Stable Homotopy Around the Arf-Kervaire Invariant: 273 (Progress in Mathematics, 273) - Hardcover

Snaith, Victor P.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 3764399031 ISBN 13: 9783764399030

Publisher: Birkhäuser, 2009

Synopsis

Were I to take an iron gun, And ?re it o? towards the sun; I grant ‘twould reach its mark at last, But not till many years had passed. But should that bullet change its force, And to the planets take its course, ‘Twould never reach the nearest star, Because it is so very far. from FACTS by Lewis Carroll [55] Let me begin by describing the two purposes which prompted me to write this monograph. This is a book about algebraic topology and more especially about homotopy theory. Since the inception of algebraic topology [217] the study of homotopy classes of continuous maps between spheres has enjoyed a very exc- n n tional, central role. As is well known, for homotopy classes of maps f : S ?? S with n? 1 the sole homotopy invariant is the degree, which characterises the homotopy class completely. The search for a continuous map between spheres of di?erent dimensions and not homotopic to the constant map had to wait for its resolution until the remarkable paper of Heinz Hopf [111]. In retrospect, ?nding 3 an example was rather easy because there is a canonical quotient map from S to 3 1 1 2 theorbitspaceofthe freecircleactionS /S =CP = S .

About this title

Review

From the reviews:

“This book is concerned with homotopy theoretical approaches to the study of the Arf-Kervaire invariant one problem ... . The last chapter is an extra one in which some current themes related to the subject are described. ... The bibliography contains 297 titles. ... this book an excellent guide to the classical problem above.” (Haruo Minami, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1169, 2009)

“This book provides a clean, self-contained treatment of a long-standing piece of algebraic topology: the Kervaire invariant one problem, and the reviewer found it a very interesting and helpful reference. ... The book itself is a very pleasant read. ... The reviewer found the opening quotations for each chapter especially droll. ... Finally, the chapter (and book) ends with some suggestions for further reading.”­­­ (Michael A. Hill, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2011 d)

Synopsis

This monograph describes important techniques of stable homotopy theory, both classical and brand new, applying them to the long-standing unsolved problem of the existence of framed manifolds with odd Arf-Kervaire invariant. Opening with an account of the necessary algebraic topology background, it proceeds in a quasi-historical manner to draw from the author's contributions over several decades. A new technique entitled 'upper triangular technology' is introduced which enables the author to relate Adams operations to Steenrod operations and thereby to recover most of the important classical Arf-Kervaire invariant results quite simply. The final chapter briefly relates the book to the contemporary motivic stable homotopy theory of Morel-Voevodsky. Excerpt from a review: 'This takes the reader on an unusual mathematical journey. The problem referred to in the title, its history and the author's relationship with it are lucidly described in the book. The book does not offer a solution, but a new and interesting way of looking at it.

The stated purpose of the book is twofold: To rescue the Kervaire invariant problem from oblivion; To introduce the 'upper triangular technology' to approach the problem. This is very useful, since this method is not widely known. It is not an introduction to stable homotopy theory but rather a guide for experts along a path to a prescribed destination. In taking us there it assembles material from widely varying sources and offers a perspective that is not available anywhere else. This is a case where the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. The manuscript is extremely well written. The author's style is engaging and even humorous at times' - Douglas Ravenel.

Edition details

• Publisher: Birkhäuser
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3764399031
• ISBN 13: 9783764399030
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 253