arXiv research

We give a proof of a Conjecture of Walker which states that one can recover the lengths of the bars of a circular linkage from the cohomology ring of the configuration space. For a large class of length vectors, this has been shown by Farber, Hausmann and Schuetz. In the remaining cases, we use Morse theory and the fun…

Denote the free group on two letters by F2 and the SL(3,C)-representation variety of F2 by R = Hom(F2, SL(3, C)). There is a SL(3,C)-action on the coordinate ring of R, and the geometric points of the subring of invariants is an affine variety X. We determine explicit minimal generators and defining relations for the s…

We show that a conjectural extension of a fixed point formula in Arakelov geometry implies results about a tautological subring in the arithmetic Chow ring of bases of abelian schemes. Among the results are an Arakelov version of the Hirzebruch proportionality principle and a formula for a critical power of $\hat c_1$ …

Chevalley's theorem and it's converse, the Sheppard-Todd theorem, assert that finite reflection groups are distinguished by the fact that the ring of invariant polynomials is freely generated. We show that in the Euclidean case, a weaker condition suffices to characterize finite reflection groups, namely that a freely-…

Let T be a torus. We present an exact sequence relating the relative equivariant cohomologies of the skeletons of an equivariantly formal T-space. This sequence, which goes back to Atiyah and Bredon, generalizes the so-called Chang-Skjelbred lemma. As coefficients, we allow prime fields and subrings of the rationals, i…

We compute cup product pairings in the integral cohomology ring of the moduli space of rank two stable bundles with odd determinant over a Riemann surface using methods of Zagier. The resulting formula is related to a generating function for certain skew Schur polynomials. As an application, we compute the nilpotency d…

Let M be a compact simply connected hyperkähler (or holomorphically symplectic) manifold, \dim H^2(M)=n. Assume that M is not a product of hyperkaehler manifolds. We prove that the Lie algebra so(n-3,3) acts by automorphisms on the cohomology ring H^*(M). Under this action, the space H^2(M) is isomorphic to the fundame…

Introduced by Gromov in the nineties, the systolic growth of a Lie group gives the smallest possible covolume of a lattice with a given systole. In a simply connected nilpotent Lie group, this function has polynomial growth, but can grow faster than the volume growth. We express this systolic growth function in terms o…

Let k be a subring of the field of rational functions in α, s which contains α^{1}, α^{-1}, s^{1}, s^{-1}, . Let M be a compact oriented 3-manifold, and let K(M) denote the Kauffman skein module of M over k. Then K(M) is the free k-module generated by isotopy classes of framed links in M modulo the Kauffman skein relat…

Let $Γ$ be a finite d-valent graph and G an n-dimensional torus. An ``action'' of G on $Γ$ is defined by a map, $α$, which assigns to each oriented edge e of $Γ$ a one-dimensional representation of G (or, alternatively, a weight, $α_e$, in the weight lattice of G). For the assignment, $e \to α_e$, to be a schematic des…

We show that for each discrete group G, the rational assembly map K_*(BG) \otimes Q \to K_*(C*_{max} G) \otimes \Q is injective on classes dual to the subring generated by cohomology classes of degree at most 2 (identifying rational K-homology and homology via the Chern character). Our result implies homotopy invarianc…

Novikov homology refined for 2D integer group coverings.

We consider systems $(M,ω,g)$ with $M$ a closed smooth manifold, $ω$ a real valued closed one form and $g$ a Riemannian metric, so that $(ω,g)$ is a Morse-Smale pair, Definition~2. We introduce a numerical invariant $ρ(ω,g)\in[0,\infty]$ and improve Morse-Novikov theory by showing that the Novikov complex comes from a …

Paper introduces an invariant for knots in non-orientable manifolds, akin to Turaev's comultiplication.

Study elliptic boundary problems on surfaces, deriving index formulas.

Let $M$ be the moduli space of rank 3 parabolic vector bundles over a Riemann surface with several punctures. By the Mehta-Seshadri correspondence, this is the space of rank 3 unitary representations of the fundamental group of the punctured surface with specified conjugacy classes of the images of each boundary compon…

The SL(3,C)-representation variety R of a free group F arises naturally by considering surface group representations for a surface with boundary. There is a SL(3,C)-action on the coordinate ring of R. The geometric points of the subring of invariants of this action is an affine variety X. The points of X parametrize is…

Study characteristic classes for manifold bundles, focusing on fiber families.

Let $k$ be a subring of the field of rational functions in $x, v, s$ which contains $x^{\pm 1}, v^{\pm 1}, s^{\pm 1}$. If $M$ is an oriented 3-manifold, let $S(M)$ denote the Homflypt skein module of $M$ over $k$. This is the free $k$-module generated by isotopy classes of framed oriented links in $M$ quotiented by the…

The paper introduces new topological obstructions for positive scalar curvature metrics on manifolds.