MIT Topology Seminar: The exponent problem and Cohen groups (Jie Wu)

MIT Topology Seminar

Monday, March 28, 2005
Room 2-131, 4:30pm

Jie Wu will speak on:

The exponent problem and Cohen groups

Abstract: In this talk, we will discuss the classical exponent problem in homotopy theory. Cohen groups will be reviewed. By adding shuffle-type relations to the Cohen groups, a universal ring to the self-maps of double loop spaces of double suspensions is obtained. The obstructions to the exponent problem are displayed in the extension groups of the dual of the important symmetric group modules Lie(n), as well as in the top cohomology of the Artin braid groups with coefficients Lie(n), with some connections to the complexity of algorithms considered by Smale and others.