Questions tagged [homotopy-theory]

Homotopy theory is an important sub-field of algebraic topology. It is mainly concerned with the properties and structures of spaces which are invariant under homotopy. Chief among these are the homotopy groups of spaces, specifically those of spheres. Homotopy theory includes a broad set of ideas and techniques, such as cohomology theories, spectra and stable homotopy theory, model categories, spectral sequences, and classifying spaces.

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How are these algebraic and geometric notions of homotopy of maps between manifolds related?

Let $M$ and $N$ be smooth manifolds, and $f,g: M \to N$ smooth maps. Denote by $(\Omega^\bullet M,\mathrm d_M)$ and $(\Omega^\bullet N, \mathrm d_N)$ the cdgas of de Rham forms in each manifold, and ...
Theo Johnson-Freyd's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
572 views

Delooping maps between H-spaces

Hi, this question is related to my question here. Suppose, I have a topological group $G$ and an $A_{\infty}$-space $H$, which is a CW-complex. Furthermore, I have a map $\varphi \colon G \to H$, ...
Ulrich Pennig's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
439 views

A Grothendieck fibration over a weakly contractible category with weakly contractible fibers is weakly contractible?

Let $B$ be a weakly contractible category (that is, it has a weakly contractible nerve), and let $F:E\to B$ be a Grothendieck fibration. Suppose further that the ordinary fibers of the Grothendieck ...
Harry Gindi's user avatar
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12 votes
0 answers
772 views

What's so difficult about $\pi_{15}(SO)$?

Regarding the table of $SO(n)$s-of-origin in Davis+Mahowald (if you can get MathSciNet), is there a good reason that it should take longer for $\pi_{15}(SO)$ to be representable than $\pi_{19}(SO)$, ...
some guy on the street's user avatar
6 votes
0 answers
603 views

Fiber sequences in proper model categories

I am confused about the notion of a fiber sequence (or dually a cofiber sequence) in a general pointed and proper model category $\mathcal{C}$. Following Hovey, we can define, like in topology, a map ...
Rolf N.'s user avatar
  • 61
5 votes
2 answers
592 views

Duality between proper homotopy theory and strong shape theory

In the n-lab entry about shape theory one can read that Strong Shape Theory [...] has, especially in the approach pioneered by Edwards and Hastings, strong links to proper homotopy theory. ...
DamienC's user avatar
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4 votes
0 answers
1k views

When are "diagrams of cofibrations" projectively cofibrant?

Let $P$ be a small category, and let $F:P\to M$ be a diagram in a left-proper combinatorial model category $M$. We say that $F$ is a diagram of cofibrations if for every object $p\in P$, $F(p)$ is ...
Harry Gindi's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
329 views

truncation commutes with localization?

Suppose I have a higher category, say a simplicial category $C$, and I want to invert a certain type of morphism $W$. Simplicial localization (for example hammock localization), gives a localized ...
euklid345's user avatar
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14 votes
2 answers
1k views

The reflexive free-category comonad-resolution is a cofibrant replacement of the discrete simplicial category associated with an ordinary category in the Bergner model structure on the category of small simplicial categories?

Let $X$ be the category of reflexive quivers, and let $Cat$ be the category of small categories. There exists an evident forgetful functor $U:Cat\to X$ sending a category $A$ to its underlying ...
Harry Gindi's user avatar
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3 votes
0 answers
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Closed Model Category Structure on Chain Complexes Related to A Left-exact Functor

Let $F:A \to B$ be an additive left-exact functor of abelian categories (Do not assume that they have enough injectives / projectives.) Suppose we are given a class of objects $R$ adapted to $F$ (see ...
Mikhail Gudim's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
454 views

Nonabelian cohomology via crossed modules

Let $G$, $H$ be topological groups and let $t \colon G \to H$ be a homomorphism, such that $t \colon G \to H$ is a topological crossed module. For a topological space $X$ we can define the nonabelian ...
Ulrich Pennig's user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
1k views

Is the simplicial completion of a localizer always a bousfield localization of the injective model structure?

Background Recall (from Cisinski's Astérisque volume 308) that given a small category $A$, we define an $A$-localizer to be a class $W$ of morphisms of $\mathrm{Psh}(A)$ satisfying the following ...
Harry Gindi's user avatar
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21 votes
2 answers
3k views

obstruction theories in algebraic geometry

I'd like to know about the history of obstruction theories in algebraic geometry, as well as the relationship with concepts of the same name in topology. I would also like to know where obstruction ...
Jonathan Wise's user avatar
15 votes
2 answers
1k views

Proof of Bott Periodicity in twisted K-theory

I have a question about the Proof of Bott Periodicity in twisted K-theory by Atiyah and Segal in their paper Twisted K-theory. Following their notation, to prove Bott periodicity in this context it ...
José Manuel Gómez's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

categorifying induction in homotopy type theory

In trying to understand homotopy type theory, I stumbled upon the following silly question, which is likely to be trivial for the experts. Let $B=\sqcup_{n\in\Bbb N} BS_n$, which I'd like to think of ...
Sergey Melikhov's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
538 views

Does adding degeneracies to a semi-simplicial diagram change the homotopy colimit?

Let $\Delta_{+}$ be the sub-category of the simplex category $\Delta$ containing only injective functions, and take $M$ to be a nice model category. I'll write $i \colon \Delta_{+} \hookrightarrow \...
Timo Schürg's user avatar
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18 votes
4 answers
2k views

Spaces that are both homotopically and cohomologically finite

Is it true that every connected space with 1) just finitely many nontrivial homotopy groups, all finite, and 2) just finitely many nontrivial rational cohomology groups, all finite rank, is ...
John Baez's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
445 views

Which $H$--groups satisfy the rigidity property of abelian varieties?

Let us call a group object $G$ in a category $\mathcal C$ rigid, if it has the following property: For every group object $X$ in $\mathcal C$, every morphism $G\to X$ in $\mathcal C$ respecting the ...
Xandi Tuni's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
676 views

homotopy transfer for sheaves of algebras

homotopy transfer for algebras Let $A$ be a differential graded (dg) $k$-algebra, and $H(A)$ its cohomology. $H(A)$ is naturally equipped with the structure of a graded algebra. In general we don't ...
DamienC's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
2k views

Construct a CW complex with prescribed homotopy groups and actions of $\pi_1$.

How to construct a CW complex $X$ with prescribed homotopy groups $\pi_i(X)$ and prescribed actions of $\pi_1(X)$ on the $\pi_i(X)$'s?
m07kl's user avatar
  • 1,672
7 votes
2 answers
875 views

Uniqueness of loop spaces

Suppose X is a loop space; by this we mean there is some space $Y$ with $\Omega Y \simeq X$. Under what assumptions is (the homotopy type of) $Y$ unique? As has been pointed out below, the ...
Dr Shello's user avatar
  • 1,160
2 votes
1 answer
211 views

Shrinkable maps and universal weak equivalences

Recall that a morphism $f:X \to B$ is called shrinkable is there exists a section $s:B \to X$ together with a homotopy $$H:I \times X \to X$$ from $sf$ to $id_X$ over $B,$ i.e. for all $t$, the map $$...
David Carchedi's user avatar
41 votes
2 answers
5k views

Homotopy groups of $S^2$

in the paper Foundations of the theory of bounded cohomology, by N.V. Ivanov, the author considers the complex of bounded singular cochains on a simply connected CW-complex $X$, and constructs a ...
Roberto Frigerio's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
779 views

weak equivalence of simplicial sets

Given a morphism f:X --> Y in sSet, and assume that it induces isomorphisms for \pi_0,\pi_1,\pi_2, and all integral homology groups. Does it imply that f is a weak equivalence? In Hatcher's Algebraic ...
Enxin Wu's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
470 views

Parallelizability of exotic structure

I'd like to discuss a little bit about the problem I asked Diarmuid Crowley that whether all smooth structures on $S^7$ are parallelizable. He first came to using semi-characteristic but then came up ...
Sam Nariman's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
2k views

References for Grothendieck's "Pursuing Stacks" and "Esquisse"

Where can I find Grothendieck's "Pursuing Stacks"/"A la poursuite des champs" and "Esquisse d'un programme"?
user4's user avatar
  • 911
36 votes
0 answers
1k views

Functor that maps to both $KO^n$ and $KO^{-n}$

(my question is also meaningful for complex K-theory, but since Kn(X) is always isomorphic to K-n(X), it's less interesting) I start by recalling the analytic definition of KO-theory: The following ...
André Henriques's user avatar
14 votes
2 answers
1k views

Homotopy type of Hilbert schemes of points of $\mathbb C^2$

Let $X=\mathbb C^2$, let $X^{[n]}$ be the Hilbert scheme of length $n$ 0-cycles in $X$, and let $X^{[n]}_0$ be the closed subscheme formed by the 0-cycles supported at 0. As far as I know $X^{[n]}_0$ ...
Yougeeaw's user avatar
  • 143
22 votes
8 answers
2k views

Examples of Brown (co)fibration categories that are not Quillen model categories?

K.S. Brown has shown that much of abstract homotopy theory can be carried out in the setting of Brown (co)fibration categories [MR0341469]. The decisive property, immediate from the axioms, is that ...
5 votes
1 answer
1k views

Why are connective spectra called "connective"?

Recall that a spectrum is called connective if it is $(-1)$-connected (that is, its homotopy is concentrated in nonnegative degrees). However, this left me scratching my head a bit. Why "connective"?...
Harry Gindi's user avatar
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20 votes
3 answers
3k views

What is the homotopy theory of categories?

I've heard that Grothendieck, in his letter "Pursuing Stacks," wanted to find alternative models for the classical homotopy category of CW complexes and continuous maps (up to homotopy), and one of ...
Akhil Mathew's user avatar
  • 25.3k
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

Geometric meaning of torsion in homotopy groups

It is not too hard to understand the geometric meaning of torsion in homology groups of CW complexes. However, I thought it would be interesting to hear how people describe/think of the geometric ...
Manuel Rivera's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
193 views

Reference for an automorphism in a paper of Toda

In Selick's very pretty paper "Odd primary torsion in $\pi_*(S^3)$" he makes use of an automorphism which was established by Toda in his paper "On the double suspension $E^2$". Unfortunately, Selick ...
Jeff Strom's user avatar
  • 12.5k
4 votes
1 answer
795 views

Complex orientation of the Adams Summand

First lets fix a prime $p$ (I really care about $p=2$ but would be happy to know about other primes as well). When localized at a prime the spectrum $ku$ (Complex connective K-theory) splits as a ...
Sean Tilson's user avatar
  • 3,676
13 votes
1 answer
1k views

Is the $\infty$-category of stable $\infty$-categories stable?

More generally, are there any remarkable properties enjoyed by the $\infty$-category of stable $\infty$-categories?
Alex's user avatar
  • 133
7 votes
1 answer
910 views

Classifying spaces of E_1 - spaces

Hello, I try to understand aspects of homotopy coherence, in particular "recognition principle" of May. About the following I did not think a lot, but I decided to ask here anyway, so to save ...
Sasha's user avatar
  • 5,492
98 votes
6 answers
14k views

Is there a high-concept explanation for why "simplicial" leads to "homotopy-theoretic"?

My (limited) understanding is that simplicial methods tend to be used whenever you want some kind of nontrivial homotopy theory -- for instance, to get a nice model structure, you use simplicial sets ...
Akhil Mathew's user avatar
  • 25.3k
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

Homology of homotopy fixed point spaces

This is a general question for the homotopy theory crowd: How does one go about computing the homology and homotopy groups of homotopy fixed point spaces $X^{hG}:= Map^G(EG, X)$ for the action of a ...
Craig Westerland's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
591 views

Can a smooth, immersed loop in R^2 become not nullhomotopic by removing a point?

ATT More precisely, let $\gamma :S^1\rightarrow R^2$ be a smooth immersed loop, the question is whether it is true that there is a point $p\in R^2-\gamma(S^1)$ such that $\gamma$ is not homotopic to ...
Honglu's user avatar
  • 1,079
19 votes
1 answer
2k views

Slick Proof of Kudo Transgression Theorem

The Kudo Trangression Theorem has to do with the transgression in the Leray-Serre spectral sequence for cohomology in $\mathbb{Z}/p$ ($p$ odd). It can be proved by the method of the universal example,...
Jeff Strom's user avatar
  • 12.5k
5 votes
1 answer
1k views

Flat Principal Connections and Homotopy Groups?

I've come across a comment in a paper that hints at a relation between the set of (flat) connections for a principal bundle and the homotopy group of the base of the bundle. Can anyone tell me what ...
Abtan Massini's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
293 views

What is a left dual up to homotopy?

My question is prompted by 57589 If $X$ is an object in a monoidal category with unit $I$ then $Y$ is a left dual if we have $I\rightarrow Y\otimes X$ and $X\otimes Y\rightarrow I$ which satisfy the ...
Bruce Westbury's user avatar
17 votes
4 answers
2k views

Degeneracies for semi-simplicial Kan complexes

By a semi-simplicial set I mean a simplicial set without degeneracies. In such a thing we can define horns as usual, and thereby "semi-simplicial Kan complexes" which have a filler for every horn. ...
Mike Shulman's user avatar
  • 65.1k
5 votes
2 answers
1k views

Classifying space for S1-bundle?

What is the classifying space for $S^1$-bundle? Here, $S^1$-bundle means a fiber bundle which doesn't mean that it is principal $S^1$-bundle. I know that for a space $F$, $\lbrace$the set of fiber ...
Googlgiehriging's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
911 views

Analogue to Serre spectral sequence for cofiber sequences and homotopy

(This is a follow-up question to this one). As it is nicely outlined in an answer to this question, homotopy groups behave well with respect to (Serre)-fibrations and (co)homology groups behave well ...
roger123's user avatar
  • 2,712
7 votes
2 answers
831 views

What are the algebras over $\Omega^k\Sigma^k$ ?

Let $Ho(Spc)$ be the homotopy category of spaces. There is an adjoint pair $$ \Sigma^k \colon Ho(Spc) \leftrightarrows Ho(Spc)\colon \Omega^k, $$ where $\Sigma^k$ is the $k$-th supension functor and $\...
Toribio Smith's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
417 views

Homotopy dimension of a mapping

The homotopy dimension $h \dim X$ of a space $X$ is the minimal dimension of a CW-complex $Z$ homotopy equivalent to $X$. I am interested in the generalisation to maps $f\colon X\to Y$. Here's what I ...
Mark Grant's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
436 views

How equivalent are the theories of reduced and groupal $\infty$-groupoids?

I hope that my question is sufficiently trivial that someone will be able to give me a pedantic answer, and not so trivial that no one takes the time to give an answer. My motivation for asking this ...
Theo Johnson-Freyd's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
1k views

homotopy pushout of spaces homotopic to finite CW complexes

Does anyone know a reference for the fact that a homotopy pushout (double mapping cylinder) of spaces which are homotopy equivalent to finite CW complexes is also homotopy equivalent to a finite CW ...
Jim McClure's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
326 views

Model categories and cellular maps

A question came up on MSE and it generated, for me, the following question: When looking at the maps of CW/cell/simplicial complexes do the cellular/simplicial maps have a model theoretic ...
Sean Tilson's user avatar
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