Rational analogs of projective planes
type: Item
instance of: scholarly article
title: Rational analogs of projective planes
zbMATH Open document ID: 1291.57019
author: Zhixu Su
published in: Algebraic \& Geometric Topology
publication date: 2014-01-30T00:00:00Z
full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1010.3274
reviewed by: Daniel Tanré
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 57R20
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 57R65
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 57R67
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 55P62
zbMATH DE Number: 6252141
zbMATH Keywords: Sullivan models
zbMATH Keywords: rational Poincaré complex
zbMATH Keywords: Pontryagin numbers
zbMATH Keywords: rational surgery
zbMATH Keywords: Hirzebruch signature formula
zbMATH Keywords: Diophantine equations.
MaRDI profile type: MaRDI publication profile
OpenAlex ID: W3102319237
arXiv ID: 1010.3274
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cites work: Q3865167
DOI: 10.2140/AGT.2014.14.421
review text: In [\textit{D. Sullivan}, Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 47, 269--331 (1977; Zbl 0374.57002)] Sullivan proved that, ``for spaces with nilpotent homotopy systems, there is a perfect replica in terms of nilpotent minimal dga's of the rational homotopy theory.'' In this paradigm, a natural question is the realization of a rational cohomology algebra, \(H\) (with \(H^1=0\)) together with prescribed Pontryagin classes, by a simply connected, closed, smooth manifold. A first obvious requirement is that \(H\) satisfies an \(n\)-dimensional Poincaré duality (with \(n>5\)). If the dimension \(n\) is different of \(4k\) for some integer \(k\), this realization can be done without any restriction. If \(n=4k\), there is a solution with possibly one singular point. For removing this singular point, there are necessary and sufficient conditions (see Sullivan [loc. cit.] and \textit{J. Barge} [Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér. (4) 9, 469--501 (1976; Zbl 0348.57016)] involving Pontryagin numbers (they must be integers and satisfy a Riemann-Roch relation) and the signature (it has to verify the Hirzebruch signature formula).NEWLINENEWLINEIn the paper under review, the author gives first a variant of the proof of Barge-Sullivan's theorem. The main goal is the application of this realization theorem to cohomology algebras of the form, \({\mathbb Q}[a]/a^3\), with \(a\) of even degree, \(p\). For \(p=2\), 4 or 8, the projective planes of complex, quaternionic or octonionic numbers give solutions. We know also that, for a realization of \({\mathbb Z}[a]/a^3\), they are the only ones, but what is the situation inside the rational homotopy type? The author proves that the next smallest dimension where a rational analog of projective plane exists is for \(p=16\) (i.e., \(n=32\)) and there are infinitely many homeomorphism types of such manifolds. From the realization theorem, the proof consists of resolutions of systems of Diophantine equations.
description: scientific article; zbMATH DE number 6252141