Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 14 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
Work first with coefficients . For a rank- real vector bundle over a CW complex, choose a fibre metric and its disk bundle and sphere bundle . The mod-two Thom class is the unique class restricting to the nonzero generator on every fibre pair. The Thom isomorphism theorem asserts thatNo orientation of the vector bundle is needed with these coefficients.
Let forget the relative condition, and let be the zero section. Set , the top Stiefel–Whitney class . Since retracts onto the zero section, . Thus the relative-to-absolute map corresponds under the Thom isomorphism theorem to multiplication by . Substituting these identifications into the long exact sequence in relative cohomology of gives the unoriented Gysin sequencewhere is the sphere bundle projection.
Apply this to the real tautological line bundle . Its sphere bundle is , with projection the antipodal double cover, and put . Suppose . The map on from the connected base to the connected sphere is an isomorphism, so exactness shows that multiplication by is injective from to . Since both groups are one-dimensional, is a generator.
For , the adjacent sphere cohomology groups in the Gysin sequence vanish, so multiplication by is an isomorphism from degree to degree . If , the top portion isThe last nonzero arrow is surjective between one-dimensional groups, hence an isomorphism; the preceding arrow is zero, so multiplication by is again an isomorphism. For the earlier argument already gives the top multiplication. Thus are the nonzero generators in their respective degrees, while by dimension. We obtainFor this says simply , with . This computes the mod-two cohomology ring of real projective space, including its multiplication rather than only its additive groups.
Now use integral coefficients and an oriented rank- vector bundle. Its orientation selects an integral Thom class . Define its Euler class byAgain . The cup product of two relative classes in agrees with the mixed relative/absolute product after forgetting the relative condition on either factor. ConsequentlyThis is the cup square of a Thom class. If is odd, graded commutativity of the cup product gives , hence . Since is, up to the graded sign, the Thom isomorphism image of , its vanishing impliesThus the Euler class of an oriented odd-rank vector bundle is two-torsion; the conclusion is integral and does not require the base cohomology to be torsion-free.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 12 5 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Use integral cohomology and let . On the projective bundle define the complex tautological line bundlePut , using the canonical complex orientation. On each fibre, is the Euler class of the tautological line over , so restrict to an integral basis of its cohomology.
Here is the finite-cover Leray-Hirsch theorem proof in this case. For each open set , defineIf is trivial on , its projective bundle is and is pulled back from the tautological line on the second factor. The Künneth theorem makes an isomorphism, since the fibre has finite free integral cohomology. The same holds for every open subset of .
Compactness of provides a finite trivializing cover . Induct on its size. If the result holds on , it holds on and on , both lying in a trivializing chart. Form the diagram of Mayer–Vietoris sequences for the base, with the finitely many degree shifts on the left, and the total space on the right. Naturality of pullback and multiplication by the global even-degree classes makes the diagram commute. The Five lemma gives the isomorphism on . ThusThis is the claimed free module statement, with its graded degree shifts made explicit.
The module basis expresses uniquely using the lower powers, with homogeneous coefficients. Define the Chern classes by the unique relationThe pullbacks are suppressed when is regarded as a polynomial over . Evaluation at gives a surjective map . Since is monic, monic polynomial division over a ring writes any polynomial as with degree of below . If its evaluation is zero, module independence forces every coefficient of to vanish. Hence the kernel is exactly the ideal generated by , provingThe even-degree coefficients are central in the graded commutative algebra, so this division and ideal statement also apply when the base has odd-degree cohomology. Uniqueness of the coefficients proves their naturality under pullback, by pulling back the relation and using the same module basis. With the hyperplane convention , the relation has the usual all-positive Chern coefficients; the alternating signs here correspond to the tautological line itself.
Now suppose . The sections of a projective bundle choose the line . They satisfy , so and pulling back the relation gives .
To obtain the full factorization over the possibly torsion-containing base ring, also use the associated open chartsThey contain the images of the sections and cover . Projection identifies with , so restricts to zero on . The long exact sequence of the pair lifts this class to . The relative cup product of the lifted classes lies inIts absolute image is , so that product vanishes. The polynomial is monic of degree and lies in the kernel of evaluation. Subtracting the monic generator leaves degree below , and module independence again makes the difference zero. ThereforeThe open-cover argument proves the factorization without a non-zero-divisor assumption on the differences .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 15 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Integral groups for . Put . The space is the inversion mapping torus of a torus, fibred over with fiber . The cohomology ring of a torus is the exterior algebra on degree-one generators. Inversion acts as on each such generator, hence as on .
The Wang sequence therefore givesThe right-hand term is free, so this short exact sequence splits as a sequence of groups. In even fiber degree, ; in odd fiber degree it is multiplication by . For this computes the integral cohomology of an inversion mapping torus:The top torsion group is consistent with being nonorientable: inversion of its three-dimensional fiber reverses orientation.
Mod-two groups. Over , inversion acts as the identity on the fiber cohomology. The Wang sequence givesThuswith out-of-range binomial coefficients interpreted as zero. These are exactly the dimensions of the graded groups .
The intersection pairing for . The mapping torus of reflection of the circle is the Klein bottle. Let be the section loop through a fixed point of the reflection and a fiber circle. They form a basis of . The section has a normal neighborhood homeomorphic to a Möbius band, so it is one-sided and a transverse displacement meets it once modulo two. The fiber is two-sided and can be displaced disjointly. The two loops meet once. The mod-two intersection pairing of the Klein bottle therefore has matrixTake the evaluation-dual basis , with and . By Poincare duality, the cup product matrix in this dual basis is , not :Writing for the nonzero top class gives , and . Hence the cohomology ring isThese relations already force all degrees above two to vanish.
The ring for general . For each of the fiber coordinates, projection induces . Pull back the classes above, calling the common base class and the fiber-coordinate classes . Naturality of the cup product gives and . The square-free products restrict to the exterior algebra basis of the fiber cohomology. The Leray-Hirsch theorem then says that and form an additive basis. This proves the full mod-two cohomology ring of an inversion mapping torus:For , is nonzero by this basis description. In the cohomology ring of a torus every degree-one class squares to zero: the generators square to zero and the cross terms occur twice in characteristic two. The degree-one cup-square obstruction to ring isomorphism therefore proves that the rings are not isomorphic for any , despite their isomorphic graded groups. For , both spaces are circles and the rings are isomorphic. Even if grading is forgotten, the rings differ for : every element of the torus ring has square either zero or one, whereas is nonzero and is not the unit.
Integral cup products in . To specify also as a ring, let be the pullback of the positive generator of . Let denote reduction modulo two and set using the integral Bockstein homomorphism. The degree-one Bockstein square identity gives , so the are the three independent order-two classes in degree two. Choose free classes which restrict to the corresponding two-fold fiber products and have reductions . Such choices exist: reduction in degree two is surjective because is free, and adding the removes any terms from an initial lift.
The Wang sequence identifies as a free basis of . Let generate , with . Reduction in degree four is an isomorphism. The integral cup products in the four-dimensional inversion mapping torus are consequently determined byTogether with the unit, graded commutativity and vanishing above degree four, these give every product. For example, , whereas . The products vanish because they are torsion in the free group .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 16 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
For , the Čech cochain complex has groupsTerms in cancel in pairs, and Čech cohomology is . A degree-zero cocycle is exactly a family of compatible local sections. The sheaf gluing axiom gives their unique global section, proving . If the cover has affine finite intersections, a quasi-coherent sheaf has no higher cohomology on those intersections by vanishing of quasi-coherent cohomology on an affine scheme. The acyclic cover theorem then identifies all Čech groups with sheaf cohomology. In particular, a finite affine open cover of a separated variety has this property.
For the sheaf of units of the structure sheaf, a multiplicative degree-one cocycle is a family satisfying , with . It glues trivial rank-one free modules into an invertible sheaf. Changing the local frames multiplies by a coboundary, and two sets of transition data give isomorphic line bundles precisely when their cocycles differ this way. Tensoring line bundles multiplies their cocycles. Thus line bundles trivialized by an open cover give the group isomorphismFor the remaining arguments, work over the algebraically closed ground field. On the irreducible variety , put , a quotient of sheaves of abelian groups. A global section of is locally represented by rational functions whose ratios are regular units. The corresponding unit cocycle defines an invertible sheaf. A single global rational function has trivial cocycle. Conversely, every line bundle has a nonzero rational section: choose a nonzero vector in its one-dimensional fibre at the generic point and express it in local frames. This supplies such local . If the associated line bundle is trivial, changing frames makes all restrictions of one rational function. Thereforeis exact. This is the Cartier-divisor description of the Picard group. The sheaf of nonzero rational functions on an irreducible variety is flasque, since all restrictions between nonempty open sets are the identity on . Apply the long exact sequence in sheaf cohomology to . Since , its connecting map has exactly the cokernel just computed, provingFinally the Segre description of a smooth quadric surface identifies with . The two rulings of a smooth quadric surface have classes generating . For completeness, remove one line in each ruling: the remaining chart is the affine plane, with factorial coordinate ring and trivial divisor class group. The localization sequence for the divisor class group makes generators, and their degrees on the two ruling lines prove independence. The hyperplane class, and hence the conic , has bidegree . By Picard-group localization on a smooth variety, the Picard group of a smooth affine quadric surface isExplicitly, the restriction of is nontrivial: if it were trivial on , its rational trivialization would have divisor supported on , forcing to be an integer multiple of , which is impossible.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 18 3 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Order the index set of the open cover . For the sheaf of abelian groups , the Čech cochain group isIt is a product, not a finite-support sum. The Čech coboundary isEvery term in occurs twice with opposite signs, so . The Čech cohomology of the cover is . Refinements induce maps on these groups; different choices of refinement indices give maps related by a cochain homotopy, hence the same map on cohomology. Taking the direct limit over covers givesOne may use locally finite covers, since a complex manifold is a paracompact space and these covers are cofinal. In degree zero this recovers the group of global sections by the sheaf gluing axiom.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 19 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
We use the James reduced product theorem and the Bott–Samelson theorem: if is a connected based CW complex with free integral homology, then is a weak equivalence, and its induced Pontryagin ring isHere is the reduced suspension, is the tensor algebra, and the multiplication is induced by concatenating James words, hence by concatenating loops. Taking supplies a single generator of degree , sois free, with one generator in every degree and zero in the other degrees.
The diagonal makes this a homology coalgebra. The generator is a primitive homology class:There are no nontrivial lower positive degrees in which its reduced diagonal could land. Compatibility of the diagonal with loop multiplication givesThe degree of is even, so the two tensor factors commute without a Koszul sign rule.
The universal coefficient theorem for cohomology has no Ext terms here because homology is free. Let be the cohomology class dual to , with and . The cup product is dual to the diagonal, henceTherefore the integral cohomology ring is the divided power algebraExplicitly for , and all other cohomology groups vanish. In particular : over the integers this is not a polynomial ring on . This is the integral cohomology of an odd-sphere loop space.
For the requested homology multiplication, use the homology cross product followed by concatenation:The constant loop gives the degree-zero unit. Loop concatenation is associative up to homotopy, which suffices for associativity on homology; Moore loops can make the space-level operation strictly associative. The Künneth theorem identifies the tensor-product homology because its groups are free abelian groups. The Bott–Samelson theorem identifies this product with word multiplication, so . The Pontryagin ring of an odd-sphere loop space has presentationWith only one generator the tensor algebra has the indicated polynomial presentation. The homology product and the divided-power cohomology product are different operations.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 19 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Let be the rationalized universal class of degree . The rational cohomology of an integral Eilenberg–MacLane space isHere is an exterior algebra. For , . The standard path-loop spectral-sequence calculation supplies the induction: inthe total space is contractible and the fundamental fiber class transgresses to . An odd exterior fiber generator gives an even polynomial base generator. An even polynomial fiber generator gives an odd exterior base generator; the differential on its th power has coefficient , which is invertible over . The multiplicative spectral sequence then has no remaining positive-degree classes in the total space. This is the rational transgression calculation for Eilenberg–MacLane spaces; it includes the absence of additional base generators.
For , choose representing the integral fundamental class. The ring calculation shows that this map is a rational homology equivalence: both spaces have rational cohomology only in degrees zero and . The rational Whitehead theorem for simply connected spaces identifies their rational homotopy groups. Since the target has only , the rational homotopy groups of a sphere in odd dimension areFor , this follows directly from and the contractible universal cover of the circle, which makes every higher homotopy group zero.
Let , with the standard complex orientations. It is simply connected by the Seifert-van Kampen theorem applied to the punctured summands. Classes can be chosen from the two summands. Their cross product vanishes, while their squares equal the oriented top class:Thus the cohomology ring of the connected sum of two complex projective planes isThe two relations also kill all cubic monomials, so its dimensions are in degrees and zero otherwise.
We use the Sullivan minimal model dictionary: for a simply connected finite-type space, the dual of its degree- generator space is . The following free graded-commutative differential algebra is the Sullivan model of the connected sum of two complex projective planes:It is minimal because all differentials of generators are decomposable.
To verify that no further generators are required, observe that is a regular sequence in . The first polynomial is a nonzerodivisor. If is divisible by , restricting to each coordinate axis forces to vanish on both axes, hence to be divisible by . The second polynomial is therefore a nonzerodivisor modulo the first. The Koszul complex of this regular sequence is exactly , so its cohomology is the quotient ring above, with no additional odd cohomology.
For completeness, choose rational polynomial forms representing on . Their product and the difference of their squares are exact; choose degree-three primitives for them. Sending to those primitives defines a differential-algebra map from to the rational polynomial forms on . It induces the specified cohomology-ring isomorphism and hence is a quasi-isomorphism. This verifies the model directly, rather than assuming that a cohomology presentation alone automatically determines all rational homotopy.
The model has exactly two degree-two and two degree-three generators. Consequently the rational homotopy groups of the connected sum of two complex projective planes are
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 19 5 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Write for the fundamental class. We use the path-loop Serre spectral sequence, its multiplicative structure, and the Kudo transgression theorem: transgression of the fundamental classes and their compatible Steenrod squares is natural, equivalently cohomology suspension commutes with these stable operations. The initial ring is .
Here is the low-degree calculation. In the first path fibration, , and transgress respectively to , and , in degrees . These supply all indecomposable base classes through degree five; the other classes there are products. Repeating the path-loop calculation raises the degree of the transgressive classes by one. For , the class transgresses from , and from the degree-five generator. For , transgresses from . For larger all four displayed low-degree operations are transgressive indecomposables. Acyclicity of the path-space total cohomology forces these transgressions and excludes additional classes in this range.
More systematically, this is the range up to of the Serre polynomial generators for mod-two Eilenberg–MacLane cohomology:For an admissible sequence of Steenrod squares, has ; its degree increment is , and its Steenrod excess is . Include the empty sequence. Up to increment three the nonempty possibilities are ; the strict excess bound and possible products explain precisely the small- exceptions.
The low-degree mod-two cohomology of an Eilenberg–MacLane space isNegative-degree cohomology is zero. For , and by instability, so the product in degree five must not be omitted. For , is a product, still independent from . For the listed classes are indecomposable. The Adem relations include and , so no further increment-three class comes from reversing the two squares.
Now use the space actually printed in the PDF,the converted TeX dropped the projective-space 's. This stunted real projective space has one cell in dimensions , besides its basepoint, and is -connected. The integral cellular boundary is in even dimensions and zero in odd dimensions. HenceThe Hurewicz theorem gives .
For the next two groups, let and choose representing the generator of . It induces an isomorphism on , and the target's higher homotopy groups vanish.
We need the low-degree integral homology of a mod-two Eilenberg–MacLane space. Here it isTo justify the torsion orders, the Serre class theorem first makes every positive-degree integral homology group of a finite 2-group. The universal coefficient theorem for cohomology with and the low-degree dimensions give one cyclic summand in degrees seven, nine and ten and none in degree eight. The mod-two Bockstein homomorphism is . Its relevant nonzero actions areThe last target is nonzero: is admissible with excess two, below seven. It also follows by transgressing the nonzero square through successive path fibrations. Each nonzero Bockstein pairs the mod-two classes associated with a cyclic integral summand of order exactly two; for a summand of order with , this first Bockstein would be zero. In degree ten, is already the Ext class from , so the independent class detects . This proves all four integral groups without confusing them with mod-two Betti numbers.
Let be its usual generator. The quotient classes in degrees through identify with via the pair's cohomology. The Steenrod squares on real projective space satisfyThussince and are odd, while is even. In degree nine, the nonzero cohomology map detects the map on , as on both sides. Consequently is an isomorphism.
Treat as a mapping-cylinder pair . It is -connected: both spaces are -connected, is an isomorphism, and . The relative homology sequence gives , since is an isomorphism and . The Relative Hurewicz theorem then gives , and the relative homotopy sequence identifies this group with . Thus and the pair is now -connected.
Next,because and the degree-nine map is an isomorphism. Apply the Relative Hurewicz theorem again and use :Therefore the homotopy groups of the stunted projective space through degree nine are
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 114 1 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
First account for the unlabelled coefficient-sequence construction. The two short exact sequences of abelian groups areThe singular chain groups of are free abelian. Applying therefore preserves these exact sequences, degree by degree, giving short exact sequences of cochain complexes. The associated long exact sequence from a coefficient sequence gives the displayed maps in cohomology; the connecting maps are the integral Bockstein homomorphism and the modulo- Bockstein homomorphism . The first omitted map is multiplication by , and the second is induced by .
For the requested example, attach an -cell to using a map of degree . The resulting Moore space has positive-degree cellular chain complexin degrees . This construction also works for , using the degree- map of the circle. In cellular cohomology with coefficients , the differential is zero, so both and are .
Lift the cochain taking value on the -cell to a cochain with coefficients . Its coboundary takes value on the -cell, which is . The definition of the connecting homomorphism therefore sends the degree- generator to the degree- generator. HenceIt is nonzero for every and , including composite . This is the Bockstein on a cyclic Moore space.