A new proof of the odd primary homotopy exponent of spheres
It is an important theorem of Cohen, Moore and Neisendorfer that there exist maps \(\varphi:\Omega^2S^{2n+1}\to S^{2n-1}\) such that \(E^2\circ\varphi\) is homotopic to \(\Omega^2 p:\Omega^2 S^{2n+1}\to\Omega^2S^{2n+1}\). Here \(p\) is an odd prime, and all spaces are implicitly localised at \(p\), and we also use the symbol \(p\) for the map \(S^{2n+1}\to S^{2n+1}\) of degree \(p\). Moreover, \(E^2: S^{2n-1}\to\Omega^2S^{2n+1}\) is the double suspension map. It follows easily from this theorem that the groups \(\pi_k(S^{2n+1})\) have exponent dividing \(p^n\) for all \(k>2n+1\). The original proof is long, and makes extensive use of differential Lie algebras and homotopy decompositions of Moore spaces. The paper under review gives a new construction of a map \(\varphi\) as above, which is shorter and uses a different set of methods that are more homotopical than algebraic. These methods arise from earlier work of the author with Gray on some related questions; they involve a new way of mixing cofibrations with fibrations. Another feature of the new proof is that the case where \(n\) is divisible by \(p\) is treated first, and the general case is then recovered by relating the \(n\)'th case to the \(np\)'th case. The new construction may or may not give the same map \(\varphi\) as the one produced by Cohen, Moore and Neisendorfer, but that question does not seem to be important for the applications. Both the proof and the applications use an extensive network of fibrations and homotopy pullback squares, including {\parindent=6mm \begin{itemize}\item[{\(\bullet\)}] the Hopf fibration \(J_{p-1}S^{2n}\to\Omega S^{2n+1}\to\Omega S^{2np+1}\) \item[{\(\bullet\)}] the Toda fibration \(S^{2n-1}\to\Omega J_{p-1}S^{2n}\to\Omega S^{2np-1}\) \item[{\(\bullet\)}] the double suspension fibration \(S^{2n-1}\to\Omega^2S^{2n+1}\to BW_n\) \item[{\(\bullet\)}] the Anick fibration \(\Omega^2S^{2n+1}\to S^{2n-1}\to T_{2n+1}\). \end{itemize}} Various standard facts about these fibrations were originally proved by quoting the work of Cohen, Moore and Neisendorfer; they are proved again in the present paper by different methods, to eliminate that dependence.
- 2-primary Anick fibrations
- 3-primary exponents
- A generalization of the homology and homotopy suspension
- A spectral sequence concerning the double suspension
- An elementary construction of Anick's fibration
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3122199 (Why is no real title available?)
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 217437 (Why is no real title available?)
- Odd primary torsion in \(\pi_k(S^3)\)
- On the double suspension and the mod-p Moore space
- On the iterated suspension
- On Toda's fibrations
- Proofs of two conjectures of Gray involving the double suspension
- PROPERTIES OF CERTAIN H-SPACES
- Pull-Backs in Homotopy Theory
- The 3-primary classifying space of the fiber of the double suspension
- The double suspension and exponents of the homotopy groups of spheres
- Torsion in homotopy groups
- Erratum to: ``A new proof of the odd primary homotopy exponent of spheres
- On Toda's fibration and Selick's filtration
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3868229 (Why is no real title available?)
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1182648 (Why is no real title available?)
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 4119239 (Why is no real title available?)
- A conjecture of Gray and the \(p\)-th power map on \(\Omega^2S^{2np+1}\)
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