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Yuji Tachikawa
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How can I visualize the nontrivial element of $\pi_4(S^3)$ and $\pi_5(S^3)$ ?

I've read in the textbooks that the non-trivial generator $\eta_n$ of $\pi_{n+1}(S^n)$ is the suspension of the identity map $S^n\to S^n$, and the generator $\chi$ of $\pi_5(S^3)$ is given by $\eta_3 \circ \eta_4$. Fine.

My question is, how I can visualize them? Is there a nice explicit way to describe these maps $\eta_3$ and $\eta_3\circ \eta_4$ ? How about the generator of $\pi_6(S^3)$ ?

(Other questions on MO look more serious. Hopefully this question is not out of place ...)

Yuji Tachikawa
  • 6.1k
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  • 59