Rational homotopy theory and differential graded category

We propose a generalization of Sullivan’s de Rham homotopy theory to non-simply connected spaces. The formulation is such that the real homotopy type of a manifold should be the closed tensor dg-category of flat bundles on it much the same as the real homotopy type of a simply connected manifold is the de Rham algebra in original Sullivan’s theory. We prove the existence of a model category structure on the category of small closed tensor dg-categories and as a most simple case, confirm an equivalence between the homotopy category of spaces whose fundamental groups are finite and whose higher homotopy groups are finite dimensional rational vector spaces and the homotopy category of small closed tensor dg-categories satisfying certain conditions.     

Rational homotopy theory for non-simply connected spaces

We construct an algebraic rational homotopy theory for all connected CW spaces (with arbitrary fundamental group) whose universal cover is rationally of finite type. This construction extends the classical theory in the simply connected case and has two basic properties: (1) it induces a natural equivalence of the corresponding homotopy category to the homotopy category of spaces whose universal cover is rational and of finite type and (2) in the algebraic category, homotopy equivalences are isomorphisms. This algebraisation introduces a new homotopy invariant: a rational vector bundle with a distinguished class of linear connections.

     

Homotopy nilpotency in p-regular loop spaces

We consider the problem how far from being homotopy commutative is a loop space having the homotopy type of the p-completion of a product of finite numbers of spheres. We determine the homotopy nilpotency of those loop spaces as an answer to this problem.     

Parametrized spaces model locally constant homotopy sheaves

We prove that the homotopy theory of parametrized spaces embeds fully and faithfully in the homotopy theory of simplicial presheaves, and that its essential image consists of the locally homotopically constant objects. This gives a homotopy-theoretic version of the classical identification of covering spaces with locally constant sheaves. We also prove a new version of the classical result that spaces parametrized over X are equivalent to spaces with an action of ΩX. This gives a homotopy-theoretic version of the correspondence between covering spaces and π₁-sets. We then use these two equivalences to study base change functors for parametrized spaces.     

Configuration spaces are not homotopy invariant

We present a counterexample to the conjecture on the homotopy invariance of configuration spaces. More precisely, we consider the lens spaces L_7,1 and L_7,2, and prove that their configuration spaces are not homotopy equivalent by showing that their universal coverings have different Massey products.     

Compact open topology and CW homotopy type

The class of spaces having the homotopy type of a CW complex is not closed under formation of function spaces. In 1959, Milnor proved the fundamental theorem that, given a space and a compact Hausdorff space X, the space Y^X of continuous functions X→Y, endowed with the compact open topology, belongs to . P.J. Kahn extended this in 1982, showing that if X has finite n-skeleton and π_k(Y)=0, k>n.

Using a different approach, we obtain a further generalization and give interesting examples of function spaces where is not homotopy equivalent to a finite complex, and has infinitely many nontrivial homotopy groups. We also obtain information about some topological properties that are intimately related to CW homotopy type.

As an application we solve a related problem concerning towers of fibrations between spaces of CW homotopy type.     

Continuous group actions on profinite spaces

For a profinite group, we construct a model structure on profinite spaces and profinite spectra with a continuous action. This yields descent spectral sequences for the homotopy groups of homotopy fixed point spaces and for stable homotopy groups of homotopy orbit spaces. Our main example is the Galois action on profinite étale topological types of varieties over a field. One motivation is to understand Grothendieck’s section conjecture in terms of homotopy fixed points.     

Simple homotopy types and finite spaces

We present a new approach to simple homotopy theory of polyhedra using finite topological spaces. We define the concept of collapse of a finite space and prove that this new notion corresponds exactly to the concept of a simplicial collapse. More precisely, we show that a collapse X↘Y of finite spaces induces a simplicial collapse K(X)↘K(Y) of their associated simplicial complexes. Moreover, a simplicial collapse K↘L induces a collapse X(K)↘X(L) of the associated finite spaces. This establishes a one-to-one correspondence between simple homotopy types of finite simplicial complexes and simple equivalence classes of finite spaces. We also prove a similar result for maps: We give a complete characterization of the class of maps between finite spaces which induce simple homotopy equivalences between the associated polyhedra. This class describes all maps coming from simple homotopy equivalences at the level of complexes. The advantage of this theory is that the elementary move of finite spaces is much simpler than the elementary move of simplicial complexes: It consists of removing (or adding) just a single point of the space.     

Fundamental group of homotopy colimits

We give a general version of theorems due to Seifert-van Kampen and Brown about the fundamental group of topological spaces. We consider here the fundamental group of a general homotopy colimit of spaces. This includes unions, direct limits and quotient spaces as special cases. The fundamental group of the homotopy colimit is determined by the induced diagram of fundamental groupoids via a simple commutation formula. We use this framework to discuss homotopy (co-)limits of groups and groupoids as well as the useful Classification Lemma 6.4. Immediate consequences include the fundamental group of a quotient spaces by a group action and of more general colimits. The Bass-Serre and Haefliger's decompositions of groups acting on simplicial complexes is shown to follow effortlessly. An algebraic notion of the homotopy colimit of a diagram of groups is treated in some detail.     

On free $${\mathbb{Z}_{p}}$$ actions on products of spheres

In this paper we consider free actions of large prime order cyclic groups on the product of any number of spheres of the same odd dimension and on products of two spheres of differing odd dimensions. We require only that the action be free on the product as a whole and not each sphere separately. In particular we determine equivariant homotopy type, and for both linear actions and for even numbers of spheres the simple homotopy type and simple structure sets. The results are compared to the analysis and classification done for lens spaces. Similar to lens spaces, the first k-invariant generally determines the homotopy type of many of the quotient spaces, however, the Reidemeister torsion frequently vanishes and many of the homotopy equivalent spaces are also simple homotopy equivalent. Unlike lens spaces, which are determined by their ρ-invariant and Reidemeister torsion, the ρ-invariant here vanishes for even numbers of spheres and linear actions and the Pontrjagin classes become p-localized homeomorphism invariants for a given dimension. The cohomology classes, Pontrjagin classes, and sets of normal invariants are computed in the process.     

A 2-groupoid Characterisation of the Cubical Homotopy Pushout

We give a 2-track-theoretical characterisation of the homotopy pushout of a 3-corner by recognising the mapping 2-simplex as an initial object in a coherent homotopy category of Hausdorff spaces under a 3-corner with morphisms expressed in terms of the 1-morphisms and 2-morphisms of a homotopy 2-groupoid.     

Théorème de Whitehead stratifié et invariants de nœuds

By considering homotopies that preserve the stratification, one obtains a natural notion of homotopy for stratified spaces. In this short note, we introduce invariants of stratified homotopy, the stratified homotopy groups. We show that they satisfy a stratified version of Whitehead's theorem. As an example, we introduce a complete knot invariant defined via the stratified homotopy groups.     

Some examples of homotopy Π-algebras

The homotopy Π-algebra of a pointed topological space, X, consists of the homotopy groups of X together with the additional structure of the primary homotopy operations. We extend two well-known results for homotopy groups to homotopy Π-algebras and look at some examples illustrating the depth of structure on homotopy groups; from graded group to graded Lie ring, to Π-algebra and beyond. We also describe an abstract Π-algebra and give three abstract Π-algebra structures on the homotopy groups of the loop space of X which can be realized as the homotopy Π-algebras of three different spaces.     

ON A CLASSIFICATION OF PRIME RINGS

Abstract

We formalize the adjunction of maps of localized nilpotent spaces of the homotopy type of CW-complexes. Using the semilocalization theory of M. Bendersky, in which only the higher homotopy groups are localized, we obtain an adjunction theorem with fewer nilpotency conditions on the spaces. The two main theorems are in the form of a theorem on maps of triads by J. P. May.     

Rational obstruction theory and rational homotopy sets

We develop an obstruction theory for homotopy of homomorphisms between minimal differential graded algebras. We assume that has an obstruction decomposition given by and that f and g are homotopic on . An obstruction is then obtained as a vector space homomorphism . We investigate the relationship between the condition that f and g are homotopic and the condition that the obstruction is zero. The obstruction theory is then applied to study the set of homotopy classes . This enables us to give a fairly complete answer to a conjecture of Copeland-Shar on the size of the homotopy set [A,B] whenA and B are rational spaces. In addition, we give examples of minimal algebras (and hence of rational spaces) that have few homotopy classes of self-maps. Received February 22, 1999; in final form July 7, 1999 / Published online September 14, 2000     

Implications of large-cardinal principles in homotopical localization

The existence of arbitrary cohomological localizations on the homotopy category of spaces has remained unproved since Bousfield settled the same problem for homology theories in the decade of 1970. This is related with another open question, namely whether or not every homotopy idempotent functor on spaces is an f-localization for some map f. We prove that both questions have an affirmative answer assuming the validity of a suitable large-cardinal axiom from set theory (Vopěnka's principle). We also show that it is impossible to prove that all homotopy idempotent functors are f-localizations using the ordinary ZFC axioms of set theory (Zermelo-Fraenkel axioms with the axiom of choice), since a counterexample can be displayed under the assumption that all cardinals are nonmeasurable, which is consistent with ZFC.     

Moduli spaces of metric graphs of genus 1 with marks on vertices

In this paper we study homotopy type of certain moduli spaces of metric graphs. More precisely, we show that the spaces , which parametrize the isometry classes of metric graphs of genus 1 with n marks on vertices are homotopy equivalent to the spaces TM1,n, which are the moduli spaces of tropical curves of genus 1 with n marked points. Our proof proceeds by providing a sequence of explicit homotopies, with key role played by the so-called scanning homotopy. We conjecture that our result generalizes to the case of arbitrary genus.