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We know $H^d(\mathbb{RP}^5,\mathbb{Z}_2)=\mathbb{Z}_2$. So there are two classes of $\mathbb{Z}_2$ generators, trivial and nontrivial, for $d=0,1,2,3,4,5$.

Wha are the Poincaré dual $(5-d)$-dimensional manifolds of the generators PD($a^d$) of $a^d\in H^d(\mathbb{RP}^5,\mathbb{Z}_2)$, for $d=0,1,2,3,4,5$?

\begin{array}{|c|c|} \hline \text{PD}(a^d)& a^d =0 \in H^d(\mathbb{RP}^5,\mathbb{Z}_2) &a^d \neq 0 \in H^d(\mathbb{RP}^5,\mathbb{Z}_2)\\ \hline d=0 &?& \mathbb{RP}^5?\\ \hline d=1 &? &\mathbb{RP}^4?\\ \hline d=2 &?& \mathbb{RP}^3?\\ \hline d=3 &?&\mathbb{RP}^2?\\ \hline d=4 &?&\mathbb{RP}^1?\\ \hline d=5 &?&\mathbb{RP}^0=\text{a point}?\\ \hline \end{array}

  • It is said that if $a^d=0$, a Poincaré dual for $a\in H^d(M;\mathbb{Z}/2)$ is any embedded closed $(5-d)$-manifold which bounds, such as a small $S^{5-d}$ around a point, and this is orientable. Is this a correct generator for the trivial class $a^d =0 \in H^d(\mathbb{RP}^5,\mathbb{Z}_2)$?
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    $\begingroup$ I voted to close because these homework-style questions are more appropriate for math.stackexchange.com, and because the OP posted an essentially identical question there (and it was answered): math.stackexchange.com/questions/2900823/… $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 3, 2018 at 21:30
  • $\begingroup$ That question is an easier version of the current one. This one in MO has more. I am wondering can some of the generators be $\mathbb{CP}^n$, say $\mathbb{CP}^1$ or $\mathbb{CP}^2$. $\endgroup$
    – wonderich
    Commented Sep 3, 2018 at 22:05
  • $\begingroup$ The semester has not yet started. :) I am wondering can some of PD($a$) of the trivial generators $0 \in H^d(\mathbb{RP}^m,\mathbb{Z}_2)$ (if not a nontrivial generator) be ℂℙ$^n$, say ℂℙ$^1$ or ℂℙ$^2$. $\endgroup$
    – wonderich
    Commented Sep 3, 2018 at 22:12
  • $\begingroup$ What embedding $\mathbb{CP}^n\hookrightarrow\mathbb{RP}^m$ do you have in mind? For $m > 2$, all maps $\mathbb{CP}^1\to\mathbb{RP}^m$ are null-homotopic, since they factor through $S^m$. $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 3, 2018 at 22:17

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Yes, all of them are true.$\newcommand{\RP}{\mathbb{RP}}\newcommand{\Z}{\mathbb Z}$

First, let's show $\RP^4\subset\RP^5$ is Poincaré dual to $a\in H^1(\RP^5;\Z/2)$. In this case only, there's a nice geometric shortcut: $a$ determines a principal $\Z/2$-bundle $P\to\RP^5$ with $w_1(P) = a$, unique up to isomorphism. If $a\ne 0$, a codimension-1 submanifold $M\subset\RP^5$ is a Poincaré dual of $a$ iff $P$ is trivial over $\RP^5\setminus M$.

The double cover $P = S^5\twoheadrightarrow\RP^5$ is the unique nontrivial double cover of $\RP^5$, and $a$ is the unique nonzero element of $H^1(\RP^5;\Z/2)$, so $w_1(P) = a$. $\RP^4$ embeds in $\RP^5$ as the equatorial $S^4\subset S^5$ followed by taking the quotient by the antipodal map. Therefore, on $\RP^5\setminus\RP^4$, $P$ is trivial: it's the double cover of the northern and southern hemispheres onto a ball.


To get at higher powers of $a$, one can use the fact that cup product is Poincaré dual to the intersection pairing. That is, take two copies of $\RP^4\subset\RP^5$ and make them transverse to each other. Then, their intersection is a Poincaré dual to $a^2$. However, thinking about intersections in $\RP^n$ can be confusing, so let's employ another trick I like: instead of working on $\RP^n$, work on $S^n$, but only do things that are invariant under the antipodal map.

Thus, instead of $\RP^4\subset\RP^5$, we're looking at the equatorial $S^4\subset S^5$; explicitly, under the standard embedding $S^5\hookrightarrow\mathbb R^6$ as the unit sphere, this is the submanifold $\{x_1 = x_2 = x_3 = x_4 = x_5 = 0\}\cap S^5$. Another $S^4$ inside $S^5$ which is preserved by the antipodal map is $\{x_2 = x_3 = x_4 = x_5 = x_6 = 0\}\cap S^5$, and in the quotient this produces an $\RP^4$ homologous to the original one. Their intersection in $S^5$ is $\{x_2 = x_3 = x_4 = x_5 = 0\}\cap S^5$, which is an $S^3\subset S^5$; taking the quotient by $\Z/2$, this is the usual $\RP^3\subset\RP^5$, and therefore $\RP^3$ is a Poincaré dual to $a^2$.

Continuing in this way, you can show that $\RP^2$ is a Poincaré dual to $a^3$, $\RP^1$ is a Poincaré dual to $a^4$, and $a^5$ is Poincaré dual to a point.


The remaining statements are all sort of tautological. A zero class in cohomology is Poincaré dual to a zero class in homology, which is represented by a submanifold of the correct dimension which bounds. The Poincaré dual $N$ to $1\in H^0(\RP^5;\Z/2)$ represents the mod 2 fundamental class in that the map $N\to\RP^5$ sends $$[N]\mapsto[\RP^5]\in H_5(\RP^5;\Z/2),$$ and $N = \RP^5$ and the identity map works.

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  • $\begingroup$ What is the meaning of "a submanifold of the correct dimension which bounds"??? Thanks... $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 4, 2018 at 2:49
  • $\begingroup$ @annieheart the Poincaré dual to $0\in H^k(\mathbb{RP}^n; \mathbb Z/2)$ is an $(n-k)$-dimensional homology class, so a submanifold representing it is an $(n-k)$-dimensional manifold. That's what I meant by "the correct dimension." Since this homology class is zero, it's represented by an $(n-k)$-cycle which is the boundary of some $(n-k+1)$-cycle. For example, you could take an $(n-k)$-dimensional submanifold $N\subset\mathbb{RP}^n$ such that there's an $(n-k+1)$-dimensional submanifold $W\subset\mathbb{RP}^n$ with $N = \partial W$, and one says $N$ bounds. $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 4, 2018 at 3:21

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