We show that if an open set in $\mathbb{R}^d$ can be fibered by unit n-spheres, then $d \geq 2n+1$, and if $d = 2n+1$, then the spheres must be pairwise linked, and $n \in \left\{0, 1, 3, 7 \right\}$. For these values of n, we construct unit n-sphere fibrations in $\mathbb{R}^{2n+1}$.

The homotopy theory of gauge groups has received considerable attention in recent decades. In this work, we study the homotopy theory of gauge groups over some high-dimensional manifolds. To be more specific, we study gauge groups of bundles over (n − 1)-connected closed 2n-manifolds, the classification of which was determined by Wall and Freedman in the combinatorial category. We also investigate the gauge groups of the total manifolds of sphere bundles based on the classical work of James and Whitehead. Furthermore, other types of 2n-manifolds are also considered. In all the cases, we show various homotopy decompositions of gauge groups. The methods are combinations of manifold topology and various techniques in homotopy theory.

Suppose $X$ is a smooth complex algebraic variety. A necessary condition for a complex topological vector bundle on $X$ (viewed as a complex manifold) to be algebraic is that all Chern classes must be algebraic cohomology classes, that is, lie in the image of the cycle class map. We analyze the question of whether algebraicity of Chern classes is sufficient to guarantee algebraizability of complex topological vector bundles. For affine varieties of dimension ${\leqslant}3$, it is known that algebraicity of Chern classes of a vector bundle guarantees algebraizability of the vector bundle. In contrast, we show in dimension ${\geqslant}4$ that algebraicity of Chern classes is insufficient to guarantee algebraizability of vector bundles. To do this, we construct a new obstruction to algebraizability using Steenrod operations on Chow groups. By means of an explicit example, we observe that our obstruction is nontrivial in general.

We compute the cohomology of the right generalised projective Stiefel manifolds. Following this, we discuss some easy applications of the computations to the ranks of complementary bundles and bounds on the span and immersibility.

Let E → B be a fibre bundle and let Eʹ → B be a vector bundle. Let G be a compact Lie group acting fibre preservingly and freely on both E and Eʹ – 0, where 0 is the zero section of Eʹ → B. Let f : E → Eʹ be a fibre-preserving G-equivariant map and let Zf = {x ∈ E | f(x) = 0} be the zero set of f. In this paper we give a lower bound for the cohomological dimension of the zero set Zf when a fibre of E → B is a real Stiefel manifold with a free ℤ/2-action or a complex Stiefel manifold with a free 𝕊1-action. This generalizes a well-known result of Dold for sphere bundles equipped with free involutions.

When can two fibrewise maps be deformed in a fibrewise fashion until they are coincidence free? In order to get a thorough understanding of this problem (and, more generally, of minimum numbers that are closely related to it) we study the strength of natural geometric obstructions, such as ω-invariants and Nielsen numbers, as well as the related Nielsen theory.

In the setting of sphere bundles, a certain degree map degB turns out to play a decisive role. In many explicit cases it also yields good descriptions of the set ℱ of fibrewise homotopy classes of fibrewise maps. We introduce an addition on ℱ, which is not always single valued but still very helpful. Furthermore, normal bordism Gysin sequences and (iterated) Freudenthal suspensions play a crucial role.

A generalization of classical theorems on the existence of sections of real, complex and quaternionic Stiefel manifolds over spheres is proved. We obtain a complete list of Lie group homomorphisms $\rho : G \to G_n$, where $G_n$ is one of the groups $SO(n)$, $SU(n)$ or $Sp(n)$ and $G$ is one of the groups $SO(k)$, $SU(k)$ or $Sp(k)$, which reduce the structure group $G_n$ in the fibre bundle $G_n \to G_{n + 1} \to G_{n + 1} / G_n$.

If $V\,\to \,X$ is a vector bundle of fiber dimension $k$ and $Y\,\to \,X$ is a finite sheeted covering map of degree $d$, the implications for the Euler class $e(V)$ in ${{H}^{k}}(X)$ of $V$ implied by the existence of an embedding $Y\,\to \,V$ lifting the covering map are explored. In particular it is proved that $d{{d}^{\prime }}\text{e(V)}\text{=}\text{0}$ where ${{d}^{\prime }}$ is a certain divisor of $d\,-\,1$, and often ${{d}^{\prime }}=1$.

The purpose for this short note is to describe the space of harmonic spinors on hyperbolic n-space Hn. This is a natural continuation of the study of harmonic functions on Hn in [Minemura] and [Helgason]—these results were generalized in the form of Helgason's conjecture, proved in [KKMOOT],—and of [Gaillard 1, 2], where harmonic forms on Hn were considered. The connection between invariant differential equations on a Riemannian semisimple symmetric space G/K and homological aspects of the representation theory of G, as exemplified in (8) below, does not seem to have been previously mentioned. This note is divided into three main parts respectively dedicated to the statement of the results, some reminders, and the proofs. I thank the referee for having suggested various improvements.