The Samelson product and rational homotopy for gauge groups

DOI10.1007/BF03173500MaRDI QIDQ2479817zbMATH OpenFDO

Authors Christoph Wockel

Publication date 3 April 2008

Published in Abhandlungen aus dem Mathematischen Seminar der Universität Hamburg (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0511404

zbMATH Keywords

evaluation mapgauge groupprincipal bundleSamelson productWhitehead product

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Rational homotopy theory (55P62) Topological properties of groups of homeomorphisms or diffeomorphisms (57S05) Homotopy groups of topological groups and homogeneous spaces (57T20) Infinite-dimensional groups and algebras motivated by physics, including Virasoro, Kac-Moody, (W)-algebras and other current algebras and their representations (81R10)

Abstract: This paper is on the connecting homomorphism in the long exact homotopy sequence of the evaluation fibration $e{v}_{p_0}:C(P,K{)}^{K}oK$, where $C(P,K{)}^{K}congGau(P)$ is the gauge group of a continuous principal $K$-bundle $P$ over a closed orientable surface or a sphere. We show that in this cases the connecting homomorphism in the corresponding long exact homotopy sequence is given in terms of the Samelson product. As applications, we exploit this correspondence to get an explicit formula for $p{i}_2(Gau(P_k))$, where $P_k$ denotes the principal $S^3$-bundle over $S^4$ of Chern number $k$ and derive explicit formulae for the rational homotopy groups $p{i}_n(Gau(P))otimesQ$.

Review text

Given a principal bundle \(P\to S^m \) over am \(m\)-dimensional sphere with the structure group \(K\) one associates the evaluation fibration \(C(P,K)^K \to K\), where the total space is the gauge group consisting of all \(K\)-equivariant maps from \(P\) to \(K\). The fibre in this bundle is equal to the pointed gauge group. If the base is the sphere it is homotopy equivalent to the pointed maps \(S^m\to K\). Hence the connecting homomorphisms in the evaluation fibration are homomorphisms \(\delta_n:\pi_n(K)\to \pi_{n+m-1}(K)\). The main result of the paper under review states that the value of the connecting homomorphism is given by the Samelson product: \(\delta_n(a)= -\langle a,b\rangle\), where \(b\in \pi_{m-1}(K)\) is the element defining the bundle \(P.\)

Recommendations

• Rational homotopy of gauge groups
• SAMELSON PRODUCTS OF SO(3) AND APPLICATIONS
• The homotopy types of \(SU(n)\)-gauge groups over \(S^{2m}\)
• Samelson products in Sp(2)
• The homotopy types of \(PSp(n)\)-gauge groups over \(S^{2m}\)

Cites work

• A note on the homotopy type of certain gauge groups
• A note on the Samelson product in the classical groups
• Applications of Bundle Map Theory
• Central extensions of infinite-dimensional Lie groups
• Equivariant self equivalences of principal fibre bundles
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3156917 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5128499 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 42092 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3235051 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3246034 (Why is no real title available?)
• On certain theorems of G. W. Whitehead
• On products in homotopy groups
• On simply connected, 4-dimensional polyhedra
• Some remarks on the Gribov ambiguity
• The rational topology of gauge groups and of spaces of connections
• The Yang-Mills equations over Riemann surfaces

Cited in

(8)

• Central extensions of groups of sections
• Variations of rational higher tangential structures
• Lie group structures on symmetry groups of principal bundles
• Rational homotopy of gauge groups
• AN AXIOMATIC DEFINITION OF HOLONOMY
• Banach algebras, Samelson products, and the Wang differential
• Turning vector bundles
• Higher spins from Nambu-Chern-Simons theory

This page was built for publication: The Samelson product and rational homotopy for gauge groups

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q2479817)