All Questions
1,240 questions
32
votes
8
answers
2k
views
Noncommutative rational homotopy type
Ok, this question is much less ambitious than it might sound, but still:
Two commutative differential graded algebras (cdga's) are quasi-isomorphic if they can be connected by a chain of cdga quasi-...
- 23.5k
32
votes
4
answers
7k
views
Computational software in Algebraic Topology?
I was wondering if there is any good software out there that allows you to do specific computations in algebraic topology. For example:
Create a simplicial complex/set and ask questions about its ...
- 435
32
votes
20
answers
6k
views
What are your favorite puzzles/toys for introducing new mathematical concepts to students?
We all know that the Rubik's Cube provides a nice concrete introduction to group theory. I'm wondering what other similar gadgets are out there that you've found useful for introducing new math to ...
32
votes
2
answers
10k
views
Open problems in algebraic topology and homotopy theory
Some time ago (I see it was initially written before 1999?) Mark Hovey assembled a list of open problems in algebraic topology. The list can be found here. Some of the problems I know about have been ...
32
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Persistence barcodes and spectral sequences
Persistent homology is a well-developed tool which allows topological analysis of large data sets. From a topological perspective, the input is a filtered complex, and the output is a sequence of ...
- 35.9k
32
votes
1
answer
1k
views
About a claim by Gromov on proper holomorphic maps
At p. 223 of his paper [G03], Mikhail Gromov makes the following claim:
Let $X$, $Y$ be two complex manifolds (not necessarily compact or Kähler) of the same dimension and having the same even Betti ...
- 66.3k
31
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Algebras over the little disks operad
Hello,
The so-called "recognition principle" of Boardman-Vogt and May leaves me unsatisfied.
My problem is the following:
The "recognition principle" says that every "group-like" algebra over the ...
- 2,521
31
votes
0
answers
2k
views
When is a compact topological 4-manifold a CW complex?
Freedman's $E_8$-manifold is nontriangulable, as proved on page (xvi) of the Akbulut-McCarthy 1990 Princeton Mathematical Notes "Casson's invariant for oriented homology 3-spheres".
Kirby showed that ...
- 3,901
31
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Todd class as an Euler class
Let $X$ be a relatively nice scheme or topological space.
In various physics papers I've come accross, the Todd class $\text{Td}(T_X)$ is viewed as the Euler class of the normal bundle to $X\to LX$. ...
- 5,711
31
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Are the higher homotopy groups of the Hawaiian earring trivial?
The fundamental group of the Hawaiian earring is very complicated, but since it's "1-dimensional" one might guess that the higher homotopy groups vanish. Do they? Since the Hawaiian earring does not ...
- 28.1k
31
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Is the counit of geometric realization a Serre fibration?
Recall that a Serre fibration between topological spaces is a map which has the homotopy lifting property (HLP) for all CW complexes (equivalently for all disks $D^k$). The Serre fibrations are the ...
- 27.5k
31
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Is Lie group cohomology determined by restriction to finite subgroups?
Consider the restriction of the group cohomology $H^*(BG,\mathbb{Z})$, where $G$ is a compact Lie group and $BG$ is its classifying space, to finite subgroups $F \le G$. If we consider the product of ...
- 413
31
votes
7
answers
3k
views
Why are we interested in permutahedra, associahedra, cyclohedra, ...?
The following families of polytopes have received a lot of attention:
permutahedra,
associahedra,
cyclohedra,
...
My question is simple: Why?
As I understand, at least the latter two were ...
- 13.6k
31
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Fibrations and Cofibrations of spectra are "the same"
My question refers to a folklore statement that I have now seen a couple of times, but never really precise. One avatar is:
"For spectra every cofibration is equivalent to a fibration" (e.g. in the ...
- 1,558
31
votes
10
answers
8k
views
What are some interesting problems in the intersection of Algebraic Number Theory and Algebraic Topology?
I'm a beginning graduate student and while my background is primarily in algebraic number theory, I've found myself a bit smitten with the subject of algebraic topology recently after only having read ...
30
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Does there exist any non-contractible manifold with fixed point property?
Does there exist any non-trivial space (i.e not deformation retract onto a point) in $\mathbb R^n$ such that any continuous map from the space onto itself has a fixed point. I highly suspect that the ...
- 3,751
30
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Is the space of diffeomorphisms homotopy equivalent to a CW-complex?
Clarification: My question concerns the homotopy type of the space of $C^k$ diffeomorphisms with the compact-open $C^k$ topology, where $0< k \leq\infty$. I have stated my question below with $k=1$ ...
- 6,210
30
votes
0
answers
2k
views
Why do Clifford algebras determine $KO$ (and $K$-)-theory?
In the paper "Clifford modules" by Atiyah-Bott-Shapiro, they construct a family of Clifford algebras $C_k$ over the real numbers, so that $C_k$ is the algebra associated to a negative definite form on ...
- 25.6k
29
votes
0
answers
3k
views
Why do polytopes pop up in Lagrange inversion?
I'd be interested in hearing people's viewpoints on this. Looking for an intuitive perspective. See Wikipedia for descriptions of polytopes and the Lagrange inversion theorem/formula (LIF) for ...
29
votes
3
answers
3k
views
The homotopy category is not complete nor cocomplete
I understand that the homotopy category of (pointed) topological spaces and continuous maps is not complete. Nor is it cocomplete. In particular it neither has all pullbacks nor all pushouts.
What ...
- 5,596
28
votes
5
answers
5k
views
Are rational varieties simply connected?
Is it true that every smooth rational variety X is simply connected? How is the proof?
Would it be still true if X has mild (for example orbifold) singularities?
28
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Has anyone seen a nice map of multiplicative cohomology theories?
I have seen lots of descriptions of this map in the literature but never seen it nicely drawn anywhere.
I could try to do it myself but I really lack expertise, hence am afraid to miss something or ...
- 18.4k
28
votes
4
answers
3k
views
The function $\sum_{0}^{\infty} x^n/n^n$
The function $F(x) = \sum_{0}^{\infty} x^n/n^n$ may be familiar to many readers as an example sometimes used when teaching tests for absolute convergence of entire functions defined by power series. I ...
- 679
28
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Is there a Morse theory proof of the Bruhat decomposition?
Let $G$ be a complex connected Lie group, $B$ a Borel subgroup and $W$ the Weyl group. The Bruhat decomposition allows us to write $G$ as a union $\bigcup_{w \in W} BwB$ of cells given by double ...
- 8,167
28
votes
1
answer
3k
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Two points of view about Borel-moore homology
They are several ways to define the Borel-Moore homology on a locally compact space $X$.
The first one is by analogy with the singular homology but instead of using finite chains, we use locally ...
- 1,017
27
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Fundamental group of a topological pullback
This should be such an elementary problem in algebraic topology that I'm almost too embarrassed to ask, but here goes.
Let $f: X\to Z$ be a surjective fibration, and let $g: Y\to Z$ be any map. ...
- 35.9k
27
votes
5
answers
6k
views
The Matrix-Tree Theorem without the matrix
I'm teaching an introductory graph theory course in the Fall, which I'm excited about because it gives me the chance to improve my understanding of graphs (my work is in topology). A highlight for me ...
- 22.1k
27
votes
3
answers
6k
views
The relationship between group cohomology and topological cohomology theories
I was recently trying to learn a little bit about group cohomology, but one point has been confusing me. According to wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_cohomology and some other sources ...
- 757
27
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Is “problem solving” a subject to be taught?
I am witnessing a new curriculum change in my country (Iran). It includes the change of all the mathematics textbooks at all grades. The peoples involved has sent me the textbook for seven graders (13 ...
27
votes
3
answers
7k
views
Why are we interested in the Fundamental Groupoid of a Space?
The classical version of the van Kampen theorem is concerned about the fundamental group of a based space. In fact, it says that the functor $\pi_1$ preserves certain types of pushouts in $Top_*$.
...
- 609
27
votes
2
answers
4k
views
What's the current state of the classification of not-fully-extended TQFTs?
Recall that a $(k,k+1,\dots,k+n)$-TQFT is (supposed to be) a functor from the $n$-category whose $j$-morphisms are (isomorphism classes of) compact $(k+j)$-dimensional manifolds with boundary to some ...
- 54.6k
27
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Teaching the fundamental group via everyday examples
This question is a "prequel" to a similar question about homology. Both questions were inspired by seeing a talk, by Tadashi Tokieda, about the interesting physics that appears in toys.
What ...
27
votes
2
answers
798
views
Is there a flat manifold with trivial first homology?
Is there a closed flat manifold whose fundamental group has trivial abelianization?
The famous Hantzsche–Wendt flat manifold has fundamental group with finite abelianization.
- 29.1k
27
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Computational complexity of topological K-theory
I am a novice with K-theory trying to understand what is and what is not possible.
Given a finite simplicial complex $X$, there of course elementary ways to quickly compute the cohomology of $X$ with ...
- 666
26
votes
1
answer
3k
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Are there "principal" bundles $S^1 \to S^3 \to S^2$ other then Hopf's? (They would be necessarily not locally trivial)
It is well known that the only principal locally trivial fiber bundle $S^1 \to S^3 \to S^2$ is Hopf map $h$ (see, for example, [1]).
What if we drop the local triviality but mantain a "principality" ...
- 1,123
26
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Cohomology of Lie groups and Lie algebras
The length of this question has got a little bit out of hand. I apologize.
Basically, this is a question about the relationship between the cohomology of Lie groups and Lie algebras, and maybe ...
- 23.5k
26
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Is the $\infty$-topos $Sh(X)$ hypercomplete whenever $X$ is a CW complex?
It can be shown (see Is every paracompact, Hausdorff, locally contractible space homotopy equivalent to a CW complex?) that if $X$ is a locally contractible paracompact Hausdorff space such that the $\...
- 9,491
26
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Conjuring phantoms by hand?
A map $f:X\to Y$ of CW-complexes is called a phantom if $f$ restricted to the $n$-skeleton of $X$ is contractible for all $n$. The first non-trivial example of such a map, with $X=\Sigma\mathbb{P}^\...
- 23.5k
26
votes
2
answers
2k
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Structure of Hopf algebras - trouble understanding an old paper
UPDATE: I am grateful to Peter May for the accepted answer, which makes most of the details below irrelevant. However, I will leave them in place for the record.
I am trying to understand the proof ...
- 56.9k
26
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Reverse mathematics of (co)homology?
Background
Exercise 2.1.16b in Hartshorne (homework!) asks you to prove that if $0 \rightarrow F \rightarrow G \rightarrow H \rightarrow 0$ is an exact sequence of sheaves, and F is flasque, then $0 \...
- 12.1k
26
votes
5
answers
2k
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Surprising properties of closed planar curves
In https://arxiv.org/abs/2002.05422 I proved with elementary topological methods that a smooth planar curve with total turning number a non-zero integer multiple of $2\pi$ (the tangent fully turns a ...
- 405
25
votes
3
answers
2k
views
What tools cannot work for orbifolds?
Consider all of your basic constructions/tools/theorems for manifolds: fundamental group, Euler characteristic, triangulations, orientation, smoothness, bundle structure, cobordisms, etc.. Viewing ...
- 17.5k
25
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Are "most" spaces aspherical?
There's a heuristic idea that "most" closed manifolds $M$ are aspherical (i.e. $\pi_{\geq 2}(M) = 0$). Does this heuristic extend usefully to all spaces -- or at least to all finite CW complexes?
To ...
- 64k
25
votes
1
answer
618
views
Action of the degree 2 map on $\pi_8(S^4)$
I am currently reading Sullivan's Geometric Topology: Localization, Periodicity, and Galois Symmetry, on page 34 Sullivan claims that the degree 2 map $2:S^4 \to S^4$ induces the map $\left(\begin{...
- 353
25
votes
4
answers
4k
views
A possible generalization of the homotopy groups.
The homotopy groups $\pi_{n}(X)$ arise from considering equivalence classes of based maps from the $n$-sphere $S^{n}$ to the space $X$. As is well known, these maps can be composed, giving arise to a ...
- 5,759
25
votes
2
answers
3k
views
The Dold-Thom theorem for infinity categories?
Let $\mathcal{M}$ denote the category of finite sets and monomorphisms, and let $\mathcal T$ denote the category of based spaces. For a based space $X \in \mathcal T$, one has a canonical funtor $S_X ...
- 1,484
25
votes
1
answer
5k
views
Example of fiber bundle that is not a fibration
It is well-known that a fiber bundle under some mild hypothesis is a fibration, but I don't know any examples of fiber bundles which aren't (Hurewicz) fibrations (they should be weird examples, I ...
- 253
25
votes
6
answers
3k
views
What is the standard 2-generating set of the symmetric group good for?
I apologize for this question which is obviously not research-level. I've been teaching to master students the standard generating sets of the symmetric and alternating groups and I wasn't able to ...
- 4,492
25
votes
2
answers
845
views
Which homotopy classes $S^3 \to S^2$ lift to embeddings $S^3 \to S^2 \times D^3$?
The question is, for a smooth embedding
$$f : S^3 \to S^2 \times D^3$$
one can compose the map $f$ with projection $\pi : S^2 \times D^3 \to S^2$, giving the map $\pi \circ f : S^3 \to S^2$.
Which ...
- 44.4k
25
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Persistent homology of Gaussian fields in Euclidean space
If you generate points in $\mathbb R^n$ via a process that respects a Gaussian normal distribution, then compute the persistent homology / barcodes, to my eye something fairly regular seems to be ...
- 44.4k