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4 votes
0 answers
202 views

Possible Euler characteristics of manifolds with tangential structures

Let $p:B\to BO$ be a fibration. We say that a manifold has a $B$-structure if its stable tangent bundle lifts to $B$. I am interested in the question of whether there exists, for a given even ...
4 votes
0 answers
116 views

Finding inverses of certain elements in the set of normal invariants of a smooth manifold

Let, $V$ denote the Stiefel manifold of 2-frames $V_{10,2}$ . Consider the the map $S_\text{diff} (V) \xrightarrow{\eta} N_\text{diff} (V) $ in the surgery exact sequence of a smooth manifold. . ...
1 vote
0 answers
161 views

Higher dimensional Seifert surfaces and link numbers of higher knots

In 3-manifold topology, the notion of Seifert surface is well known. It is then used to define link numbers of knots. Question: Consider embedding $N^n \rightarrow M^{2n+1}$ of n-dimensional manifold $...
2 votes
0 answers
55 views

Tangential normal invariant isomorphism

Recently, I was reading the paper "Finite Group Actions on Kervaire Manifold" by Crowley, Hambolton. But I am having problem understanding a definition. Here it is, In page 15-16 they are ...
4 votes
1 answer
230 views

Gluing a manifold along its boundary, via chain complexes

Given closed oriented $n$-manifolds $M, M', M''$ and bordisms $W, W'$ with $\partial W = M \sqcup - M'$ and $\partial W' = M' \sqcup - M''$, we can collar-glue them to obtain a bordism from $M$ to $M''...
6 votes
1 answer
472 views

4-manifold obtained from a ribbon disk exterior by attaching a 2-handle is simply-connected if its boundary is a homology sphere

I am reading Lemma 2.1 of this paper (https://arxiv.org/pdf/2012.12587.pdf) and I can't see why $W$ is simply-connected. Here is the situation: Let $K$ be a ribbon knot in $S^3$; it bounds a ribbon ...
2 votes
0 answers
130 views

Attaching a 2-handle to a once-twisted unlink in the boundary of the 4-ball

Consider the 3-sphere $S_3$ with an unlink loop $L$ whose tubular neighborhood is identified with the solid torus $B_2\times S_1$ with one twist, i.e., such that the image of $x\times S_1$ (where $x$ ...
4 votes
0 answers
249 views

Being a product - from homology to topology

The famous Kunneth formula expresses the homology of a product manifold as the tensor product of the two algebras. Now suppose we know that a manifold $X$ has a decomposition $H_*(X) \simeq A \otimes ...
24 votes
1 answer
1k views

Mapping class groups in high dimension

$\DeclareMathOperator\MCG{MCG}\DeclareMathOperator\Diff{Diff}\DeclareMathOperator\Homeo{Homeo}$Let $M$ be a $1$-connected, closed, smooth manifold with $\dim(M)>4$ and let us set $\MCG(M)=\pi_0(\...
13 votes
1 answer
812 views

Roadmap for L-Theory

Background: I spent sometime reading about algebraic K-theory and started reading research papers on the subject with relative facility at least I do understand constructions, statements of the ...
23 votes
2 answers
881 views

Vanishing of characteristic numbers vs vanishing of characteristic classes

A famous result by Thom states that Oriented Bordism classes are determined by characteristic numbers; specifically, two closed manifolds are orientedly bordant if and only if they have the same ...
5 votes
0 answers
350 views

Are there alternate descriptions of `elementary cobordisms'?

Let $M^d$, $N^d$ be cobordant $d$-manifolds. Then $M^d \sqcup \bar{N}^d = \partial W^{d+1}$ for some $(d+1)$-manifold $W$. This cobordism can be implemented via an elementary set of 'moves' called ...
6 votes
0 answers
184 views

Visualize how the 5d Dold manifold and Wu manifold are cobordant via a 6d manifolds with boundaries

Are there simple intuitions and arguments to visualize why the following two 5-manifolds are cobordant to each other with the oriented structures? (They can be two boundaries of 6-dimensional oriented ...
7 votes
3 answers
249 views

Normal invariants

I am having a hard time finding examples of computations of normal invariants of surgery theory (or more generally the set of homotopy classes of maps $[X,G/O]$). Does anybody have good references?
7 votes
1 answer
862 views

What are these 3-manifolds from surgery?

I know that surgery on the unlink with +0 slope gives $S^2 \times S^1$ (where all the links above are embedded in $S^3$). I figured (I think) that surgery on the hopf link (with +0 on both) returns $S^...
9 votes
1 answer
305 views

Topological Spin manifolds in dimension 4

In his ICM Adress at Nice (Proceedings of the International Congress of Mathematicians Nice, September, 1970, Gauthier-Villars, editeur, Paris 6 e ,1971, Volume 2, pp. 133-163.), Robion Kirby ...
4 votes
0 answers
181 views

Borromean Lines of three $\mathbb{R}^1$ in $\mathbb{R}^3$ and analogous Milnor link invariants

It is know that Borromean rings can be detected by Milnor invariant $$ \bar{\mu}(\gamma_1,\gamma_2,\gamma_3)= \# (\Sigma_1 \cap \Sigma_2 \cap \Sigma_3)-\frac{1}{2}\sum_{I,J,K}\epsilon_{IJK} \sum_{\...
3 votes
1 answer
245 views

Wall self-intersection invariant for odd-dimensional manifolds?

I am trying to convince myself that a naïve definition of the Wall self intersection number should not work for odd-dimensional manifolds. Namely, let $X^{2n-1}$ be a smooth oriented closed manifold ...
4 votes
2 answers
360 views

Chirality and Anti-Chirality of links in 3 and in 5 dimensions

We know there is a chiral knot which is a knot that is not equivalent to its mirror image. It is well known in the mathematical field of knot theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiral_knot My ...
3 votes
0 answers
406 views

A user guide to the theory on Corks

I am trying to digest the meanings of the corks from the both: algebraic topology and geometry topology perspectives. Studying corks is important for understanding the exotic phenomenon of 4-...
6 votes
0 answers
179 views

Cell structures of simply-connected 5-manifolds (classified by Barden's 1965 paper)

In Barden's 1965 paper: Simply-connected five manifolds, Barden gave a complete list of diffeomorphism classes of simply-connected 5-manifolds: $$X_{j,k_1,\dots,k_n}=X_j\#M_{k_1}\#\cdots\#M_{k_n}$$ ...
9 votes
2 answers
641 views

Künneth formulas/theorem for bordism groups and cobordisms?

We are familiar with Künneth theorem: The Kunneth formula is given by $R$ as a ring, $M,M'$ as the R-modules, $X,X'$ are some chain complex. The Kunneth formula shows the cohomology of a chain ...
6 votes
0 answers
133 views

What is the monoid of skew-symmetric trilinear forms on finite abelian groups?

I am interested in triple cup product operations on the cohomology ring $H^*(Y;\Bbb Z/p^r)$ of 3-manifolds. Trying to extract the algebra, I am led to the following question. Let's fix a prime power $...
23 votes
2 answers
851 views

Classification of fake (quaternionic, octonionic) projective spaces

If $X$ is a closed $n$-manifold, a fake $X$ is another closed manifold homotopy equivalent to $X$. There is some interest in classifying manifolds (up to, say, homeomorphism) homotopy equivalent to a ...
18 votes
1 answer
565 views

A search for a sequence of $6$-manifolds

How to construct closed, orientable, smooth, simply-connected $6$-manifolds such that $H^{*}(M,\mathbb{Z}) \cong \mathbb{Z}[a]/(a^{4})$ (Where $a$ is a generator of degree 2) satisfying $p_{1}(M) = n ...
7 votes
0 answers
355 views

Making diffeomorphism of submanifolds boring

This is probably very well known in surgery theory... I'm looking for a modern reference on the following questions (the only one I know is Browder's "Diffeomorphism of 1-connected manifolds"...
7 votes
0 answers
180 views

Partial converse to Novikov's conjecture

In Jim Davis's paper "Manifold aspects of the Novikov conjecture" (Surveys on surgery theory, vol 1, pages 195-224) he writes down (Theorem 6.5) a sort-of converse to the Novikov conjecture. He writes:...
9 votes
2 answers
359 views

How to compute $[CP^2, G/PL]$?

Let $E^4$ be the two stage Postnikov space appearing in the homotopy type of the classifying space $G/PL$. One of its properties is that it only has two nontrivial homotopy groups $\pi_2(E)=Z/2Z$ and $...
4 votes
1 answer
590 views

Manifolds whose diffeomorphism group has the homotopy type of a manifold itself

I have a very stupid question. Let $M$ be a closed smooth manifold. In particular cases the homotopy type of the diffeomorphism group $Diff(M)$ can be very pathological. For example, in the case of $M=...
10 votes
1 answer
559 views

Elements of infinite order in the topological mapping class group

Let $M$ be a closed topological manifold, and let $\operatorname{MCG}(M):=\operatorname{Homeo}(M)/\operatorname{Homeo}_0(M)$ denote the topological mapping class group of $M$ ($\operatorname{Homeo}_0(...
8 votes
3 answers
672 views

Any PL-homology-manifold is homotopy equivalent to a manifold

Is it true that any compact piecewise linear homology manifold is homotopically equivalent to a (smooth?) manifold of the same dimension? Let me say bit more since my question was wrongly understood. ...
2 votes
0 answers
99 views

Why is the oriented $G$-homotopy type of a $G$-complex uniquely determined by the periodicity generator?

Say we have a periodicity generator $e \in H^k(BG)$. I can show that we then have a $(k-1)$-dimensional $G$-complex $X$ with free $G$-action. It's also not that difficult to see that it has trivial $G$...
3 votes
1 answer
193 views

Sullivan's $H$-space equivalence between $G/PL[1/2]$ and $BO[1/2]$

There is a theorem by Sullivan of the following form: Theorem: There is an equivalence of $H$-spaces $$ G/PL[\tfrac{1}{2}] \simeq BO_{\otimes}[ \tfrac{1}{2} ]\ . $$ It can be found for example ...
3 votes
1 answer
536 views

On definition of surgery [closed]

I am a beginner in surgery theory. I have started learning with ALGEBRAIC AND GEOMETRIC SURGERY by Andrew Ranicki. On page 4 of the book he defines surgery : Denition 1.2 A surgery on an $m$-...
17 votes
1 answer
612 views

Is there a notion of a chain complex with corners?

Roughly speaking, algebraic topology works by reducing questions about topological objects such as manifolds and cell to questions about chain complexes. On the topological side, although in the PL ...
0 votes
0 answers
199 views

Finding a ribbon graph for a mapping class group action

Turaev defines TQFT $(T, \tau)$ in his book "Quantum invariants of knots and 3-manifolds". He uses it to define an action of a mapping class group of a d-surface $\Sigma$. This action $\epsilon$ is ...
8 votes
3 answers
1k views

motivation of surgery

an $n$-surgery on m dim manifold M is to cut out $S^n\times D^{m-n}$and replace it by $D^{n+1}\times S^{m-n-1}$. I want to know how this is invented? I do know that the effect of passing a critical ...
8 votes
1 answer
679 views

topological type of smooth manifolds with prescribed homotopy type and pontryagin class

Can someone help explain the following result: If the dimension is at least five, there are at most finitely many different smooth manifolds with given homotopy type and Pontryagin classes. Thank ...
16 votes
2 answers
2k views

Smooth structures on the connected sum of a manifold with an Exotic sphere

What can we say about the connected sum of a manifold $M^n$ with an Exotic sphere? Is is possible some of them are still diffemorphic to $M^n$. Is it possible to classifying all the exotic smooth ...