Exotic spheres

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=== Brieskorn varieties ===
=== Brieskorn varieties ===
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The manifold $W^{2n-1}(a_0, \dots, a_n)$ is defined to be the intersection of the complex affine variety $\{(z_0, \dots , z_n) | z_0^{a_0} + \dots + z_n^{a_n} =0 \}$ with a small sphere $S^{2n+1}_\epsilon : = \{ (z_0, \dots , z_n ) | \Sigma_{i=0}^n z_i\bar z_i = \epsilon \}$.
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Let $z = (z_0, \dots , z_n)$ be a point in $\Cc^{n+1}$ and let $a = (a_0, \dots, a_n)$ be a string of n+1 positive integers. Given the complex variety $V(a) : = \{z \, | \, z_0^{a_0} + \dots + z_n^{a_n} =0 \}$ and the $\epsilon$-sphere $S^{2n+1}_\epsilon : = \{ z \, | \, \Sigma_{i=0}^n z_i\bar z_i = \epsilon \}$ for small $\epsilon$, we define the closed smooth oriented (2n-1)-manifolds
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$$ W^{2n-1}(a_0, \dots, a_n) : = V(a) \cap S^{2n+1}_\epsilon.$$
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The manifolds $W^{2n-1}(a)$ are often called Brieskorn varieties. In {{cite|Brieskorn}} and {{cite|Brieskorn}} it is shown in particular that all homotopy spheres in $bP_{4k-1}$ and $bP_{4k-2}$ can be realised as follows. Let $2, \dots, 2$ be a string of $k$ 2's in a row with $k \geq 2$, then there are diffeomorphisms
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$$ W^{4k-1}(3, 6r-1, 2, \dots , 2) \cong r \Sigma_M \in bP_{4k},$$
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$$ W^{4k-3}(3, 2, \dots, 2) \cong \Sigma_K \in bP_{4k-2}. $$
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Revision as of 18:06, 7 January 2010


This page has not been refereed. The information given here might be incomplete or provisional.

Contents

1 Introduction

By a homotopy sphere \Sigma^n we mean a closed smooth oriented n-manifold homotopy equivalent to S^n. The manifold \Sigma^n is called an exotic sphere if it is not diffeomorphic to S^n. By the Generalised Poincaré Conjecture proven by Smale, every homotopy sphere in dimension n \geq 5 is homeomorphic to S^n: this statement holds in dimension 2 by the classification of surfaces and was famously proven in dimension 4 in [Freedman1982] and in dimension 3 by Perelman. We define

\displaystyle \Theta_{n} := \{[\Sigma^n] | \Sigma^n \simeq S^n \}

to be the set of oriented diffeomorphism classes of homotopy spheres. Connected sum makes \Theta_n into an abelian group with inverse given by reversing orientation.

2 Construction and examples

Exotic spheres may be constructed in a variety of ways.

2.1 Brieskorn varieties

Let z = (z_0, \dots , z_n) be a point in \Cc^{n+1} and let a = (a_0, \dots, a_n) be a string of n+1 positive integers. Given the complex variety V(a) : = \{z \, | \, z_0^{a_0} + \dots + z_n^{a_n} =0 \} and the \epsilon-sphere S^{2n+1}_\epsilon : = \{ z \, | \, \Sigma_{i=0}^n z_i\bar z_i = \epsilon \} for small \epsilon, we define the closed smooth oriented (2n-1)-manifolds

\displaystyle  W^{2n-1}(a_0, \dots, a_n) : = V(a) \cap S^{2n+1}_\epsilon.

The manifolds W^{2n-1}(a) are often called Brieskorn varieties. In [Brieskorn] and [Brieskorn] it is shown in particular that all homotopy spheres in bP_{4k-1} and bP_{4k-2} can be realised as follows. Let 2, \dots, 2 be a string of k 2's in a row with k \geq 2, then there are diffeomorphisms

\displaystyle   W^{4k-1}(3, 6r-1, 2, \dots , 2) \cong r \Sigma_M \in bP_{4k},
\displaystyle   W^{4k-3}(3, 2, \dots, 2) \cong \Sigma_K \in bP_{4k-2}.

2.2 Sphere bundles

  • The first known examples of exotic spheres were discovered by Milnor in [Milnor1956]. They are the total spaces of certain 3-sphere bundles over the 4-sphere as we now explain: the group \pi_3(SO(4)) \cong \Zz \oplus \Zz parametrises linear 3-sphere bundles over S^4 where a pair (m, n) gives rise to a bundle with Euler number n and first Pontrjagin class 2(n+2m): here we orient S^4 and so identify H^4(S^4; \Zz) = \Zz. If we set n = 1 then the long exact homotopy sequence of a fibration and Poincare duality ensure that the manifold \Sigma^7_{m, 1}, the total space of the bundle (m, 1), is a homotopy sphere. Milnor first used a \Zz_7-invariant, called the \lambda-invariant, to show, e.g. that \Sigma^7_{1, 2} is not diffeomorphic to S^7. A little later Kervaire and Milnor [Kervaire&Milnor1963] proved that \Theta_7 \cong \Zz_{28} and Eells and Kuiper [Eells&Kuiper1962] defined a refinement of the \lambda-invariant, now called the Eells-Kuiper \mu-invariant, which in particular gives
\displaystyle  \Sigma^7_{m, 1} = \frac{m(m-1)}{56} \in \Zz_{28} \cong \Theta_7.
  • Shimada [Shimada1957] used similar techniques to show that the total spaces of certain 7-sphere bundles over the 8-sphere are exotic 15-spheres. In this case \pi_7(SO(8)) \cong \Zz \oplus \Zz and the bundle (m, n) has Euler number n and second Pontrjagin class 6(n+2m). Moreover \Theta_{15} \cong \Zz_{8,128} \oplus \Zz_2 where the \Zz_{8,128}-summand is bP_{16} as explained below. Results of [Wall1962a] and [Eells&Kuiper1962] combine to show that
\displaystyle  \Sigma^{15}_{m, 1} = \frac{m(m-1)}{16,256} \in \Zz_{8,128} \cong bP_{16} \subset \Theta_{15}.
  • By Adams' solution of the Hopf-invariant 1 problem, [Adams1958] and [Adams1960], the dimensions n = 3, 7 and 15 are the only dimensions in which a topological n-sphere can be fibre over an m-sphere for 0 < m < n.

2.3 Plumbing

As special case of the following construction goes back at least to [Milnor1959].

Let i \in  \{1,  \dots, n\}, let (p_i, q_i) be pairs of positive integers such that p_i + q_i + 2 = n and let \alpha_i \in \pi_{p_i}(SO(q_i+1)) be the clutching functions of D^{q_i+1}-bundles over S^{p_i + 1}

\displaystyle  D^{q_i+1} \to D(\alpha_i) \to S^{p_i+1}.

Let G be a graph with vertices \{v_1, \dots, v_n\} such that the edge set between v_i and v_j, is non-empty only if p_i = q_j. We form the manifold W = W(G;\{\alpha_i\}) from the disjoint union of the D(\alpha_i) by identifying D^{p_i+1} \times D^{q_i+1} and D^{q_j+1} \times D^{p_j+1} for each edge in G. If G is simply connected then

\displaystyle \Sigma(G, \{\alpha_i \}) : = \partial W

is often a homotopy sphere. We establish some notation for graphs, bundles and define

  • let T denote the graph with two vertices and one edge connecting them and define \Sigma(\alpha, \beta) : = \Sigma(T; \{\alpha, \beta\}),
  • let E_8 denote the E_8-graph,
  • let \tau_{n} \in \pi_{n-1}(SO(n)) denote the tangent bundle of the n-sphere,
  • let \gamma_{4s-1}^k \in \pi_{4s-1}(SO(k)) \cong \Zz, k > 4s, denote a generator,
  • let \gamma_{4s-1}' \in \pi_{4s-1}(SO(4s-1)) \cong \Zz, denote a generator:
  • let S : \pi_k(SO(j)) \to \pi_k(SO(j+1)) be the suspension homomorphism,
    • S^2(\gamma'_{4k-1}) = \pm 2 \gamma_{4k-1}^{4k+1} for k = 1, 2 and S^2 (\gamma'_{4k-1}) = \pm \gamma_{4k-1}^{4k+1} for k > 2,
  • let \eta_n : S^{n+1} \to S^n be essential.

Then we have the following exotic spheres.

  • \Sigma^{4k-1}(E_8; \{\tau_{2k}, \dots \tau_{2k}\}), the Milnor sphere, generates bP_{4k}, k>1.
  • \Sigma^{4k+1}(\tau_{2k+1}, \tau_{2k+1}), the Kervaire sphere, generates bP_{4k+2}.
  • \Sigma^{4k-1}(S\gamma_{4k-1}', S\gamma_{4k-1}') is the inverse of the Milnor sphere for k = 1, 2.
    • For general k, \Sigma^{4k-1}(S\gamma_{4k-1}', S\gamma_{4k-1}') is exotic.
  • \Sigma^8(\gamma_3^5, \eta_3\tau_4), generates \Theta_8 = \Zz_2.
  • \Sigma^{16}(\gamma_{7}^9, \eta_7\tau_8), generates \Theta_{16} = \Zz_2.

2.4 Twisting

By [Cerf1970] and [Smale1962a] there is an isomorphism \Theta_{n+1} \cong \Gamma_{n+1} for n \geq 5 where \Gamma_{n+1} = \pi_0(\Diff_+(S^n)) is the group of isotopy classes of orientation preserving diffeomorphisms of S^n. The map is given by

\displaystyle  \Gamma_{n+1} \to \Theta_{n+1}, ~~~~~[f] \longmapsto \Sigma_{f} := D^{n+1} \cup_f (-D^{n+1}).

Hence one may construct exotic (n+1)-spheres by describing diffeomorphisms of S^n which are not isotopic to the identity. We give such a construction which probably goes back to Milnor: so far the earliest reference found is the problem list of the 1963 Seattle topology conference [Lashof1965].

Represent \alpha \in \pi_p(SO(q)) and \beta \in \pi_q(SO(p)) by smooth compactly supported functions \alpha : \Rr^p \to SO(q) and \beta : \Rr^q \to SO(p) and define the following self-diffeomorphisms of \Rr^p \times \Rr^q

\displaystyle  F_\alpha : \Rr^p \times \Rr^q \cong \Rr^p \times \Rr^q, ~~~~(x, y) \longmapsto (x, \alpha(x)y),
\displaystyle  F_\beta : \Rr^p \times \Rr^q \cong \Rr^p \times \Rr^q, ~~~~(x, y) \longmapsto (\beta(y)x,y),
\displaystyle s(\alpha, \beta) := F_\alpha F_\beta F_\alpha^{-1}F_\beta^{-1}.

If follows that s(\alpha, \beta) is compactly supported and so extends uniquely to a diffeomrphism of S^{p+q}. In this way we obtain a bilinear pairing

\displaystyle  \sigma : \pi_q(SO(q)) \otimes \pi_q(SO(p)) \longrightarrow \Theta_{p+q+1}, ~~~~(\alpha, \beta) \longmapsto \Sigma_{s(\alpha, \beta)}

such that

\displaystyle  \sigma(\alpha, \beta) \equiv \Sigma(S\alpha, S\beta).

In particular \sigma(\gamma_{4k-1}', \gamma_{4k-1}') generates bP_{4k} for k = 1, 2.

3 Invariants

Signature, Kervaire invariant, \alpha-invariant, Eels-Kuiper invariant, s-invariant.

4 Classification

For n \geq 5, the group of exotic n-spheres \Theta_n fits into the following long exact sequence, first discovered in [Kervaire&Milnor1963] (more details can also be found in [Levine1983]):

\displaystyle  \dots \to \pi_{n+1}(G/O) \to L_{n+1}(e) \to \Theta_n \to \pi_n(G/O) \to L_n(e) \to \dots .

Here L_i(e) is the i-th L-group of the the trivial group: L_i(e) = \Zz, 0, \Zz/2, 0 as i = 0, 1, 2 or 3 modulo 4 and the sequence ends at L_5(e) = 0. The groups \pi_i(G/O) are isomorphic to the cokernel of the J-homomorphism, J: \pi_i(O) \to \pi_i^S \cong \pi_i(G).

5 Further discussion

\displaystyle   \def\curv{1.5pc}% Adjust the curvature of the curved arrows here  \xymatrix@!R@!C@!0@R=2.5pc@C=4pc{% Adjust the spacing here  \pi_n(\Top/O) \ar[dr] \ar@/u\curv/[rr] && \pi_{n-1}(O) \ar[dr] \ar@/u\curv/[rr] && \pi_{n-1}(G) \\  & \pi_n(G/O) \ar[dr] \ar[ur] && \pi_{n-1}(\Top) \ar[dr] \ar[ur] \\  \pi_n(G) \ar[ur] \ar@/d\curv/[rr] && \pi_n(G/\Top) \ar[ur] \ar@/d\curv/[rr] && \pi_{n-1}(\Top/O)  }

6 External references

7 References

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