Sullivan minimal model ($(\Lambda V,d)$)

A free graded-commutative rational differential graded algebra with decomposable differentials and a quasi-isomorphism to the rational polynomial forms of a space. For simply connected finite-type spaces, $V^i$ is dual to ${\pi }_i(X)\otimes \mathbb{Q}$. A proposed finite model must have its cohomology and representing quasi-isomorphism checked; matching a list of relations alone is insufficient.

A relative Sullivan algebra is an inclusion $(A,d)\to (A\otimes \Lambda W,D)$ with a well-ordered homogeneous basis of $W$ such that the differential of a generator lies in the algebra on $A$ and earlier generators. It need not be minimal: a differential can have linear terms from earlier generators. Such extensions supply cofibrant replacements for commutative differential graded algebras. A relative acyclic extension of a sphere model represents its path-space fibration and computes a homotopy-fibre model after base change.

For a map $f:E\to B$ with simply connected base and the usual finite-type hypotheses, choose a relative Sullivan algebra $M(B)\to M(B)\otimes \Lambda W$ modelling the path-space fibration, with acyclic total algebra. Tensor it over $M(B)$ with a model of $E$ via $f^{\ast }$. The resulting algebra models the homotopy fibre. Relative Sullivan extensions are cofibrant replacements, so this tensor product computes the derived algebraic pushout, contravariantly corresponding to the topological homotopy pullback. Linear differential pairs must be cancelled before reading rational homotopy groups from generators.

For simply connected rational spaces of finite type, isomorphic minimal Sullivan models are equivalent to the same rational homotopy type. A quasi-isomorphism between minimal models is an isomorphism, so a zigzag of cochain quasi-isomorphisms produces the same minimal model. Existence and uniqueness come from adjoining closed generators to represent missing cohomology and generators with prescribed decomposable differential to kill kernel classes, degree by degree.

For the standard $n$-simplex use ${\Omega }_n=\mathbb{Q}[t_0,\dots ,t_n,d{t}_0,\dots ,d{t}_n]/(\sum t_i-1,\sum d{t}_i)$, with $|t_i|=0$, $|d{t}_i|=1$, and $d(t_i)=d{t}_i$. Compatible families of these forms on the simplices of a simplicial model of $X$ form the commutative differential graded algebra $A_{\mathrm{PL}}(X)$. Its cohomology is $H^{\ast }(X;\mathbb{Q})$: polynomial contraction proves the simplex Poincaré lemma, and extension across faces gives the simplicial de Rham comparison. The contravariant functor takes simplicial pushouts to pullbacks of algebras.

For a degree-one map $f:{\mathbb{CP}}^n\to S^{2n}$ with $n\ge 2$, a minimal model of its homotopy fibre is $(\Lambda (x_2,a_{2n-1},z_{2n+1},b_{4n-2}),d)$ with $dx=dz=0$, $da=x^n$, $db=x^{n-1}z$. Adjoin suspended sphere generators to the projective-space model to model the path pullback, then put $z=y-xa$; the differential becomes the displayed decomposable one. The rational homotopy groups are one-dimensional in those four generator degrees and zero otherwise. At $n=1$ the map is a rational homotopy equivalence and the minimal fibre model is $\mathbb{Q}$.

The quotient ${\mathbb{CP}}^5/{\mathbb{CP}}^2$ is five-connected and has cohomology only in degrees $0,6,8,10$, with positive products zero. Its minimal model therefore starts with closed $a_6,b_8,c_{10}$; no decomposable differential can occur below degree twelve. Sending these three generators to the cohomology basis and all later generators to zero is a chain map and a quasi-isomorphism. Thus its full minimal model is the same as that of $S^6\vee S^8\vee S^{10}$. It starts with generators $u_{11},v_{13},w_{15},t_{15}$ satisfying $du=a^2,dv=ab,dw=ac,dt=b^2$, followed by generators killing remaining products and syzygies.

For a finite wedge sum of spheres of dimensions $n_i\ge 2$, let $L=\mathbb{L}(e_i)$ with $|e_i|=n_i-1$ and zero differential. Its Chevalley–Eilenberg cochains of a graded Lie algebra are a minimal commutative differential graded algebra: one generator dual to each Lie basis word has degree one more than that word, and its differential is dual to the Lie bracket. Its cohomology is $\mathbb{Q}\oplus {⨁}_i\mathbb{Q}{a}_{n_i}$ with all positive products zero. One way to compute this is $U(L)=T(e_i)$; the augmentation module has a length-one free resolution, so the corresponding Ext has only the unit and the dual generating classes.

A space is formal over $\mathbb{Q}$ if its rational cochain commutative differential graded algebra is joined to $(H^{\ast }(X;\mathbb{Q}),0)$ by quasi-isomorphisms. Equivalently in the usual simply connected Sullivan-model setting, its minimal model has a quasi-isomorphism to its cohomology algebra with zero differential. This says its rational homotopy type can be recovered from the cohomology algebra; zero cup products alone do not imply formality of a topological space without an additional argument.

The two quadratic relations form a regular sequence in $\mathbb{Q}[a,b]$, so their Koszul complex has only the quotient-ring cohomology. Represent the two degree-two classes by rational polynomial forms and choose primitives for the exact relations to obtain a quasi-isomorphism. There are no further generators.