Classification of Poincaré duality algebras over the rationals

The Poincaré duality algebras over Q play a key role in the rational homotopy classification of closed manifolds [3]. In this paper we give a way of classifying general Poincaré duality algebras and then specialize to the case of algebras which are generated by some homogeneous component and show how the classification reduces to the linear classification of certain homogeneous polynomials and exterior forms.     

Quasi-K?hler groups, 3-manifold groups, and formality

In this note, we address the following question: Which 1-formal groups occur as fundamental groups of both quasi-K?hler manifolds and closed, connected, orientable 3-manifolds. We classify all such groups, at the level of Malcev completions, and compute their coranks. Dropping the assumption on realizability by 3-manifolds, we show that the corank equals the isotropy index of the cup-product map in degree one. Finally, we examine the formality properties of smooth affine surfaces and quasi-homogeneous isolated surface singularities. In the latter case, we describe explicitly the positive-dimensional components of the first characteristic variety for the associated singularity link.     

Closed manifolds coming from Artinian complete intersections

We reformulate the integrality property of the Poincaré inner product in the middle dimension, for an arbitrary Poincaré -algebra, in classical terms (discriminant and local invariants). When the algebra is -connected, we show that this property is the only obstruction to realizing it by a smooth closed manifold, in dimension . We analyse the homogeneous artinian complete intersections over realized by smooth closed manifolds of dimension , and their signatures.

     

Toric complexes and Artin kernels

A simplicial complex L on n vertices determines a subcomplex TL of the n-torus, with fundamental group the right-angled Artin group GL. Given an epimorphism χ:GL→Z, let be the corresponding cover, with fundamental group the Artin kernel Nχ. We compute the cohomology jumping loci of the toric complex TL, as well as the homology groups of with coefficients in a field k, viewed as modules over the group algebra kZ. We give combinatorial conditions for to have trivial Z-action, allowing us to compute the truncated cohomology ring, . We also determine several Lie algebras associated to Artin kernels, under certain triviality assumptions on the monodromy Z-action, and establish the 1-formality of these (not necessarily finitely presentable) groups.     

Algebraic invariants for Bestvina Brady groups

Bestvina–Brady groups arise as kernels of length homomorphismsG from right-angled Artin groups to the integers. Under someconnectivity assumptions on the flag complex , we compute severalalgebraic invariants of such a group N, directly from the underlyinggraph . As an application, we give examples of finitely presentedBestvina–Brady groups which are not isomorphic to anyArtin group or arrangement group.     

Multiplicative models for configuration spaces of algebraic varieties

Fulton and MacPherson (Ann. Math. 139 (1994) 183) found a Sullivan dg-algebra model for the space of n-configurations of a smooth complex projective variety X. K?í? (Ann. Math. 139 (1994) 227) gave a simpler model, E_n(H), depending only on the cohomology ring, H?H^*X.We construct an even simpler and smaller model, J_n(H). We then define another new dg-algebra, E_n(H^°), and use J_n(H) to prove that E_n(H^°) is a model of the space of n-configurations of the non-compact punctured manifold X^°, when X is 1-connected. Following an idea of Drinfel’d (Leningrad Math. J. 2 (1991) 829), we put a simplicial bigraded differential algebra structure on {E_n(H^°)}_n?0.     

Algebraic invariants for right-angled Artin groups

A finite simplicial graph Γ determines a right-angled Artin group G_Γ, with generators corresponding to the vertices of Γ, and with a relation υw=wυ for each pair of adjacent vertices. We compute the lower central series quotients, the Chen quotients, and the (first) resonance variety of G_Γ, directly from the graph Γ. Partially supported by NSF grant DMS-0311142.     

Moduli spaces for fundamental groups and link invariants derived from the lower central series

We consider an algebraic parametrization for the set of (Mal'cev completed) fundamental groups of the spaces with fixed first two Betti numbers, having in mind applications in low-dimensional topology and especially in link theory. The factor set of (restricted) isomorphism types of these groups acquires the structure of a ‘moduli space’, giving rise to invariants which, in the case of links, detect the isotopy type. We indicate two methods of computation for these invariants. We also prove a rigidity result for the associated graded Lie algebra of the fundamental group. A lot of examples are given.