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3 votes
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On generators of the multiplicative semigroup $\{r\in\mathbb Q:\ r>1\}$

The set $M=\{r\in\mathbb Q:\ r>1\}$ is a commutative semigroup with respect to the multiplication. For any integers $a>b\ge1$, we clearly have $$\frac ab=\prod_{n=b}^{a-1}\frac{n+1}n.$$ So the ...
Zhi-Wei Sun's user avatar
  • 15.6k
4 votes
1 answer
359 views

Nerve theorem for simplicial sets

There are various kinds of nerve theorems. I am wondering if the following version of nerve theorem for simplicial sets is true: Let $X:\Delta^{\mathrm{op}}\to \mathrm{Set}$ be a simplicial set. Let $\...
Xiaomeng Xu's user avatar
9 votes
0 answers
212 views

Left adjoint functor between categories of polygons?

EDIT: Based on very helpful comments from Alec Rhea and Qiaochu Yuan I am adding some specification on objects and morphisms, hoping that this clarifies the idea behind these categories. I have also ...
Claus's user avatar
  • 6,937
15 votes
1 answer
541 views

Where is the Steenrod Realization problem at?

I'm wondering if there is a more modern reference out there for the Steenrod Realization Problem than the book of Connor and Floyd? Realizing homology classes in a manifold via embedded submanifolds, ...
Ryan Budney's user avatar
  • 44.4k
4 votes
0 answers
112 views

Differentials on free algebras over operads

I am currently reading Cyclic Operads and Cyclic Homology by Getzler-Jones and have some confusions. I am under the impression that given an (associative, say) algebra $A$ that an almost-free ...
JD1874's user avatar
  • 195
34 votes
8 answers
6k views

Applications of super-mathematics to non-super mathematics

Supergeometry and more broadly supermathematics has been around for few decades. Since its introduction by physicists, there has been an some mathematical interest in them. Although interesting in its ...
11 votes
1 answer
457 views

Steenrod powers of the Thom class

René Thom in 1952 proved the formula $$ Sq^i(U_2)=\Phi_2(w_i), $$ which in modern parlance says that the Steenrod squares of the mod $2$ Thom class of an orthogonal bundle are the images under the mod ...
Mark Grant's user avatar
  • 35.9k
4 votes
1 answer
253 views

Intersection pairing on non-compact surface

Let $S$ be a smooth oriented connected $2$-manifold. We have an algebraic intersection pairing $\omega\colon H_1(S) \times H_1(S) \rightarrow \mathbb{Z}$. If $S$ is compact, then this is ...
Roger's user avatar
  • 43
1 vote
1 answer
215 views

Reference about cancellation property for semigroups

Have the semigroups with the following cancellation property been studied? Property: Let $S$ be a semigroup and $x,y\in S$ such that $xz=yz,$ for all $z\in S,$ then $x=y$.
Hector Pinedo's user avatar
23 votes
3 answers
2k views

What are some toy models for the stable homotopy groups of spheres?

The graded ring $\pi_\ast^s$ of stable homotopy groups of spheres is a horrible ring. It is non-Noetherian, and nilpotent torsion outside of degree zero. Question: What are some "toy models" ...
Tim Campion's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
132 views

Is the product of torus and sphere a cover of the symmetric square of torus?

Let $T$ denote the $2$-dimensional torus and $T^{(2)}$ denote its symmetric square (which is the orbit space of the canonical $\mathbb{Z}_2$ action on the $4$-torus $T \times T$). One can see $T^{(2)}$...
SRhonda's user avatar
  • 31
5 votes
0 answers
92 views

For spaces $U$ and discrete sets $I,J$, are maps $f\colon U \times I \rightarrow U \times J$ commuting with the projection to $U$ covering spaces?

Let $U$ be a topological space, let $I$ and $J$ be discrete sets, and let $f\colon U \times I \rightarrow U \times J$ be a continuous map that commutes with the projection onto the first factor. In ...
BasicQuestionBot's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
159 views

Topologies on the infinite join

Let $G$ be a topological group. Following Milnor one way of defining the total space of the universal bundle $EG$ of $G$ is to form the infinite join $$ EG = G^{\ast \infty} = G \ast G \ast \dots $$ ...
Ulrich Pennig's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
92 views

Reference for the monoidal category structure $X \otimes Y = X + Y + X \times Y$ on a distributive category

Given a distributive category $\mathscr C$ (more generally a rig category), we can define a (semicocartesian) monoidal category structure on $\mathscr C$ with tensor product given by $X \otimes Y := X ...
varkor's user avatar
  • 10.7k
5 votes
0 answers
191 views

Do most semigroups have a zero?

It is widely believed in finite semigroup theory that asymptotically almost all finite semigroups $S$, up to isomorphism, are 3-nilpotent, i.e., they satisfy $\#\{abc\,:\,a,b,c\in S\} = 1$. My ...
user513093's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
224 views

LS category of 4-manifolds with free fundamental group

In this math overflow question asked almost 5 years ago about the (normalized) Lusternik-Schnirelmann category of $4$-manifolds, the second-last comment (by Jeff Strom) says the following: A $4$-...
Jeremy's user avatar
  • 311
1 vote
0 answers
64 views

Energy minimization and boundary homotopy types of compact manifolds

Let $X$ be a connected, compact, smooth manifold of dimension $n$ with a non-empty boundary $\partial X$. Define the boundary homotopy type of $X$ as the homotopy type of the pair $(X, \partial X)$. ...
Peter Reinhon's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
183 views

When can a generalized connected sum be aspherical

Let $M$ and $N$ be compact $n$-dimensional manifolds with a common (nicely embedded) compact submanifold $S$ (we may assume that the inclusion of $S$ in $M$ and $N$ is $\pi_1$-injective). Let $M\#_S N$...
Jeremy's user avatar
  • 311
8 votes
1 answer
508 views

On the definition of stably almost complex manifold

According to Adams' paper "Summary on complex cobordism", a manifold is stably almost-complex if it can be embedded in a sphere of sufficiently high dimension with a normal bundle which is a ...
onefishtwofish's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
191 views

Eulerian posets and order complexes

To every poset $P$ it is possible to associate its order complex $\Delta(P)$. The faces of $\Delta(P)$ correspond to chains of elements in $P$. An Eulerian poset is a graded poset such that all of its ...
Luis Ferroni's user avatar
  • 1,889
14 votes
0 answers
326 views

When can we extend a diffeomorphism from a surface to its neighborhood as identity?

Let $M$ be a closed and simply-connected 4-manifold and let $f: M^4 \to M^4$ be a diffeomorphism such that $f^*: H^*(M;\mathbb{Z})\to H^*(M;\mathbb{Z})$ is the identity map. Moreover, let $\Sigma \...
Anubhav Mukherjee's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
118 views

Characterization of self-conjugate spin$^c$ structures

Let $M$ be an oriented Riemannian $n$-manifold. Then we can choose a trivializing open cover $M=\bigcup_\alpha U_\alpha$ for $TM$ and corresponding transition functions $g_{\alpha \beta}:U_\alpha \...
user302934's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
469 views

How to calculate $\mathrm{TP}(\mathbb{F}_p[t])$?

$\DeclareMathOperator\TP{TP}$I am trying to learn about topological periodic cyclic homology following the notes: https://www.uni-muenster.de/IVV5WS/WebHop/user/nikolaus/Papers/Lectures.pdf https://...
onefishtwofish's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
600 views

Derivations in the Steenrod algebra

Let $\mathcal A^\ast$ be the (mod 2) Steenrod algebra. Question 1: Is there a classification of homogeneous elements $D \in \mathcal A^n$ such that $D^2 = 0$? Question 2: Is there a classification of ...
Tim Campion's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
218 views

Twisting cochain intuition

I'm currently reading through Ed Brown's paper "Twisted tensor products, I", (MR105687, Zbl 0199.58201) and I couldn't find any simple examples of twisting cochains. I understand all ...
VadimKSt's user avatar
  • 171
6 votes
5 answers
953 views

Two arcs in the complement of a disc must intersect?

Let $D=\{z\in \mathbb C:|z|\leq 1\}$ be the unit disc in the complex plane, with interior $U=\{z\in \mathbb C:|z|<1\}$. Let $A\subset \mathbb C\setminus U$ be an arc intersecting $D$ only at its ...
D.S. Lipham's user avatar
  • 3,317
5 votes
2 answers
333 views

Differing monoidal model structures on a fixed model category

Suppose that $\mathcal{C}$ is a model category (with a fixed model structure). Are there any known examples where $\mathcal{C}$ is a (symmetric) monoidal model category in two different ways? I.e., ...
JD1874's user avatar
  • 195
2 votes
1 answer
174 views

A topological space has the homotopy-type of a CW-complex, then is it locally contractible?

Let $X$ be a topological space which has the homotopy-type of a CW-complex. As well-known, a CW-complex is locally contractible. Question: Is $X$ locally contractible? If not, can some one give a ...
Lelong  Wang's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
219 views

Finding $\mathbb{C}(u,v)$ such that $\mathbb{C}(u,v,x^p+y^p)=\mathbb{C}(x,y)$, for every prime number $p$

Denote the set of prime numbers by $P$, $P=\{2,3,5,7,\ldots\}$. Let $F \subseteq \mathbb{C}(x,y)$ be a subfield of $\mathbb{C}(x,y)$, and for $w \in \mathbb{C}[x,y]$ denote by $F(w)$ the subfield of $\...
user237522's user avatar
  • 2,837
3 votes
2 answers
246 views

Explicit description of transfer for $K_1$

Let $R$ be a commutative regular ring and let $s \in R$ be an element such that $R / s$ is also regular. Then we have a long exact localization sequence $$ \ldots \rightarrow K_i(R/s) \rightarrow K_i(...
Daniel Schäppi's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
470 views

Non-triviality of Whitehead products in wedges of CW-complexes

Suppose $X$ and $Y$ are finite, simply connected, based CW-complexes and $m,n\geq 2$. If $a\in \pi_m(X)$ and $b\in \pi_n(Y)$, then one can regard these as elements of the homotopy groups of $X\vee Y$. ...
J.K.T.'s user avatar
  • 517
5 votes
2 answers
441 views

Is every codimension-one homology class of a closed manifold represented by a $\pi_1$-injective embedded submanifold?

Let $M$ be a connected closed orientable smooth $n$-manifold and $\nu \in H_{n-1}(M, \mathbb{Z})$ a non-trivial codimension-one homology class. It is known that $\nu$ can be represented by an embedded ...
24601's user avatar
  • 302
5 votes
1 answer
247 views

Does a "good" homotopy equivalence between pairs imply homotopy equivalence between quotient spaces?

If $(X,A)$ and $(Y,B)$ are (good) pairs of topological spaces, and $f:X\rightarrow Y$ is a homotopy equivalence such that the restriction $f\restriction_A$ is a homotopy equivalence between $A$ and $B$...
Ondrej Draganov's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
557 views

Relation between 16 $\mathbf{CP}^2$ and $\overline{K3}$

In bordism theory and algebraic topology, 4d spin bordism group is generated by $K3$ surface, while 4d $SO$ bordism group generated by $\mathbf{CP}^2$. $K3$'s 4-manifold signature is $- 16$ and $\...
zeta's user avatar
  • 447
4 votes
1 answer
355 views

Bott & Tu differential forms Example 10.1

In Bott & Tu's "Differential forms", Example 10.1 states: $\textbf{Example 10.1}$ Let $\pi: E \to M$ be a fiber bundle with fiber $F$. Define a presheaf on $M$ by $\mathcal F(U) = H^q(\...
Jaehwan Kim's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
164 views

Are monomorphisms in an $\infty$-topos preserved by $0$-truncation?

Let $\mathfrak{X}$ be an $\infty$-topos and let $f\colon X\to Y$ be a morphism of $\mathfrak{X}$. We say that $f$ is a monomorphism if it is $(-1)$-truncated which means that for every $Z\in\mathfrak{...
Jonathan Beardsley's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
290 views

Loop-space functor on cohomology

For a pointed space $X$ and an Abelian group $G$, the loop-space functor induces a homomorphism $\omega:H^n(X,G)\to H^{n-1}(\Omega X,G)$. More concretely, $\omega$ is given by the Puppe sequence $$\...
Leo's user avatar
  • 663
4 votes
1 answer
148 views

Seifert invariants for Brieskorn manifolds $\Sigma(p,q,r)$

I've been studying Brieskorn manifolds $\Sigma(p,q,r)$ for $p,q,r\geq 2$. I know they are defined as the intersection of the complex surface $z_1^p+z_2^q+z_3^r=0$ as a subset of $\mathbb{C}^3$ and $S^...
user13121312's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
84 views

de Rham cohomology relative to a closed subset

I am interested whether there exists a versions of de Rham relative cohomology $H^\bullet(M, N)$ in which $N$ does not need to be a manifold. I know there are two main definitions in literature as ...
Janczar Knurek's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
37 views

Asymptotic growth of twisted alexander polynomials and hyperbolic volume for infinite families of knots

Let $\{K_n\}_{n=1}^\infty$ be an infinite family of hyperbolic knots with increasing crossing number, and let $\rho_n: \pi_1(S^3 \setminus K_n) \to SL_N(\mathbb{C})$ be a sequence of irreducible ...
Chandler Halderson's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
537 views

Fundamental group of a generalized connected sum

Let $M$ and $N$ be two $n$ dimensional connected closed manifolds with $n \ge 3$, and let $S$ be a $(n-1)$ dimensional closed submanifold common to $M$ and $N$. Consider the connected sum of $M$ and $...
Jeremy's user avatar
  • 311
2 votes
0 answers
100 views

A question about Milnor space

Let $G$ be a compact group and $H$ be a closed subgroup of $G$. I know that if $G\rightarrow G/H$ is a principal $H$-bundle, then we can choose $E_{H}$ as $% E_{G}$, where $E_{G}$ is the Milnor space ...
Mehmet Onat's user avatar
  • 1,367
13 votes
1 answer
580 views

Identifying two definitions of orientation on a vector space

Let $V$ be an $n$-dimensional real vector space. Here are two definitions of an orientation on $V$: A generator of the $1$-dimensional vector space $\wedge^n V$, up to multiplication by positive ...
Jean's user avatar
  • 133
13 votes
2 answers
1k views

Categories on which one can determine all model structures?

Famously, there are exactly nine model structures on the category of sets, which are detailed here. In this case, one can exhaustively determine all six weak factorization systems and then see which ...
Tim Campion's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
497 views

Bar construction in commutative algebras is calculated by pushout

$\DeclareMathOperator\colim{colim}$ Also asked in MathStackexchange here This is a statement in Lurie's Higher Algebra 5.2.2.4. Proposition 3.2.4.7 in HA said that the monoidal structure on $\text{...
Xiong Jiangnan's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
425 views

Does there exist a Bousfield localization of the category of spectra which makes the sphere unbounded below?

Let $Sp$ be the category of spectra. Let $L : Sp \to Sp_L$ be the localization functor onto a reflective subcategory. Question 1: Is it ever the case that $L(S^0)$ is not bounded below? Question 2: ...
Tim Campion's user avatar
14 votes
4 answers
742 views

Prove or disprove: $R^{n+1} \supseteq R \cap R^2 \cap \cdots \cap R^n$ for every binary relation $R$ on a set of size $n$

Prove or disprove: $R^{n+1} \supseteq R \cap R^2 \cap \cdots \cap R^n$ for every binary relation $R$ on a set of size $n$. I have verified the statement for $n \leq 4$ with a Mathematica code. I have ...
Geoffrey Critzer's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
495 views

Are Chern classes always vertical?

Let $c_k \in H^{2k}(M, \mathbb{Z})$ be the $k$-th Chern class of the tangent bundle of a Hermitian manifold $M$. Is $c_k$ necessarily vertical, i.e. $$ c_k = \sum_{i_1,\dots, i_{k}} \alpha_{i_1 \dots ...
Severin's user avatar
  • 105
3 votes
1 answer
240 views

Cohomology of the complement of a subvariety

Let $X$ be a complex manifold, $Y\subset X$ a subvariety, and $U:=X\setminus Y$ of codimension $d$. It is well known that the restriction map $$ H^i(X,\mathbb Q)\to H^i(U,\mathbb Q) $$ is an ...
fgh's user avatar
  • 178
2 votes
1 answer
155 views

Unimodular intersection form of a smooth compact oriented 4-manifold with boundary

Let $X$ be a smooth compact oriented 4-manifold with nonempty boundary. Its intersection form $$ Q_X : H^2(X,\partial X;\Bbb Z)/\text{torsion}\times H^2(X,\partial X;\Bbb Z)/\text{torsion}\to \Bbb Z$$ ...
user302934's user avatar