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Let $R=M{U}^{\ast }(\mathrm{pt})$ be the coefficient ring of complex cobordism. We use its standard coefficient theorem: $R\cong \mathbb{Z}[b_1,b_2,\dots ]$ with $|b_j|=-2j$. In particular $R$ is concentrated in nonpositive even degrees. Let $H$ be the quaternionic tautological line bundle on ${\mathbb{HP}}^2$, regarded as a complex rank-two bundle by right multiplication by a fixed imaginary quaternion. SetWe will proveThe argument must establish the multiplication as well as the additive groups, since collapse of a spectral sequence alone does not settle ring extensions.

The quaternionic projective space has one cell in each dimension $0,4,8$, giving integral cohomology $\mathbb{Z}$ in exactly these three degrees. The sphere bundle of $H$ is the quaternionic Hopf fibrationWrite $u=e(H_{\mathbb{R}})=c_2(H)$ for its ordinary degree-four class, fixing its sign by this equality. The Gysin sequence of a sphere bundle gives surjections, in fact isomorphisms,Indeed the corresponding neighboring cohomology groups of $S^{11}$ vanish. Both source and target groups are $\mathbb{Z}$, so these maps make $u$ and $u^2$ generators. There are no higher cohomology groups. This proves the cohomology ring of quaternionic projective space in the form $H^{\ast }({\mathbb{HP}}^2;\mathbb{Z})=\mathbb{Z}[u]/(u^3)$.

Apply the multiplicative Atiyah-Hirzebruch spectral sequence for complex cobordism:The skeletal construction obtains this sequence from the long exact sequences of successive skeleta; the quotients are wedges of spheres, and the first differential is the ordinary cellular differential with coefficient groups $R^t$. Its multiplication on the associated graded group is the ordinary cup product with these coefficients. The finite eight-dimensional skeleton makes the filtration finite, so there is no convergence ambiguity.

Only columns $s=0,4,8$ and even rows $t$ are nonzero. If $r$ is odd, the target column $s+r$ is odd and zero. If $r$ is even, the target coefficient degree $t-r+1$ is odd and zero. The same observations exclude incoming differentials. Consequently $E_{\infty }=E_2$, with associated graded $R$-module freely generated by $1,u,u^2$ in filtrations $0,4,8$.

The canonical map from complex cobordism to integral cohomology preserves the chosen complex orientation and hence sends $q$ to $u$. The class $q$ vanishes on the zero-dimensional skeleton since $R^4=0$, and its leading skeletal term is $u$ in filtration four. Multiplicativity makes the leading term of $q^2$ the generator $u^2$ in filtration eight. Thus $1,q,q^2$ lift the associated graded basis.

This resolves all module extensions explicitly. For a class of total degree $d$, subtract its coefficient $a_0\in R^d$ in filtration zero. From the remainder subtract $a_{1}q$, where $a_1\in R^{d-4}$ is its leading coefficient in filtration four, and then subtract $a_2{q}^2$ with $a_2\in R^{d-8}$. The remaining filtration is beyond dimension eight and is zero. Conversely a relation $a_0+a_{1}q+a_2{q}^2=0$ has zero leading coefficient in each of the three successive filtrations, forcing all three $a_j$ to vanish. ThereforeFinally $q^3$ has degree twelve. Every associated graded contribution in that total degree would have coefficient degree $12-s>0$ for $s=0,4,8$, and all such coefficients vanish. Thus $M{U}^{12}({\mathbb{HP}}^2)=0$ and $q^3=0$. The polynomial map $R[t]/(t^3)\to M{U}^{\ast }({\mathbb{HP}}^2)$ taking $t$ to $q$ is surjective by the basis argument and injective by its uniqueness. This proves the complex cobordism ring of the quaternionic projective plane as a graded ring over the stated coefficient ring, including the absence of any additional coefficient-dependent relation.

The quaternionic projective space ${\mathbb{HP}}^n$ is the space of one-dimensional right quaternion subspaces of ${\mathbb{H}}^{n+1}$. Equivalently it is the quotient of the unit sphere $S^{4n+3}$ by simultaneous right multiplication by unit quaternions. Its coordinate filtration has one open cell ${\mathbb{H}}^k\cong {\mathbb{R}}^{4k}$ in each dimension $4k$, for $0\le k\le n$. Hence its cellular cohomology is $\mathbb{Z}$ in those dimensions and zero otherwise.

Let $\mathcal{H}$ be the quaternionic tautological line bundle. Its unit sphere bundle is $S^{4n+3}\to {\mathbb{HP}}^n$, with fibre $S^3$. The Gysin sequence of a sphere bundle shows that multiplication by its Euler class $e\in H^4$ is an isomorphism from $H^{4k}$ to $H^{4k+4}$ for $k<n$. Choose the generator $u=-e$. Its powers generate every nonzero positive degree, giving the cohomology ring of quaternionic projective spaceThis also accounts for $n=0$.

First take $n=2$. Under the coordinate inclusion $i:{\mathbb{CP}}^2\to {\mathbb{HP}}^2$, the pulled-back quaternionic line is the quaternionic extension of the complex tautological line $L$. As a complex rank-two bundle it is $L\oplus \overline{L}$: a transition scalar $c\in \mathbb{C}$ acts on the two complex coordinates of a quaternion by $c$ and $\overline{c}$. Put $x=c_1(L^{\ast })$, the degree-two generator of the cohomology ring of complex projective space. The Whitney sum formula for Chern classes givesHere the Euler class of a complex vector bundle is its top Chern class, using the complex orientation. In particular this degree-four pullback has coefficient one; it is not a multiple of larger absolute value. The compatible tautological bundles on the projective filtrations give the same equality for every $n$, and multiplicativity then determines the whole ring map:It is zero whenever $2k>n$. These facts are the complex inclusion into quaternionic projective space.

For an odd prime $p$, the Steenrod reduced powers are natural stable cohomology operationsThey satisfy $P^0=1$, the Cartan formula, $P^{i}a=0$ when $2i>|a|$, and $P^{i}a=a^p$ when $|a|=2i$. In particular, on ${\mathbb{CP}}^{\infty }$ one has $P^{1}x=x^p$ and $P^{i}x=0$ for $i>1$. The Cartan formula and the binomial theorem givePass to the infinite projective spaces, where $i^{\ast }:H^{\ast }({\mathbb{HP}}^{\infty };{\mathbb{F}}_p)\to H^{\ast }({\mathbb{CP}}^{\infty };{\mathbb{F}}_p)$, $u\mapsto x^2$, is injective. The equality just obtained determines the Steenrod powers on quaternionic projective space; restricting to the finite spaces giveswith coefficients modulo $p$ and powers above $n$ set to zero. In particular $P^{1}u=2u^{(p+1)/2}$, $P^{2}u=u^p$, and $P^{i}u=0$ for $i>2$. The infinite-space argument matters: the finite inclusion cannot detect those degrees for which $x^{2k}=0$.

Finally put $Q={\mathbb{HP}}^{15}/{\mathbb{HP}}^{12}$ and $S={\Sigma }^{48}{\mathbb{HP}}^3$. Both have reduced cohomology $\mathbb{Z}$ in degrees $52,56,60$ and zero otherwise. Choose integral generators $a_{13},a_{14},a_{15}$ for $Q$ whose pullbacks under the quotient map are $u^{13},u^{14},u^{15}$, and suspended integral generators $b_1,b_2,b_3$ for $S$ from $u,u^2,u^3$.

Use $p=5$. Naturality for the quotient and the formula above giveStability under the suspension isomorphism instead givesAny homotopy equivalence $h:Q\to S$ would induce isomorphisms on the rank-one integral groups, so $h^{\ast }{b}_1=\epsilon a_{13}$ and $h^{\ast }{b}_3=\delta a_{15}$ with $\epsilon ,\delta \in \{1,-1\}$. Reducing modulo five and commuting $h^{\ast }$ with $P^1$ would require $\epsilon =2\delta$ in ${\mathbb{F}}_5$. Neither $1$ nor $-1$ equals $2$ or $-2$ modulo five. ThereforeThe essential point is that integral generator signs constrain Steenrod comparisons. Arbitrary changes of basis over ${\mathbb{F}}_5$ could rescale these two nonzero coefficients into agreement; a genuine equivalence must also preserve the integral lattices, where only the two signs are available.

Quaternionic projective space is the space of right quaternionic lines in ${\mathbb{H}}^{n+1}$. It is $S^{4n+3}$ modulo the right action of unit quaternions, with one cell in each dimension $0,4,\dots ,4n$. It is a compact smooth manifold of real dimension $4n$; ${\mathbb{HP}}^1\cong S^4$. The quaternionic tautological line bundle and its sphere bundle give the multiplication in its cohomology ring of quaternionic projective space.