Homology, Homotopy and Applications

Volume 9 (2007)

Number 2

A chain coalgebra model for the James map

Pages: 209 – 231

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4310/HHA.2007.v9.n2.a9

Authors

Kathryn Hess (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Institut de Géométrie, Algèbre et Topologie, Lausanne, Switzerland)

Paul-Eugène Parent (Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)

Jonathan Scott (Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)

Abstract

Let $EK$ be the simplicial suspension of a pointed simplicial set $K$. We construct a chain model of the James map, $\alpha_{K}\colon CK \rightarrow \Omega CEK$. We compute the cobar diagonal on $\Omega CEK$, not assuming that $EK$ is $1$-reduced, and show that $\alpha_{K}$ is comultiplicative. As a result, the natural isomorphism of chain algebras $TCK \cong \Omega CK$ preserves diagonals. In an appendix, we show that the Milgram map, $\Omega (A \otimes B) \to \Omega A \otimes \Omega B$, where $A$ and $B$ are coaugmented coalgebras, forms part of a strong deformation retract of chain complexes. Therefore, it is a chain equivalence even when $A$ and $B$ are not $1$-connected.

Keywords

cobar construction, chain coalgebra, simplicial suspension, James map, Bott-Samelson equivalence

2010 Mathematics Subject Classification

55P35, 55P40, 55U10, 57T30

Published 1 January 2007