Integral cohomology of a complex Stiefel manifold ($H^{\ast }(V_k({\mathbb{C}}^n);\mathbb{Z})=\Lambda (a_{2n-1},\dots ,a_{2n-2k+1})$)

Use the complement bundle on a complex Stiefel manifold inductively. If the ring for $V_k$ is exterior with smallest positive degree $2n-2k+1$, the complement bundle has Euler degree $2(n-k)$, in which base cohomology vanishes. Its Euler class is consequently zero. The Gysin ring splitting for an odd-dimensional sphere bundle adds one exterior generator of degree $2(n-k)-1$. The initial base $V_0$ is a point. This gives the full integral cohomology ring and in particular its torsion-freeness. At $k=n$, the unitary group has Poincare polynomial ${\prod }_{j=0}^{n-1}(1+t^{2j+1})$.