Higher homotopy of groups definable in o-minimal structures

It is known that a definably compact group G is an extension of a compact Lie group L by a divisible torsion-free normal subgroup. We show that the o-minimal higher homotopy groups of G are isomorphic to the corresponding higher homotopy groups of L. As a consequence, we obtain that all abelian definably compact groups of a given dimension are definably homotopy equivalent, and that their universal covers are contractible.     

Compact domination for groups definable in linear o-minimal structures

We prove the Compact Domination Conjecture for groups definable in linear o-minimal structures. Namely, we show that every definably compact group G definable in a saturated linear o-minimal expansion of an ordered group is compactly dominated by (G/G ⁰⁰, m, π), where m is the Haar measure on G/G ⁰⁰ and π : G → G/G ⁰⁰ is the canonical group homomorphism.     

Permutation Groups in o-Minimal Structures

In this paper we develop a structure theory for transitive permutationgroups definable in o-minimal structures. We fix an o-minimalstructure M, a group G definable in M, and a set and a faithfultransitive action of G on definable in M, and talk of the permutationgroup (G, ). Often, we are concerned with definably primitivepermutation groups (G, ); this means that there is no propernon-trivial definable G-invariant equivalence relation on ,so definable primitivity is equivalent to a point stabiliserG being a maximal definable subgroup of G. Of course, sinceany group definable in an o-minimal structure has the descendingchain condition on definable subgroups [23] we expect many questionson definable transitive permutation groups to reduce to questionson definably primitive ones. Recall that a group G definable in an o-minimal structure issaid to be connected if there is no proper definable subgroupof finite index. In some places, if G is a group definable inM we must distinguish between definability in the full ambientstructure M and G-definability, which means definability inthe pure group G:= (G, .); for example, G is G-definably connectedmeans that G does not contain proper subgroups of finite indexwhich are definable in the group structure. By definable, wealways mean definability in M. In some situations, when thereis a field R definable in M, we say a set is R-semialgebraic,meaning that it is definable in (R, +, .). We call a permutationgroup (G, ) R-semialgebraic if G, and the action of G on canall be defined in the pure field structure of a real closedfield R. If R is clear from the context, we also just write‘semialgebraic’.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">G</Emphasis>-linear sets and torsion points in definably compact groups

Let G be a definably compact group in an o-minimal expansion of a real closed field. We prove that if dim(G\X) < dim G for some definable then X contains a torsion point of G. Along the way we develop a general theory for the so-called G-linear sets, and investigate definable sets which contain abstract subgroups of G. M. Otero was Partially supported by GEOR MTM2005-02568 and Grupos UCM 910444.     

Definable Compactness and Definable Subgroups of o-Minimal Groups

The paper introduces the notion of definable compactness andwithin the context of o-minimal structures proves several topologicalproperties of definably compact spaces. In particular a definableset in an o-minimal structure is definably compact (with respectto the subspace topology) if and only if it is closed and bounded.Definable compactness is then applied to the study of groupsand rings in o-minimal structures. The main result proved isthat any infinite definable group in an o-minimal structurethat is not definably compact contains a definable torsion-freesubgroup of dimension 1. With this theorem, a complete characterizationis given of all rings without zero divisors that are definablein o-minimal structures. The paper concludes with several examplesillustrating some limitations on extending the theorem.     

Fundamental group in o-minimal structures with definable Skolem functions

In this paper we work in an arbitrary o-minimal structure with definable Skolem functions and prove that definably connected, locally definable manifolds are uniformly definably path connected, have an admissible cover by definably simply connected, open definable subsets and, definable paths and definable homotopies on such locally definable manifolds can be lifted to locally definable covering maps. These properties allow us to obtain the main properties of the general o-minimal fundamental group, including: invariance and comparison results; existence of universal locally definable covering maps; monodromy equivalence for locally constant o-minimal sheaves – from which one obtains, as in algebraic topology, classification results for locally definable covering maps, o-minimal Hurewicz and Seifert–van Kampen theorems.     

Computing o-minimal topological invariants using differential topology

We work in an o-minimal expansion of a real closed field. Using piecewise smoothness of definable functions we define the topological degree for definable continuous functions. Using this notion of the degree we obtain a new proof for the existence of torsion points in a definably compact group, and also a new proof of an o-minimal analogue of the Brouwer fixed point theorem.

     

Simple algebraic and semialgebraic groups over real closed fields

We continue the investigation of infinite, definably simple groups which are definable in o-minimal structures. In Definably simple groups in o-minimal structures, we showed that every such group is a semialgebraic group over a real closed field. Our main result here, stated in a model theoretic language, is that every such group is either bi-interpretable with an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero (when the group is stable) or with a real closed field (when the group is unstable). It follows that every abstract isomorphism between two unstable groups as above is a composition of a semialgebraic map with a field isomorphism. We discuss connections to theorems of Freudenthal, Borel-Tits and Weisfeiler on automorphisms of real Lie groups and simple algebraic groups over real closed fields.

     

A remark on divisibility of definable groups

We show that if G is a definably compact, definably connected definable group defined in an arbitrary o‐minimal structure, then G is divisible. Furthermore, if G is defined in an o‐minimal expansion of a field, k ∈ ? and p_k : G → G is the definable map given by p_k (x ) = x^k for all x ∈ G , then we have |(p_k )^–1(x )| ≥ k^r for all x ∈ G , where r > 0 is the maximal dimension of abelian definable subgroups of G . (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Locally definable homotopy

In [E. Baro, M. Otero, On o-minimal homotopy, Quart. J. Math. (2009) 15pp, in press (doi:10.1093/qmath/hap011)] o-minimal homotopy was developed for the definable category, proving o-minimal versions of the Hurewicz theorems and the Whitehead theorem. Here, we extend these results to the category of locally definable spaces, for which we introduce homology and homotopy functors. We also study the concept of connectedness in ?-definable groups — which are examples of locally definable spaces. We show that the various concepts of connectedness associated to these groups, which have appeared in the literature, are non-equivalent.     

Fields interpretable in rosy theories

We are working in a monster model ℭ of a rosy theory T. We prove the following theorems, generalizing the appropriate results from the finite Morley rank case and o-minimal structures. If R is a ⋁-definable integral domain of positive, finite U^t-rank, then its field of fractions is interpretable in ℭ. If A and M are infinite, definable, abelian groups such that A acts definably and faithfully on M as a group of automorphisms, M is A-minimal and U^t(M) is finite, then there is an infinite field interpretable in ℭ. If G is an infinite, solvable but non nilpotent-by-finite, definable group of finite U^t-rank and T has NIP, then there is an infinite field interpretable in 〈G, ·〉.     

Some definable properties of sets in non-valuational weakly o-minimal structures

Let \({\mathcal {M}}=(M,<,+,\cdot ,\ldots )\) be a non-valuational weakly o-minimal expansion of a real closed field \((M,<,+,\cdot )\). In this paper, we prove that \({\mathcal {M}}\) has a \(C^r\)-strong cell decomposition property, for each positive integer r, a best analogous result from Tanaka and Kawakami (Far East J Math Sci (FJMS) 25(3):417–431, 2007). We also show that curve selection property holds in non-valuational weakly o-minimal expansions of ordered groups. Finally, we extend the notion of definable compactness suitable for weakly o-minimal structures which was examined for definable sets (Peterzil and Steinhorn in J Lond Math Soc 295:769–786, 1999), and prove that a definable set is definably compact if and only if it is closed and bounded.     

On the Euler characteristic of definable groups

We show that in an arbitrary o‐minimal structure the following are equivalent: (i) conjugates of a definable subgroup of a definably connected, definably compact definable group cover the group if the o‐minimal Euler characteristic of the quotient is non zero; (ii) every infinite, definably connected, definably compact definable group has a non trivial torsion point (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

o-minimal analytic separation of sets in dimension 2

We study the Hardy field associated with an o-minimal expansion of the real numbers. If the set of analytic germs is dense in the Hardy field, then we can definably analytically separate sets in ${\mathbb{R}}^2$, and we can definably analytically approximate definable continuous unary functions. A similar statement holds for definable smooth functions.     

Uniformly locally o-minimal structures and locally o-minimal structures admitting local definable cell decomposition

We define and investigate a uniformly locally o-minimal structure of the second kind in this paper. All uniformly locally o-minimal structures of the second kind have local monotonicity, which is a local version of monotonicity theorem of o-minimal structures. We also demonstrate a local definable cell decomposition theorem for definably complete uniformly locally o-minimal structures of the second kind. We define dimension of a definable set and investigate its basic properties when the given structure is a locally o-minimal structure which admits local definable cell decomposition.     

O-minimal Hauptvermutung for polyhedra I

Milnor discovered two compact polyhedra which are homeomorphic but not PL homeomorphic (a counterexample to the Hauptvermutung). He constructed the homeomorphism by a finite procedure repeated infinitely often. Informally, we call a procedure constructive if it consists of an explicit procedure that is repeated only finitely many times. In this sense, Milnor did not give a constructive procedure to define the homeomorphism between the two polyhedra. In the case where the homeomorphism is semialgebraic, the author and Yokoi proved that the polyhedra in R ⁿ are PL homeomorphic. In that article, the required PL homeomorphism was not constructively defined from the given homeomorphism. In the present paper we obtain the PL homeomorphism by a constructive procedure starting from the homeomorphism. We prove in fact that for any ordered field R equipped with any o-minimal structure, two definably homeomorphic compact polyhedra in R ⁿ are PL homeomorphic (the o-minimal Hauptvermutung theorem 1.1). Together with the fact that any compact definable set is definably homeomorphic to a compact polyhedron we can say that o-minimal topology is “tame”.     

Linear Groups Definable in o-Minimal Structures

We study subgroups G of GL(n, R) definable in o-minimal expansions M = (R, +, · ,…) of a real closed field R. We prove several results such as: (a) G can be defined using just the field structure on R together with, if necessary, power functions, or an exponential function definable in M. (b) If G has no infinite, normal, definable abelian subgroup, then G is semialgebraic. We also characterize the definably simple groups definable in o-minimal structures as those groups elementarily equivalent to simple Lie groups, and we give a proof of the Kneser–Tits conjecture for real closed fields.     

Decomposition into special submanifolds

We study definably complete locally o-minimal expansions of ordered groups. We propose a notion of special submanifolds with tubular neighborhoods and show that any definable set is decomposed into finitely many special submanifolds with tubular neighborhoods.     

Definable group extensions in semi‐bounded o‐minimal structures

In this note we show: Let R = 〈R, <, +, 0, …〉 be a semi‐bounded (respectively, linear) o‐minimal expansion of an ordered group, and G a group definable in R of linear dimension m ([2]). Then G is a definable extension of a bounded (respectively, definably compact) definable group B by 〈R^m, +〉 (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The dualizing spectrum of a topological group

To a topological group G, we assign a naive G-spectrum , called the dualizing spectrum of G. When the classifying space BG is finitely dominated, we show that detects Poincaré duality in the sense that BG is a Poincaré duality space if and only if is a homotopy finite spectrum. Secondly, we show that the dualizing spectrum behaves multiplicatively on certain topological group extensions. In proving these results we introduce a new tool: a norm map which is defined for any G and for any naive G-spectrum E. Applications of the dualizing spectrum come in two flavors: (i) applications in the theory of Poincaré duality spaces, and (ii) applications in the theory of group cohomology. On the Poincaré duality space side, we derive a homotopy theoretic solution to a problem posed by Wall which says that in a fibration sequence of fini the total space satisfies Poincaré duality if and only if the base and fiber do. The dualizing spectrum can also be used to give an entirely homotopy theoretic construction of the Spivak fibration of a finitely dominated Poincaré duality space. We also include a new proof of Browder's theorem that every finite H-space satisfies Poincaré duality. In connection with group cohomology, we show how to define a variant of Farrell-Tate cohomology for any topological or discrete group G, with coefficients in any naive equivariant cohomology theory E. When E is connective, and when G admits a subgroup H of finite index such that BH is finitely dominated, we show that this cohomology coincides with the ordinary cohomology of G with coefficients in E in degrees greater than the cohomological dimension of H. In an appendix, we identify the homotopy type of for certain kinds of groups. The class includes all compact Lie groups, torsion free arithmetic groups and Bieri-Eckmann duality groups. Received July 14, 1999 / Revised May 17, 2000 / Published online February 5, 2001