Third homology of general linear groups

The third homology group of GL_n(R) is studied, where R is a `ring with many units' with center Z(R). The main theorem states that if K_1(Z(R))_Q \simeq K_1(R)_Q, (e.g. R a commutative ring or a central simple algebra), then H_3(GL_2(R), Q) --> H_3(GL_3(R), Q) is injective. If R is commutative, Q can be replaced by a field k such that 1/2 is in k. For an infinite field R (resp. an infinite field R such that R*=R*^2), we get a better result that H_3(GL_2(R), Z[1/2] --> H_3(GL_3(R), Z[1/2]) (resp. H_3(GL_2(R), Z) --> H_3(GL_3(R), Z)) is injective. As an application we study the third homology group of SL_2(R) and the indecomposable part of K_3(R).Comment: 24 pages, Latex, new title, some results are generalized, added reference

Euler class groups, and the homology of elementary and special linear groups

We prove homology stability for elementary and special linear groups over rings with many units improving known stability ranges. Our result implies stability for unstable Quillen K-groups and proves a conjecture of Bass. For commutative local rings with infinite residue fields, we show that the obstruction to further stability is given by Milnor-Witt K-theory. As an application we construct Euler classes of projective modules with values in the cohomology of the Milnor Witt K-theory sheaf. For d-dimensional commutative noetherian rings with infinite residue fields we show that the vanishing of the Euler class is necessary and sufficient for a projective module P of rank d to split off a rank 1 free direct summand. Along the way we obtain a new presentation of Milnor-Witt K-theory.Comment: 64 pages. Revised Section 5. Comments welcome

The rational stable homology of mapping class groups of universal nil-manifolds

We compute the rational stable homology of the automorphism groups of free nilpotent groups. These groups interpolate between the general linear groups over the ring of integers and the automorphism groups of free groups, and we employ functor homology to reduce to the abelian case. As an application, we also compute the rational stable homology of the outer automorphism groups and of the mapping class groups of the associated aspherical nil-manifolds in the TOP, PL, and DIFF categories.Comment: 25 pages, will appear at Annales de l'Institut Fourie

Kostant homology formulas for oscillator modules of Lie superalgebras

We provide a systematic approach to obtain formulas for characters and Kostant ${\mathfrak u}$-homology groups of the oscillator modules of the finite dimensional general linear and ortho-symplectic superalgebras, via Howe dualities for infinite dimensional Lie algebras. Specializing these Lie superalgebras to Lie algebras, we recover, in a new way, formulas for Kostant homology groups of unitarizable highest weight representations of Hermitian symmetric pairs. In addition, two new reductive dual pairs related to the above-mentioned ${\mathfrak u}$-homology computation are worked out

On finite simple and nonsolvable groups acting on homology 4-spheres

The only finite nonabelian simple group acting on a homology 3-sphere - necessarily non-freely - is the dodecahedral group $\Bbb A_5 \cong {\rm PSL}(2,5)$ (in analogy, the only finite perfect group acting freely on a homology 3-sphere is the binary dodecahedral group $\Bbb A_5^* \cong {\rm SL}(2,5)$). In the present paper we show that the only finite simple groups acting on a homology 4-sphere, and in particular on the 4-sphere, are the alternating or linear fractional groups groups $\Bbb A_5 \cong {\rm PSL}(2,5)$ and $\Bbb A_6 \cong {\rm PSL}(2,9)$. From this we deduce a short list of groups which contains all finite nonsolvable groups admitting an action on a homology 4-spheres.Comment: 15 page

The third homology of the special linear group of a field

We prove that for any infinite field homology stability for the third integral homology of the special linear groups $SL(n,F)$ begins at $n=3$. When $n=2$ the cokernel of the map from the third homology of $SL(2,F)$ to the third homology of $SL(3,F)$ is naturally isomorphic to the square of Milnor $K_3$. We discuss applications to the indecomposable $K_3$ of the field and to Milnor-Witt K-theory.Comment: PDFLatex, 21 page