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johndoe
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I assume that by $\mathbb{R}^n$-fiber bundles you mean differentiable bundles with fiber diffeomorphic to $\mathbb{R}^n$. So you are forgetting the linear structure of $\mathbb{R}^n$, keeping only the smooth structure. It is a fact that $\textit{Diff}(\mathbb{R}^n)$ deformation retracts to $\textit{GL}(n,\mathbb{R})$, hence yes, the classification of rank $n$ real vector bundles is essentially the same as that of $\mathbb{R}^n$-fiber bundles. I don't know whether this holds at the topological level already (that is, whether $\textit{Homeo}(\mathbb{R}^n)$ deformation retracts to $\textit{GL}(n,\mathbb{R})$).

EDIT: it seems that at the topological level the two beasts are different, at least for some $n$. The result is contained in a paper by William Browder entitled "Open and closed disc bundles", Ann. of Math. (2) 83 (1966), 218-230. It is freely available on JSTOR. As a consequence of the results in that paper, there exists some $n$ for which $\textit{Homeo}(\mathbb{R}^n)$ does not deformation retract onto $\textit{GL}(n,\mathbb{R})$. As far as I know, $n>2$.

I assume that by $\mathbb{R}^n$-fiber bundles you mean differentiable bundles with fiber diffeomorphic to $\mathbb{R}^n$. So you are forgetting the linear structure of $\mathbb{R}^n$, keeping only the smooth structure. It is a fact that $\textit{Diff}(\mathbb{R}^n)$ deformation retracts to $\textit{GL}(n,\mathbb{R})$, hence yes, the classification of rank $n$ real vector bundles is essentially the same as that of $\mathbb{R}^n$-fiber bundles. I don't know whether this holds at the topological level already (that is, whether $\textit{Homeo}(\mathbb{R}^n)$ deformation retracts to $\textit{GL}(n,\mathbb{R})$).

I assume that by $\mathbb{R}^n$-fiber bundles you mean differentiable bundles with fiber diffeomorphic to $\mathbb{R}^n$. So you are forgetting the linear structure of $\mathbb{R}^n$, keeping only the smooth structure. It is a fact that $\textit{Diff}(\mathbb{R}^n)$ deformation retracts to $\textit{GL}(n,\mathbb{R})$, hence yes, the classification of rank $n$ real vector bundles is essentially the same as that of $\mathbb{R}^n$-fiber bundles. I don't know whether this holds at the topological level already (that is, whether $\textit{Homeo}(\mathbb{R}^n)$ deformation retracts to $\textit{GL}(n,\mathbb{R})$).

EDIT: it seems that at the topological level the two beasts are different, at least for some $n$. The result is contained in a paper by William Browder entitled "Open and closed disc bundles", Ann. of Math. (2) 83 (1966), 218-230. It is freely available on JSTOR. As a consequence of the results in that paper, there exists some $n$ for which $\textit{Homeo}(\mathbb{R}^n)$ does not deformation retract onto $\textit{GL}(n,\mathbb{R})$. As far as I know, $n>2$.

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johndoe
  • 176
  • 1
  • 4

I assume that by $\mathbb{R}^n$-fiber bundles you mean differentiable bundles with fiber diffeomorphic to $\mathbb{R}^n$. So you are forgetting the linear structure of $\mathbb{R}^n$, keeping only the smooth structure. It is a fact that $\textit{Diff}(\mathbb{R}^n)$ deformation retracts to $\textit{GL}(n,\mathbb{R})$, hence yes, the classification of rank $n$ real vector bundles is essentially the same as that of $\mathbb{R}^n$-fiber bundles. I don't know whether this holds at the topological level already (that is, whether $\textit{Homeo}(\mathbb{R}^n)$ deformation retracts to $\textit{GL}(n,\mathbb{R})$).