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.     

A model category structure for equivariant algebraic models

In the equivariant category of spaces with an action of a finite group, algebraic `minimal models' exist which describe the rational homotopy for -spaces which are 1-connected and of finite type. These models are diagrams of commutative differential graded algebras. In this paper we prove that a model category structure exists on this diagram category in such a way that the equivariant minimal models are cofibrant objects. We show that with this model structure, there is a Quillen equivalence between the equivariant category of rational -spaces satisfying the above conditions and the algebraic category of the models.

     

Model Categories in Algebraic Topology

This survey of model categories and their applications in algebraic topology is intended as an introduction for non homotopy theorists, in particular category theorists and categorical topologists. We begin by defining model categories and the homotopy-like equivalence relation on their morphisms. We then explore the question of compatibility between monoidal and model structures on a category. We conclude with a presentation of the Sullivan minimal model of rational homotopy theory, including its application to the study of Lusternik–Schnirelmann category.     

Uniform universal covers of uniform spaces

We develop a generalized covering space theory for a class of uniform spaces called coverable spaces. Coverable spaces include all geodesic metric spaces, connected and locally pathwise connected compact topological spaces, in particular Peano continua, as well as more pathological spaces like the topologist's sine curve. The uniform universal cover of a coverable space is a kind of generalized cover with universal and lifting properties in the category of uniform spaces and uniformly continuous mappings. Associated with the uniform universal cover is a functorial uniform space invariant called the deck group, which is related to the classical fundamental group by a natural homomorphism. We obtain some specific results for one-dimensional spaces.     

Champs affines

The purpose of this work is to introduce a notion of affine stacks, which is a homotopy version of the notion of affine schemes, and to give several applications in the context of algebraic topology and algebraic geometry. As a first application we show how affine stacks can be used in order to give a new point of view (and new proofs) on rational and p-adic homotopy theory. This gives a first solution to A. Grothendieck’s schematization problem described in [18]. We also use affine stacks in order to introduce a notion of schematic homotopy types. We show that schematic homotopy types give a second solution to the schematization problem, which also allows us to go beyond rational and p-adic homotopy theory for spaces with arbitrary fundamental groups. The notion of schematic homotopy types is also used in order to construct various homotopy types of algebraic varieties corresponding to various co-homology theories (Betti, de Rham, l-adic, ...), extending the well known constructions of the various fundamental groups. Finally, just as algebraic stacks are obtained by gluing affine schemes we define $$ \infty $$-geometric stacks as a certain gluing of affine stacks. Examples of $$ \infty $$-geometric stacks in the context of algebraic topology (moduli spaces of dga structures up to quasi-isomorphisms) and Hodge theory (non-abelian periods) are given.     

Champs affines

The purpose of this work is to introduce a notion of affine stacks, which is a homotopy version of the notion of affine schemes, and to give several applications in the context of algebraic topology and algebraic geometry. As a first application we show how affine stacks can be used in order to give a new point of view (and new proofs) on rational and p-adic homotopy theory. This gives a first solution to A. Grothendieck’s schematization problem described in [18]. We also use affine stacks in order to introduce a notion of schematic homotopy types. We show that schematic homotopy types give a second solution to the schematization problem, which also allows us to go beyond rational and p-adic homotopy theory for spaces with arbitrary fundamental groups. The notion of schematic homotopy types is also used in order to construct various homotopy types of algebraic varieties corresponding to various co-homology theories (Betti, de Rham, l-adic, ...), extending the well known constructions of the various fundamental groups. Finally, just as algebraic stacks are obtained by gluing affine schemes we define $$ \infty $$-geometric stacks as a certain gluing of affine stacks. Examples of $$ \infty $$-geometric stacks in the context of algebraic topology (moduli spaces of dga structures up to quasi-isomorphisms) and Hodge theory (non-abelian periods) are given.     

A counter-example to a conjecture of Félix

If X is a simply connected space of finite type, then the rational homotopy groups of the based loop space of X possess the structure of a graded Lie algebra, denoted L_X. The radical of L_X, which is an important rational homotopy invariant of X, is of finite total dimension if the Lusternik-Schnirelmann category of X is finite.Let X be a simply connected space with finite Lusternik-Schnirelmann category. If dimL_X<∞, i.e., if X is elliptic, then L_X is its own radical, and therefore the total dimension of the radical of L_X in odd degrees is less than or equal to its total dimension in even degrees (Friedlander and Halperin (1979) [8]). Félix conjectured that this inequality should hold for all simply connected spaces with finite Lusternik-Schnirelmann category.We prove Félix’s conjecture in some interesting special cases, then provide a counter-example to the general case.     

Simply connected Voisin manifolds of dimension four

Voisin constructed a series of examples of simply connected compact Kähler manifolds of even dimension, which do not have the rational homotopy type of a complex projective manifold starting from dimension six. In this note, we prove that Voisin's examples of dimension four also do not have the rational homotopy type of a complex projective manifold. Oguiso constructed simply connected compact Kähler manifolds starting from dimension four, which cannot deform to a complex projective manifold under a small deformation. We also prove that Oguiso's examples do not have the rational homotopy type of a complex projective manifold.     

Universal algebra in a closed category

The development of finitary universal algebra is carried out in a suitable closed category called a π-category. The π-categories are characterized by their completeness and cocompleteness and some product-colimit commutativities. We establish the existence of left adjoints to algebraic functors, completeness and cocompleteness of algebraic categories, a structure-semantics adjunction, a characterization theory for algebraic categories and the existence of the theory generated by a presentation. The conditions on the closed category are sufficiently weak to be satisfied by any (complete and cocomplete) cartesian closed category, semi-additive category, commutatively algebraic category and also the categories of semi-normed spaces, normed spaces and Banach spaces.     

Cochains and homotopy type

Finite type nilpotent spaces are weakly equivalent if and only if their singular cochains are quasi-isomorphic as E_∞ algebras. The cochain functor from the homotopy category of finite type nilpotent spaces to the homotopy category of E_∞ algebras is faithful but not full.     

On genus and cancellation in homotopy

Thegenus is determined for spaces of the homotopy type of aCW complex with one cell each in dimensions 0, 2n and 4n (and no other cells), such spaces providing the only cases of spaces with two non-trivial cells such that the homotopy class of the attaching map for the top cell is of infinite order and the genus of the space is non-trivial. The genus is characterised completely by two well understood invariants: theHopf invariant of the attaching map of the 4n-cell and the genus of thesuspension of the space. The algebraic tools are developed for the investigation of the ν-cancellation behaviour of these spaces and a cancellation theorem is proved: the homotopy type of a finite wedge of such spaces determines the homotopy type of each of the summands as long as the attaching maps of the 4n-cells all represent homotopy classes of infinite order. Comparing this result to known results aboutfinite co-H-spaces shows that the Hopf invariant is the single obstruction to such spaces admitting a co-H structure.     

Smashing subcategories and the telescope conjecture – an algebraic approach

We prove a modified version of Ravenel’s telescope conjecture. It is shown that every smashing subcategory of the stable homotopy category is generated by a set of maps between finite spectra. This result is based on a new characterization of smashing subcategories, which leads in addition to a classification of these subcategories in terms of the category of finite spectra. The approach presented here is purely algebraic; it is based on an analysis of pure-injective objects in a compactly generated triangulated category, and covers therefore also situations arising in algebraic geometry and representation theory. Oblatum 23-XI-1998 & 19-V-1999 / Published online: 5 August 1999     

CATEGORICAL HOMOTOPY

We present a homotopy theory of small categories. In a work of this nature there is a need to give a theory which is clear and which shows the methods of work in this field. It is also necessary to prove theorems which place the theory within the general framework of homotopy, i.e. particularly to liaise with the homotopy of topological spaces and with abstract homotopy theories. Firstly we define the important notion of finite functor on which the theory is based. Next we introduce a type of fibred category fitting to the work on homotopy. After having studied the paths and loops of a category, we consider homotopy between functors. Finally, we demonstrate the possibility of obtaining homotopy groups before taking into consideration the relations between categorical and topological homotopy.     

On the curvature of vortex moduli spaces

We use algebraic topology to investigate local curvature properties of the moduli spaces of gauged vortices on a closed Riemann surface. After computing the homotopy type of the universal cover of the moduli spaces (which are symmetric products of the surface), we prove that, for genus $g>1$ , the holomorphic bisectional curvature of the vortex metrics cannot always be nonnegative in the multivortex case, and this property extends to all Kähler metrics on certain symmetric products. Our result rules out an established and natural conjecture on the geometry of the moduli spaces.     

Homotopy theory of associative rings

A kind of unstable homotopy theory on the category of associative rings (without unit) is developed. There are the notions of fibrations, homotopy (in the sense of Karoubi), path spaces, Puppe sequences, etc. One introduces the notion of a quasi-isomorphism (or weak equivalence) for rings and shows that—similar to spaces—the derived category obtained by inverting the quasi-isomorphisms is naturally left triangulated. Also, homology theories on rings are studied. These must be homotopy invariant in the algebraic sense, meet the Mayer-Vietoris property and plus some minor natural axioms. To any functor X from rings to pointed simplicial sets a homology theory is associated in a natural way. If X=GL and fibrations are the GL-fibrations, one recovers Karoubi-Villamayor's functors KVi, i>0. If X is Quillen's K-theory functor and fibrations are the surjective homomorphisms, one recovers the (non-negative) homotopy K-theory in the sense of Weibel. Technical tools we use are the homotopy information for the category of simplicial functors on rings and the Bousfield localization theory for model categories. The machinery developed in the paper also allows to give another definition for the triangulated category kk constructed by Cortiñas and Thom [G. Cortiñas, A. Thom, Bivariant algebraic K-theory, preprint, math.KT/0603531]. The latter category is an algebraic analog for triangulated structures on operator algebras used in Kasparov's KK-theory.     

Modules over motivic cohomology

For fields of characteristic zero, we show that the homotopy category of modules over the motivic ring spectrum representing motivic cohomology is equivalent to Voevodsky's big category of motives. The proof makes use of some highly structured models for motivic stable homotopy theory, motivic Spanier-Whitehead duality, the homotopy theories of motivic functors and of motivic spaces with transfers as introduced from ground up in this paper. Working with rational coefficients, we extend the equivalence for fields of characteristic zero to all perfect fields by employing the techniques of alterations and homotopy purity in motivic homotopy theory.     

The universal exponentiable arrow

We show that the essentially algebraic theory of generalized algebraic theories, regarded as a category with finite limits, has a universal exponentiable arrow in the sense that any exponentiable arrow in any category with finite limits is the image of the universal exponentiable arrow by an essentially unique functor.     

Homotopical smallness and closeness

The aim of this paper is to introduce the concepts of homotopical smallness and closeness. These are the properties of homotopical classes of maps that are related to recent developments in homotopy theory and to the construction of universal covering spaces for non-semi-locally simply connected spaces, in particular to the properties of being homotopically Hausdorff and homotopically path Hausdorff. The definitions of notions in question and their role in homotopy theory are supplemented by examples, extensional classifications, universal constructions and known applications.     

Decomposition of spaces with geodesics contained in compact flats

We prove a decomposition result for analytic spaces all of whose geodesics are contained in compact flats. Namely, we prove that a Riemannian manifold is such a space if and only if it admits a (finite) cover which splits as the product of a flat torus with simply connected factors which are either symmetric (of the compact type) or spaces of closed geodesics.