbb{Z}_2\). \textit{L. S. Pontryagin} [Transl., Ser. 2, Am. Math. Soc. 11, 1--114 (1959; Zbl 0084.19002)] computed the (stable) homotopy group \(\pi_{n+1}(\mathbb{S}^n)\) for \(n \ge 3\) using differential topology. This paper generalizes his idea and provides a geometrical description of the \(\mathbb{Z}_2\) summand in \(\pi^n(M)\). Namely, the \(\mathbb{Z}_2\) number can be computed by counting embedded circles in \(M\) with a certain framing of their normal bundle. \par Finally, it is observed that the zero locus of a section in an oriented rank \(n\) vector bundle \(E\to M\) defines an element in \(\pi^n(M)\) and it turns out that the \(\mathbb{Z}_2\) part is an invariant of the isomorphism class of \(E\). As an application, the author provides a simple proof of the well-known fact that the maximal number of linear independent vector fields on \(\mathbb{S}^{4n+1}\) is equal to \(1\).

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