Embeddings of k-complexes into 2k-manifolds

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Publication:6204767

DOI10.1007/S00454-023-00595-WarXiv1904.02404OpenAlexW2931164736MaRDI QIDQ6204767FDOQ6204767


Authors: Pavel Paták, Martin Tancer Edit this on Wikidata


Publication date: 2 April 2024

Published in: Discrete \& Computational Geometry (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: We improve the bound on K"uhnel's problem to determine the smallest n such that the k-skeleton of an n-simplex Deltan(k) does not embed into a compact PL 2k-manifold M by showing that if Deltan(k) embeds into M, then . As a consequence we obtain improved Radon and Helly type results for set systems in such manifolds. Our main tool is a new description of an obstruction for embeddability of a k-complex K into a compact PL 2k-manifold M via the intersection form on M. In our approach we need that for every map fcolonKoM the restriction to the (k1)-skeleton of K is nullhomotopic. In particular, this condition is satisfied in interesting cases if K is (k1)-connected, for example a k-skeleton of n-simplex, or if M is (k1)-connected. In addition, if M is (k1)-connected and kgeq3, the obstruction is complete, meaning that a k-complex K embeds into M if and only if the obstruction vanishes. For trivial intersection forms, our obstruction coincides with the standard van Kampen obstruction. However, if the form is non-trivial, the obstruction is not linear but rather 'quadratic' in a sense that it vanishes if and only if certain system of quadratic diophantine equations is solvable. This may potentially be useful in attacking algorithmic decidability of embeddability of k-complexes into PL 2k-manifolds.


Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1904.02404




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