The Free Loop Space Homology of (n−1)(n-1)-connected 2n2n-manifolds

Our goal in this paper is to compute the integral free loop space homology of $(n-1)$-connected $2n$-manifolds $M$, $n\geq 2$. We do this when $n\neq 2,4,8$, or when $n\neq 2$ and $\tilde H^*(M)$ has trivial cup product squares, though the techniques used here should extend to a much wider range of manifolds. We also give partial information concerning the action of the Batalin-Vilkovisky operator.Comment: JHR

Configuration Spaces and Polyhedral Products

This paper aims to find the most general combinatorial conditions under which a moment-angle complex $(D^2,S^1)^K$ is a co-$H$-space, thus splitting unstably in terms of its full subcomplexes. In this way we study to which extent the conjecture holds that a moment-angle complex over a Golod simplicial complex is a co-$H$-space. Our main tool is a certain generalisation of the theory of labelled configuration spaces.Comment: Published in Advances in Mathematics, 201

The Loop Space Homotopy Type of Simply-connected Four-manifolds and their Generalizations

We determine loop space decompositions of simply-connected four-manifolds, $(n-1)$-connected $2n$-dimensional manifolds provided $n\notin\{4,8\}$, and connected sums of products of two spheres. These are obtained as special cases of a more general loop space decomposition of certain torsion-free $CW$-complexes with well-behaved skeleta and some Poincar\'{e} duality features.Comment: Adv. Math., to be publishe

LSLS-Category of Moment-Angle Manifolds, Massey Products, and a Generalization of the Golod Property

We give various bounds for the Lusternik-Schnirelmann category of moment-angle complexes and show how this relates to vanishing of Massey products in $\mathrm{Tor}^+_{R[v_1,\ldots,v_n]}(R[K],R)$. In particular, we characterise the Lusternik-Schnirelmann category of moment-angle manifolds $\mathcal{Z}_K$ over triangulated $d$-spheres $K$ for $d\leq 2$, as well as higher dimension spheres built up via connected sum, join, and vertex doubling operations. This characterisation is given in terms of the combinatorics of $K$, the cup product length of $H^*(\mathcal{Z}_K)$, as well as a certain generalisation of the Golod property. Some applications include information about the category and vanishing of Massey products for moment-angle complexes over fullerenes and $k$-neighbourly complexes.Comment: New examples adde

Homotopy Decompositions of Looped Stiefel manifolds, and their Exponents

Let $p$ be an odd prime, and fix integers $m$ and $n$ such that $0<m<n\leq (p-1)(p-2)$. We give a $p$-local homotopy decomposition for the loop space of the complex Stiefel manifold $W_{n,m}$. Similar decompositions are given for the loop space of the real and symplectic Stiefel manifolds. As an application of these decompositions, we compute upper bounds for the $p$-exponent of $W_{n,m}$. Upper bounds for $p$-exponents in the stable range $2m<n$ and $0<m\leq (p-1)(p-2)$ are computed as well

Homotopy groups of highly connected Poincare duality complexes

Methods are developed to relate the action of a principal fibration to relative Whitehead products in order to determine the homotopy type of certain spaces. The methods are applied to thoroughly analyze the homotopy type of the based loops on certain cell attachments. Key examples are (n-1)-connected Poincare Duality complexes of dimension 2n or 2n+1 with minor cohomological conditions.Comment: 22 page