Complex cobordism ($M{U}^{\ast }(X)={\Omega }_U^{\ast }(X)$)

Complex cobordism is the generalized cohomology theory represented by the stable Thom spaces of universal complex vector bundles. Its geometric cycles use maps with chosen stable complex normal data. Its complex Thom classes give Chern classes in complex cobordism, and proper oriented maps have a Gysin map in complex cobordism.

The displayed product applies when $k+m\ge n$. Move one projective subspace by a unitary isotopy into transverse position. The intersection is a linear projective subspace of dimension $k+m-n$, with normal complex bundle the sum of the restricted input normal bundles. If $k+m<n$, representatives can be made disjoint and the product is zero.

Pulling the external product of two normally complex submanifolds back along the diagonal gives their transverse intersection. Its normal complex structure is the direct sum of the restricted normal complex structures. Multiplication of Thom classes for a direct sum identifies this geometric representative with the cup product in complex cobordism. Empty intersection represents zero.

// Target: geometry-and-topology.bigb

For a rank-$r$ real bundle with chosen stable complex normal orientation, the complex-cobordism Thom class gives the displayed isomorphism by $a\mapsto {\pi }^{\ast }a{u}_{\xi }$. Stabilizing by a trivial complex bundle suspends the Thom space and its class compatibly. The class of an actual complex rank-$n$ bundle has degree $2n$.

Represent a map $f:X\to Y$ by a smooth map, embed its graph into $Y\times {\mathbb{R}}^N$, and specify a stable complex structure on the normal bundle of that embedding, with the standard framing on the auxiliary real coordinates. Stabilization and homotopy identify equivalent choices. The auxiliary dimension is chosen to make the normal rank even; odd relative dimensions use an extra real suspension coordinate. The resulting oriented stable normal data defines the Gysin map in complex cobordism.

For a proper map with fixed complex normal orientation, apply the Thom isomorphism in complex cobordism, pull back by the collapse of a tubular neighborhood of a graph embedding, and desuspend the auxiliary Euclidean coordinates. The degree increase is the relative real codimension. Changing the orientation can change this map.

Restricting the tubular-neighborhood collapse of an embedding back to its source is the normal bundle's zero section. The Thom isomorphism in complex cobordism therefore makes pullback after the Gysin map multiplication by the Euler class in a generalized cohomology theory. For an actual complex normal bundle this is its top Chern class in complex cobordism.

The Milnor-Novikov coefficient theorem identifies the coefficient ring of complex cobordism as the displayed graded polynomial ring. In cohomological grading it has no positive-degree or odd-degree coefficients. Homological grading reverses the signs: $M{U}_{\ast }$ has polynomial generators in degrees $2i$.