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A reduced contravariant homotopy functor on based CW complexes satisfying the wedge-to-product axiom and the Mayer-Vietoris weak-pullback gluing axiom is represented by $[X,Y{]}_{\ast }$ for a CW complex $Y$. Half-exactness alone is not the full hypothesis. A reduced generalized cohomology theory supplies these axioms; suspension compatibility assembles its representing spaces into an Omega-spectrum.

An Omega-spectrum has structure adjoints $E_j\to \Omega E_{j+1}$ that are weak homotopy equivalences. For such a model the level spaces represent the degrees of its represented cohomology theory.

Work in the based CW homotopy category. A homotopy-invariant functor depends on a map only through its based homotopy class. In a sequence of pointed sets, exactness at the middle means that the preceding image equals the inverse image of the distinguished point; it does not imply injectivity or surjectivity at the ends. For groups this is the familiar image-equals-kernel condition. A half-exact functor preserves such middle exactness on the appropriate elementary sequence.

For a contravariant functor $F$, the relevant elementary sequence is a cofibration $A\hookrightarrow X\to X/A$. Half-exactness isexact at $F(X)$. One should not silently turn this into a short exact sequence. In particular, arbitrary group actions and pointed sets at low degrees are not interchangeable with abelian groups.

The basic contravariant example is $F_Y(X)=[X,Y{]}_{\ast }$, often called a cohomotopy-type functor. Suppose a map $f:X\to Y$ becomes null-homotopic on $A$. A chosen null-homotopy extends it over the cone attached to $A$, giving a map from the topological mapping cone to $Y$. Conversely every such extension restricts to a null-homotopic map on $A$. Since the topological mapping cone of a subcomplex inclusion models $X/A$, this proves half-exactness, rather than merely asserting it.

Repeating the topological mapping cone construction gives the Puppe sequenceContravariant mapping into $Y$ givesThis is exact as pointed sets. An H-group structure on $Y$, for example a loop space with path concatenation, provides group structures; repeated looping gives abelian group structures in the usual ranges. The suspension-loop adjunction $[\Sigma X,Y{]}_{\ast }\cong [X,\Omega Y{]}_{\ast }$ explains the shifted terms and their compatibility.

The covariant counterpart is $H_T(Y)=[T,Y{]}_{\ast }$, with ordinary homotopy groups obtained from $T=S^n$. Its natural elementary sequence is a homotopy fiber sequence $F\to E\to B$, not an arbitrary cofibration. A map $a:T\to E$ whose composite to $B$ is null-homotopic, together with that null-homotopy, determines a map into the homotopy fibre. Conversely a fibre map projects to such a null composite. This proves exactness of $[T,F{]}_{\ast }\to [T,E{]}_{\ast }\to [T,B{]}_{\ast }$ at the middle. Adding the loop terms produces the homotopy long exact sequence. For a Serre fibration, its ordinary fibre supplies the same homotopy information.

This variance distinction matters. Include one circle, generated by $a$, in $S^1\vee S^1$, with other generator $b$. The quotient is the second circle. The kernel of ${\pi }_1(S^1\vee S^1)\to {\pi }_1(S^1)$ is the normal closure of $a$, which contains $ba{b}^{-1}$. The image of the included circle is only the cyclic subgroup generated by $a$, and does not contain that reduced word. Thus covariant ${\pi }_1$ is not half-exact on this cofibration. Fibre and cofibre statements cannot be swapped just by reversing notation.

Reduced cohomology gives group-valued contravariant examples. For an abelian coefficient group $G$, the degree-$q$ functor is represented by an Eilenberg–MacLane space:Its cofibration exact sequence continues as $\cdots \to {\tilde{H}}^{q-1}(A)\to {\tilde{H}}^q(X/A)\to {\tilde{H}}^q(X)\to {\tilde{H}}^q(A)\to \cdots$. Ordinary homotopy groups are instead covariant, with decreasing group degree across a fibre connecting map. These are the two complementary representable patterns, maps out of a test object and maps into a representing object.

Brown's representability theorem makes the contravariant pattern structural. A reduced contravariant homotopy functor on based CW complexes is represented by a CW complex if it converts arbitrary wedges to products and satisfies the Mayer-Vietoris weak-pullback gluing axiom. The latter says that compatible classes on two subcomplexes extend to their union. It contains more information than the single kernel statement of half-exactness. Consequently half-exactness alone is not a representability criterion. In a representing functor these axioms are natural: a map on a wedge is a family of based maps, while compatible maps on an intersection can be adjusted by a homotopy and glued across a homotopy pushout.

A reduced generalized cohomology theory with the usual wedge axiom supplies these axioms degree by degree. Its representing spaces $E_q$ have $E_q\simeq \Omega E_{q+1}$ by suspension compatibility, assembling an Omega-spectrum. Thus generalized cohomology can be expressed as $E^q(X)=[{\Sigma }^{\infty }X,{\Sigma }^{q}E{]}_{\mathrm{st}}$, while represented homology is $E_q(X)={\pi }_q(E\wedge {\Sigma }^{\infty }X)$. The appearance of mapping into a spectrum in one case and smashing with it in the other is another form of the same variance distinction.

There is a literal duality after stabilization and a finiteness restriction. Here a finite based CW complex is identified with its suspension spectrum. For a finite spectrum $X$, let $DX=F(X,\mathbb{S})$ be its Spanier-Whitehead dual. Then $D^{2}X\simeq X$ and $[X,Y{]}_{\mathrm{st}}\cong [DY,DX{]}_{\mathrm{st}}$ for finite spectra. Duality reverses a cofibre triangle into a fibre triangle. In particular,This turns a cohomology calculation on a finite object into a homology calculation on its dual, and vice versa. It is Spanier-Whitehead duality, not a claim that the full category of ordinary spaces is self-dual.

Half-exactness is the local image–kernel property; fibres and cofibres, representability, and finite stable duality explain how that property organizes homotopy and cohomology. The distinctions between variance, pointed sets and groups, and finite stable objects and arbitrary spaces are essential to using the duality correctly.

A topological spectrum can be described sequentially by based spaces $E_j$, $j\ge 0$, and structure mapsIterating these maps gives compatible maps $S^{k-j}\wedge E_j\to E_k$. Equivalently, an indexed prespectrum on a universe for spectra $U$ has spaces $E(V)$ and unital associative structure maps $S^{W\ominus V}\wedge E(V)\to E(W)$ for finite-dimensional inclusions $V\subset W\subset U$. Here $S^A$ denotes the one-point compactification of the real inner product space $A$.

A map of topological spectra $u:D\to E$ is a family of based maps $u_j:D_j\to E_j$ satisfyingThe indexed version requires the same compatibility for every inclusion of indexing subspaces. These are point-set maps, before passing to spectrum homotopy or the stable homotopy category.

An Omega-spectrum is a topological spectrum whose adjoint structure mapsare weak homotopy equivalences. Consequently ${\pi }_{k}E={\pi }_{k+j}{E}_j$ whenever $k+j\ge 0$, using the structure identifications. In the genuine indexed point-set convention, the word spectrum already includes the stronger condition that $E(V)\to {\Omega }^{W\ominus V}E(W)$ is a homeomorphism; a general system without that condition is called an indexed prespectrum. Its associated spectrum is obtained by spectrification. The sequential and indexed conventions present the same stable theory.

A cell spectrum is built from the zero topological spectrum by successive stable cell attachments. Concretely, attach a free spectrum on the inclusion $S^{m-1}\hookrightarrow D^m$ at some level $j$ by a pushout along its boundary map; its quotient is the stable cell sphere ${\Sigma }^{m-j}\mathbb{S}$. Iterating such attachments and taking the colimit gives a cell spectrum, with successive quotients wedges of integer suspensions of spectra of the sphere spectrum. Negative cell degrees are allowed by choosing $j>m$. In the genuine indexed model apply spectrification to this cellular prespectrum. The compatibility of the structure maps is part of both the objects and their maps.

Use derived smash products of spectra and replace a based space by a based CW complex when necessary. The reduced represented homology theory of $E$ isThus represented homology theory is covariant in $X$: a based map induces a map of suspension spectra, and hence a map on the stable homotopy groups of the displayed smash product of spectra. In a well-based sequential model the same definition iswith $j$ sufficiently large and transition maps given by suspension followed by the structure map.

The reduced represented cohomology theory isThe brackets denote maps in the stable homotopy category. This is contravariant in $X$, by precomposition. For the Omega-spectrum $E$ it is also the group of based homotopy classes $[X,E_q{]}_{\ast }$, where for negative $q$ we take $E_q={\Omega }^{-q}{E}_0$. More generally, for $j\ge \max (q,0)$ the Omega-spectrum identifications give ${\tilde{E}}^q(X)=[{\Sigma }^{j-q}X,E_j{]}_{\ast }$; the shifts and loops supply its abelian group structure. In particularAll these definitions are reduced: the basepoint itself contributes zero.

The Yoneda lemma, applied to the representing Omega-spectrum spaces in each degree, makes the comparison more explicit. PutThe structure map of $D$ supplies $T_j\to T_{j+1}$, and $D$ is the homotopy colimit of spectra of this sequence. The inverse-tower transition on maps into $E$ is precomposition with $T_j\to T_{j+1}$. Under the suspension spectrum adjunction it takes $[D_{j+1},E_{j+1}{]}_{\ast }$ to $[D_j,E_j{]}_{\ast }$ by taking the adjoint through $D_j\to \Omega D_{j+1}$ and the Omega-spectrum identification $E_j\simeq \Omega E_{j+1}$.

Consequently the maps of represented cohomology theories are exactly the compatible degreewise operations:Only nonnegative degrees need be listed, since the suspension compatibility recovers the negative degrees. The Milnor exact sequence for maps of spectra gives the sharper descriptionThus $\mathrm{HPh}(D,E)\cong {\lim }_j^1[\Sigma D_j,E_j{]}_{\ast }$, with bonding maps coming from the same telescope. For an inverse tower $A_j$ with maps $r_j:A_{j+1}\to A_j$, $\lim A_j$ is the kernel and ${\lim }^1{A}_j$ is the cokernel ofThe first comparison quotients by spectrum homotopy; the second quotients by hyperphantom maps. These are different identifications.

Let ${\mathrm{Map}}_{\mathrm{sp}}(D,E)$ be the space of point-set maps of topological spectra. Its underlying set is the first set in the comparison. A member is a compatible collection $D_j\to E_j$, rather than independently chosen maps at the levels.

Because the source is cellular and the target is an Omega-spectrum, taking spectrum homotopy classes gives all maps in the stable homotopy category:Thus the first set maps onto the second. Two point-set maps have the same stable class precisely when they are spectrum-homotopic, using the cellular cylinder and fibrant target. The homotopy must commute with the structure maps throughout; unrelated levelwise homotopies are not the definition.

A topological spectrum $E$ represents the reduced generalized cohomology theory ${\tilde{E}}^q(X)=[{\Sigma }^{\infty }X,{\Sigma }^{q}E{]}_{\mathrm{st}}$. For an Omega-spectrum this equals $[X,E_q{]}_{\ast }$, taking $E_q={\Omega }^{-q}{E}_0$ for negative $q$. It is contravariant in $X$.