This is the second installment in a series of papers applying descriptive set theoretic techniques to both analyze and enrich classical functors from homological algebra and algebraic topology. In it, we show that the Čech cohomology functors on the category of locally compact separable metric spaces each factor into (i) what we term their definable version, a functor taking values in the category $\mathsf {GPC}$ of groups with a Polish cover (a category first introduced in this work’s predecessor), followed by (ii) a forgetful functor from $\mathsf {GPC}$ to the category of groups. These definable cohomology functors powerfully refine their classical counterparts: we show that they are complete invariants, for example, of the homotopy types of mapping telescopes of d-spheres or d-tori for any $d\geq 1$, and, in contrast, that there exist uncountable families of pairwise homotopy inequivalent mapping telescopes of either sort on which the classical cohomology functors are constant. We then apply the functors to show that a seminal problem in the development of algebraic topology – namely, Borsuk and Eilenberg’s 1936 problem of classifying, up to homotopy, the maps from a solenoid complement $S^3\backslash \Sigma $ to the $2$-sphere – is essentially hyperfinite but not smooth.

Fundamental to our analysis is the fact that the Čech cohomology functors admit two main formulations: a more combinatorial one and a more homotopical formulation as the group $[X,P]$ of homotopy classes of maps from X to a polyhedral $K(G,n)$ space P. We describe the Borel-definable content of each of these formulations and prove a definable version of Huber’s theorem reconciling the two. In the course of this work, we record definable versions of Urysohn’s Lemma and the simplicial approximation and homotopy extension theorems, along with a definable Milnor-type short exact sequence decomposition of the space $\mathrm {Map}(X,P)$ in terms of its subset of phantom maps; relatedly, we provide a topological characterization of this set for any locally compact Polish space X and polyhedron P. In aggregate, this work may be more broadly construed as laying foundations for the descriptive set theoretic study of the homotopy relation on such spaces $\mathrm {Map}(X,P)$, a relation which, together with the more combinatorial incarnation of , embodies a substantial variety of classification problems arising throughout mathematics. We show, in particular, that if P is a polyhedral H-group, then this relation is both Borel and idealistic. In consequence, $[X,P]$ falls in the category of definable groups, an extension of the category $\mathsf {GPC}$ introduced herein for its regularity properties, which facilitate several of the aforementioned computations.

In this paper we determine the homotopy types of the reduced suspension space of certain connected orientable closed smooth $five$-manifolds. As applications, we compute the reduced $K$-groups of $M$ and show that the suspension map between the third cohomotopy set $\pi ^3(M)$ and the fourth cohomotopy set $\pi ^4(\Sigma M)$ is a bijection.

We study spaces of continuous functions and sections with domain a paracompact Hausdorff k-space $X$ and range a nilpotent CW complex $Y$, with emphasis on localization at a set of primes. For $\mathop {\rm map}\nolimits _\phi (X,\,Y)$, the space of maps with prescribed restriction $\phi$ on a suitable subspace $A\subset X$, we construct a natural spectral sequence of groups that converges to $\pi _*(\mathop {\rm map}\nolimits _\phi (X,\,Y))$ and allows for detection of localization on the level of $E^2$. Our applications extend and unify the previously known results.

We introduce a Morse theory for posets of Bestvina–Brady type combining matchings and height functions. This theory generalizes Forman's discrete Morse theory for regular CW-complexes and extends previous results on Morse theory for $h$-regular posets to all finite posets. We also develop a relative version of Morse theory which allows us to compare the topology of a poset with that of a given subposet.

We study the $E_2$ -algebra $\Lambda \mathfrak {M}_{*,1}:= \coprod _{g\geqslant 0}\Lambda \mathfrak {M}_{g,1}$ consisting of free loop spaces of moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces with one parametrised boundary component, and compute the homotopy type of the group completion $\Omega B\Lambda \mathfrak {M}_{*,1}$ : it is the product of $\Omega ^{\infty }\mathbf {MTSO}(2)$ with a certain free $\Omega ^{\infty }$ -space depending on the family of all boundary-irreducible mapping classes in all mapping class groups $\Gamma _{g,n}$ with $g\geqslant 0$ and $n\geqslant 1$ .

For the $p$-localized sphere $\mathbb {S}^{2m-1}_{(p)}$ with $p >3$ a prime, we prove that the homotopy nilpotency satisfies $\mbox {nil}\ \mathbb {S}^{2m-1}_{(p)}<\infty$, with respect to any homotopy associative $H$-structure on $\mathbb {S}^{2m-1}_{(p)}$. We also prove that $\mbox {nil}\ \mathbb {S}^{2m-1}_{(p)}= 1$ for all but a finite number of primes $p >3$. Then, for the loop space of the associated $\mathbb {S}^{2m-1}_{(p)}$-projective space $\mathbb {S}^{2m-1}_{(p)}P(n-1)$, with $m,n\ge 2$ and $m\mid p-1$, we derive that $\mbox {nil}\ \Omega (\mathbb {S}^{2m-1}_{(p)}P (n-1))\le 3$.

Let X be a 4-dimensional toric orbifold. If $H^{3}(X)$ has a non-trivial odd primary torsion, then we show that X is homotopy equivalent to the wedge of a Moore space and a CW-complex. As a corollary, given two 4-dimensional toric orbifolds having no 2-torsion in the cohomology, we prove that they have the same homotopy type if and only their integral cohomology rings are isomorphic.

Let $M(A,n)$ be the Moore space of type $(A,n)$ for an Abelian group A and $n\ge 2$ . We show that the loop space $\Omega (M(A,n))$ is homotopy nilpotent if and only if A is a subgroup of the additive group $\mathbb {Q}$ of the field of rationals. Homotopy nilpotency of loop spaces $\Omega (M(A,1))$ is discussed as well.

The homotopy theory of gauge groups has received considerable attention in recent decades. In this work, we study the homotopy theory of gauge groups over some high-dimensional manifolds. To be more specific, we study gauge groups of bundles over (n − 1)-connected closed 2n-manifolds, the classification of which was determined by Wall and Freedman in the combinatorial category. We also investigate the gauge groups of the total manifolds of sphere bundles based on the classical work of James and Whitehead. Furthermore, other types of 2n-manifolds are also considered. In all the cases, we show various homotopy decompositions of gauge groups. The methods are combinations of manifold topology and various techniques in homotopy theory.

We link distinct concepts of geometric group theory and homotopy theory through underlying combinatorics. For a flag simplicial complex $K$, we specify a necessary and sufficient combinatorial condition for the commutator subgroup $RC_K'$ of a right-angled Coxeter group, viewed as the fundamental group of the real moment-angle complex $\mathcal {R}_K$, to be a one-relator group; and for the Pontryagin algebra $H_{*}(\Omega \mathcal {Z}_K)$ of the moment-angle complex to be a one-relator algebra. We also give a homological characterization of these properties. For $RC_K'$, it is given by a condition on the homology group $H_2(\mathcal {R}_K)$, whereas for $H_{*}(\Omega \mathcal {Z}_K)$ it is stated in terms of the bigrading of the homology groups of $\mathcal {Z}_K$.

We characterize the topological spaces of minimum cardinality which are weakly contractible but not contractible. This is equivalent to finding the non-dismantlable posets of minimum cardinality such that the geometric realization of their order complexes are contractible. Specifically, we prove that all weakly contractible topological spaces with fewer than nine points are contractible. We also prove that there exist (up to homeomorphism) exactly two topological spaces of nine points which are weakly contractible but not contractible.

An n-dimensional analogue of the Klein bottle arose in our study of topological complexity of planar polygon spaces. We determine its integral cohomology algebra and stable homotopy type, and give an explicit immersion and embedding in Euclidean space.

It is well known that if X is a CW-complex, then for every weak homotopy equivalence f : A → B, the map f* : [X, A] → [X, B] induced in homotopy classes is a bijection. In fact, up to homotopy equivalence, only CW-complexes have that property. Now, for which spaces X is f* : [B, X] → [A, X] a bijection for every weak equivalence f? This question was considered by J. Strom and T. Goodwillie. In this note we prove that a non-empty space inverts weak equivalences if and only if it is contractible.

The aim of this article is to give a proof of the Jordan Curve Theorem via complex analysis.

We answer a weaker version of the classification problem for the homotopy types of (n — 2)-connected closed orientable (2n — 1)-manifolds. Let n ≥ 6 be an even integer and let X be an (n — 2)-connected finite orientable Poincaré (2n — 1)-complex such that Hn-1 (X;ℚ) = 0 and Hn-1 (X;ℤ2) = 0. Then its loop space homotopy type is uniquely determined by the action of higher Bockstein operations on Hn-1 (X; ℤp) for each odd prime p. A stronger result is obtained when localized at odd primes.

Let $G=\left( \mathbb{Z}/a\rtimes \mathbb{Z}/b \right)\times \text{S}{{\text{L}}_{2}}\left( {{\mathbb{F}}_{p}} \right)$, and let $X\left( n \right)$ be an $n$-dimensional $CW$-complex of the homotopy type of an $n$-sphere. We study the automorphism group $\text{Aut}\left( G \right)$ in order to compute the number of distinct homotopy types of spherical space forms with respect to free and cellular $G$-actions on all $CW$-complexes $X\left( 2dn-1 \right)$, where $2d$ is the period of $G$. The groups $\varepsilon \left( X\left( 2dn-1 \right)/\mu \right)$ of self homotopy equivalences of space forms $X\left( 2dn-1 \right)/\mu$ associated with free and cellular $G$-actions $\mu$ on $X\left( 2dn-1 \right)$ are determined as well.

In this paper we use the Hausdorff metric to prove that two compact metric spaces are homeomorphic if and only if their canonical complements are uniformly homeomorphic. We take one of the two steps needed to prove that the difference between the homotopical and topological classifications of compact connected ANRs depends only on the difference between continuity and uniform continuity of homeomorphisms in their canonical complements, which are totally bounded metric spaces. The more important step was provided by the Chapman complement and the Curtis–Schori–West theorems. We also improve the multivalued description of shape theory given by J. M. R. Sanjurjo but only in the class of locally connected compacta.

The usual constructions of classifying spaces for monoidal categories produce $\text{CW}$-complexes with many cells that,moreover, do not have any proper geometric meaning. However, geometric nerves of monoidal categories are very handy simplicial sets whose simplices have a pleasing geometric description: they are diagrams with the shape of the 2-skeleton of oriented standard simplices. The purpose of this paper is to prove that geometric realizations of geometric nerves are classifying spaces for monoidal categories.

In this paper we give lower bounds for the Mislin genus of the symplectic groups $\mathrm{Sp}(m)$. This result appears to be the exact analogue of Zabrodsky's theorem concerning the special unitary groups $\mathrm{SU}(n)$ . It is achieved by the determination of the stable genus of the quasi-projective quaternionic spaces $Q\mathbb{H}(m)$ , following the approach of McGibbon. It leads to a symplectic version of Zabrodsky's conjecture, saying that these lower bounds are in fact the exact cardinality of the genus sets. The genus of $\mathrm{Sp}(2)$ is well known to contain exactly two elements. We show that the genus of $\mathrm{Sp}(3)$ has exactly 32 elements and see that the conjecture is true in these two cases.

Independently, we also show that any homotopy type in the genus of $\mathrm{Sp}(m)$ fibers over the sphere $S^{4m-1}$ with fiber in the genus of $\mathrm{Sp}(m-1)$ , and that any homotopy type in the genus of $\mathrm{SU}(n)$ fibers over the sphere $S^{2n-1}$ with fiber in the genus of $\mathrm{SU}(n-1)$ . Moreover, these fibrations are principal with respect to some appropriate loop structures on the fibers. These constructions permit us to produce particular spaces realizing the lower bounds obtained.