We categorify the inclusion–exclusion principle for partially ordered topological spaces and schemes to a filtration on the derived category of sheaves. As a consequence, we obtain functorial spectral sequences that generalize the two spectral sequences of a stratified space and certain Vassiliev-type spectral sequences; we also obtain Euler characteristic analogs in the Grothendieck ring of varieties. As an application, we give an algebro-geometric proof of Vakil and Wood's homological stability conjecture for the space of smooth hypersurface sections of a smooth projective variety. In characteristic zero this conjecture was previously established by Aumonier via topological methods.

For a partially multiplicative quandle (PMQ) ${\mathcal {Q}}$ we consider the topological monoid $\mathring {\mathrm {HM}}({\mathcal {Q}})$ of Hurwitz spaces of configurations in the plane with local monodromies in ${\mathcal {Q}}$. We compute the group completion of $\mathring {\mathrm {HM}}({\mathcal {Q}})$: it is the product of the (discrete) enveloping group ${\mathcal {G}}({\mathcal {Q}})$ with a component of the double loop space of the relative Hurwitz space $\mathrm {Hur}_+([0,1]^2,\partial [0,1]^2;{\mathcal {Q}},G)_{\mathbb {1}}$; here $G$ is any group giving rise, together with ${\mathcal {Q}}$, to a PMQ–group pair. Under the additional assumption that ${\mathcal {Q}}$ is finite and rationally Poincaré and that $G$ is finite, we compute the rational cohomology ring of $\mathrm {Hur}_+([0,1]^2,\partial [0,1]^2;{\mathcal {Q}},G)_{\mathbb {1}}$.

Let $\Delta $ denote a nondegenerate k-simplex in $\mathbb {R}^k$. The set $\operatorname {\mathrm {Sim}}(\Delta )$ of simplices in $\mathbb {R}^k$ similar to $\Delta $ is diffeomorphic to $\operatorname {O}(k)\times [0,\infty )\times \mathbb {R}^k$, where the factor in $\operatorname {O}(k)$ is a matrix called the pose. Among $(k-1)$-spheres smoothly embedded in $\mathbb {R}^k$ and isotopic to the identity, there is a dense family of spheres, for which the subset of $\operatorname {\mathrm {Sim}}(\Delta )$ of simplices inscribed in each embedded sphere contains a similar simplex of every pose $U\in \operatorname {O}(k)$. Further, the intersection of $\operatorname {\mathrm {Sim}}(\Delta )$ with the configuration space of $k+1$ distinct points on an embedded sphere is a manifold whose top homology class maps to the top class in $\operatorname {O}(k)$ via the pose map. This gives a high-dimensional generalisation of classical results on inscribing families of triangles in plane curves. We use techniques established in our previous paper on the square-peg problem where we viewed inscribed simplices in spheres as transverse intersections of submanifolds of compactified configuration spaces.

We consider the Birman–Hilden inclusion $\phi\colon\Br_{2g+1}\to\Gamma_{g,1}$ of the braid group into the mapping class group of an orientable surface with boundary, and prove that $\phi$ is stably trivial in homology with twisted coefficients in the symplectic representation $H_1(\Sigma_{g,1})$ of the mapping class group; this generalises a result of Song and Tillmann regarding homology with constant coefficients. Furthermore we show that the stable homology of the braid group with coefficients in $\phi^*(H_1(\Sigma_{g,1}))$ has only 4-torsion.

We show that if X is a smooth complex projective surface with torsion-free cohomology, then the Hilbert scheme $X^{[n]}$ has torsion-free cohomology for every natural number n. This extends earlier work by Markman on the case of Poisson surfaces. The proof uses Gholampour-Thomas’s reduced obstruction theory for nested Hilbert schemes of surfaces.

In robotics, a topological theory of motion planning was initiated by M. Farber. We present optimal motion planning algorithms which can be used in designing practical systems controlling objects moving in Euclidean space without collisions between them and avoiding obstacles. Furthermore, we present the multi-tasking version of the algorithms.

Let $X$ be a topological space. We consider certain generalized configuration spaces of points on $X$, obtained from the cartesian product $X^{n}$ by removing some intersections of diagonals. We give a systematic framework for studying the cohomology of such spaces using what we call ‘twisted commutative dg algebra models’ for the cochains on $X$. Suppose that $X$ is a ‘nice’ topological space, $R$ is any commutative ring, $H_{c}^{\bullet }(X,R)\rightarrow H^{\bullet }(X,R)$ is the zero map, and that $H_{c}^{\bullet }(X,R)$ is a projective $R$-module. We prove that the compact support cohomology of any generalized configuration space of points on $X$ depends only on the graded $R$-module $H_{c}^{\bullet }(X,R)$. This generalizes a theorem of Arabia.

We consider smooth, complex quasiprojective varieties $U$ that admit a compactification with a boundary, which is an arrangement of smooth algebraic hypersurfaces. If the hypersurfaces intersect locally like hyperplanes, and the relative interiors of the hypersurfaces are Stein manifolds, we prove that the cohomology of certain local systems on $U$ vanishes. As an application, we show that complements of linear, toric, and elliptic arrangements are both duality and abelian duality spaces.

Let $W$ be a compact simply connected triangulated manifold with boundary and let $K\,\subset \,W$ be a subpolyhedron. We construct an algebraic model of the rational homotopy type of $W\text{ }\!\!\backslash\!\!\text{ K}$ out of a model of the map of pairs $\left( K,\,K\cap \partial W \right)\,\to \,\left( W,\,\partial W \right)$ under some high codimension hypothesis.

We deduce the rational homotopy invariance of the configuration space of two points in a compact manifold with boundary under 2-connectedness hypotheses. Also, we exhibit nice explicit models of these configuration spaces for a large class of compact manifolds.

The problem of computing the integral cohomology ring of the symmetric square of a topological space has long been of interest, but limited progress has been made on the general case until recently. We offer a solution for the complex and quaternionic projective spaces $\mathbb{K}$Pn, by utilising their rich geometrical structure. Our description involves generators and relations, and our methods entail ideas from the literature of quantum chemistry, theoretical physics, and combinatorics. We begin with the case $\mathbb{K}$P∞, and then identify the truncation required for passage to finite n. The calculations rely upon a ladder of long exact cohomology sequences, which compares cofibrations associated to the diagonals of the symmetric square and the corresponding Borel construction. These incorporate the one-point compactifications of classic configuration spaces of unordered pairs of points in $\mathbb{K}$Pn, which are identified as Thom spaces by combining Löwdin's symmetric orthogonalisation (and its quaternionic analogue) with a dash of Pin geometry. The relations in the ensuing cohomology rings are conveniently expressed using generalised Fibonacci polynomials. Our conclusions are compatible with those of Gugnin mod torsion and Nakaoka mod 2, and with homological results of Milgram.

We show that every fibrewise map from a Serre microfibration to a Serre fibration is n-connected if it is fibrewise n-connected. This generalises a result of M. Weiss and related results by Bökstedt–Madsen and Galatius–Randal–Williams. We also discuss an application to configuration spaces.

The symmetric group ${{\mathcal{S}}_{n}}$ acts on the power set $\mathcal{P}\left( n \right)$ and also on the set of square free polynomials in $n$ variables. These two related representations are analyzed from the stability point of view. An application is given for the action of the symmetric group on the cohomology of the pure braid group.

We compute the rational cohomology of the moduli space of non-singular complex plane quartic curves with two marked points. This allows us to calculate the rational cohomology of the moduli space of non-singular complex projective curves of genus three with two marked points.

given an $n$-dimensional compact closed oriented manifold $m$ and a field $\mathbb k$, f. cohen and l. taylor have constructed a spectral sequence, ${\mathcal e}(m,n,\mathbb k)$, converging to the cohomology of the space of ordered configurations of $n$ points in $m$. the symmetric group $\sigma_n$ acts on this spectral sequence giving a spectral sequence of $\sigma_n$-differential graded commutative algebras. here, an explicit description is provided of the invariants algebra $(e_1,d_1)^{\sigma_n}$ of the first term of $\mathcal e(m,n,\mathbb q)$. this determination is applied in two directions.

(a) in the case of a complex projective manifold or of an odd-dimensional manifold $m$, the cohomology algebra $h^*(c_n(m);\mathbb q)$ of the space of unordered configurations of $n$ points in $m$ is obtained (the concrete example of $p^2(\mathbb c)$ is detailed).

(b) the degeneration of the spectral sequence formed of the $\sigma_n$-invariants $\mathcal e(m,n,\mathbb q)^{\sigma_n}$ at level 2 is proved for any manifold $m$.

these results use a transfer map and are also true with coefficients in a finite field $\mathbb f_p$ with $p>n$.

We compute the mixed Hodge structure on the rational cohomology of the moduli space of smooth genus 4 curves. Specifically, we prove that its Poincaré–Serre polynomial is 1 + t2u2 + t4u4 + t5u6. We show this by producing a stratification of the space, such that all strata are geometric quotients of complements of discriminants.

The integral cohomology rings of the configuration spaces of $n$-tuples of distinct points on arbitrary surfaces (not necessarily orientable, not necessarily compact and possibly with boundary) are studied. It is shown that for punctured surfaces the cohomology rings stabilize as the number of points tends to infinity, similarly to the case of configuration spaces on the plane studied by Arnold, and the Goryunov splitting formula relating the cohomology groups of configuration spaces on the plane and punctured plane to arbitrary punctured surfaces is generalized. Moreover, on the basis of explicit cellular decompositions generalizing the construction of Fuchs and Vainshtein, the first cohomology groups for surfaces of low genus are given.