POTW What is the Relationship Between Fiber Bundles of Spheres?

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The discussion focuses on the relationship between fiber bundles of spheres, specifically proving that for a fiber bundle S^k → S^m → S^n, the dimensions must satisfy k = n - 1 and m = 2n - 1. Participants explore the implications of this relationship in topology and the properties of fiber bundles. The proof involves examining the structure of spheres and their corresponding dimensions. The conversation highlights the significance of these relationships in understanding higher-dimensional topology. Overall, the discussion emphasizes the mathematical connections between different dimensional spheres in fiber bundles.
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Prove that if there is a fiber bundle ##S^k \to S^m \to S^n##, then ##k = n-1## and ##m = 2n-1##.
 
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By checking dimensions, ##k+n=m## so it's enough to check just one of those equalities.

We may assume that ##n>0## since for ##S^m\to S^n## to be surjective, the codomain ##S^n## needs to be connected, and it's not possible to have ##m=0.##

Case 1: ##n>1.## We examine the following part of the associated long exact sequence:

##\pi_{k+1}(S^m)\to\pi_{k+1}(S^n)\to\pi_k(S^k)\to\pi_k(S^m).## The outer groups are zero since ##\pi_i(S^j)=0## when ##0<i<j.## So, ##\pi_{k+1}(S^n)\cong\mathbb{Z}## and hence ##k+1\geq n.##

We now consider the following part of the same exact sequence:
##\pi_n(S^m)\to\pi_n(S^n)\to\pi_{n-1}(S^k)\to\pi_{n-1}(S^m).## The case ##n=m## is impossible because that would make ##k=0,## in which case ##S^m\to S^m## is a double cover, but ##n=m>1## so ##S^n## is simply connected. So, again the two outer groups vanish and ##\pi_{n-1}(S^k)\cong\mathbb{Z},## giving ##n-1\geq k.## Together with the above, this means ##k=n-1.##

Case 2: ##n=1.## Examine the tail end of the exact sequence: ##\pi_1(S^m)\to\pi_1(S^1)\to\pi_0(S^k)## (where ##\pi_0## isn't given a group structure but exactness still makes sense and is valid.) If ##m>1## then the image of ##\pi_1(S^m)\to\pi_1(S^1)## is trivial and cannot match the kernel of ##\pi_1(S^1)\to\pi_0(S^k)##, which is the whole ##\pi_1(S^1).## So ##m=1,## which forces ##k=0## and the triple ##(k,m,n)=(0,1,1)## satisfies the right equations.

It's been a while since I took algebraic topology but hopefully this is mostly right.
 
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