Example of two spaces indisinguishable by their homology modules (with $mathbbZ$ coefficients) but with different cohomology rings

The name of the pictureThe name of the pictureThe name of the pictureClash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP











up vote
4
down vote

favorite
2












I'm running a student seminar on cohomology (for masters students) and would like to motivate the dualisation of homology by talking about cup products. So I'm looking for an example of two spaces $X$ and $Y$ with the same homology modules but different cohomology rings. Are there any nice-ish examples which would be reasonable to talk about in a seminar?



I do already have the example of $X=mathbbRP^n$ and $Y=vee_ileq nS^i$ with $mathbbZ/2$ coefficients. The problem with this is that these spaces are distinguished by their homology with $mathbbZ$ coefficients. This might still be sufficient motivation for this kind of seminar, but I'd still prefer to have an example of two spaces where you really need the extra ring structure to tell them apart.



Thanks for any help







share|cite|improve this question























    up vote
    4
    down vote

    favorite
    2












    I'm running a student seminar on cohomology (for masters students) and would like to motivate the dualisation of homology by talking about cup products. So I'm looking for an example of two spaces $X$ and $Y$ with the same homology modules but different cohomology rings. Are there any nice-ish examples which would be reasonable to talk about in a seminar?



    I do already have the example of $X=mathbbRP^n$ and $Y=vee_ileq nS^i$ with $mathbbZ/2$ coefficients. The problem with this is that these spaces are distinguished by their homology with $mathbbZ$ coefficients. This might still be sufficient motivation for this kind of seminar, but I'd still prefer to have an example of two spaces where you really need the extra ring structure to tell them apart.



    Thanks for any help







    share|cite|improve this question





















      up vote
      4
      down vote

      favorite
      2









      up vote
      4
      down vote

      favorite
      2






      2





      I'm running a student seminar on cohomology (for masters students) and would like to motivate the dualisation of homology by talking about cup products. So I'm looking for an example of two spaces $X$ and $Y$ with the same homology modules but different cohomology rings. Are there any nice-ish examples which would be reasonable to talk about in a seminar?



      I do already have the example of $X=mathbbRP^n$ and $Y=vee_ileq nS^i$ with $mathbbZ/2$ coefficients. The problem with this is that these spaces are distinguished by their homology with $mathbbZ$ coefficients. This might still be sufficient motivation for this kind of seminar, but I'd still prefer to have an example of two spaces where you really need the extra ring structure to tell them apart.



      Thanks for any help







      share|cite|improve this question











      I'm running a student seminar on cohomology (for masters students) and would like to motivate the dualisation of homology by talking about cup products. So I'm looking for an example of two spaces $X$ and $Y$ with the same homology modules but different cohomology rings. Are there any nice-ish examples which would be reasonable to talk about in a seminar?



      I do already have the example of $X=mathbbRP^n$ and $Y=vee_ileq nS^i$ with $mathbbZ/2$ coefficients. The problem with this is that these spaces are distinguished by their homology with $mathbbZ$ coefficients. This might still be sufficient motivation for this kind of seminar, but I'd still prefer to have an example of two spaces where you really need the extra ring structure to tell them apart.



      Thanks for any help









      share|cite|improve this question










      share|cite|improve this question




      share|cite|improve this question









      asked Jul 18 at 5:08









      Tsein32

      1628




      1628




















          3 Answers
          3






          active

          oldest

          votes

















          up vote
          7
          down vote



          accepted










          An easy example is the torus $S^1 times S^1$, which has the same homology as but different cohomology ring than the wedge $S^1 vee S^1 vee S^2$ (which has no nontrivial cup products).



          A more interesting question is whether there are examples which are both closed manifolds. There might be 3-manifold examples but I don't know how to construct them off the top of my head.



          For 4-manifolds we can construct examples by finding simply connected closed 4-manifolds with the same middle Betti number $b_2$ but such that the absolute value of the signature is different, which implies that the cohomology rings are not isomorphic. I think we can take $mathbbCP^2 # mathbbCP^2$ and $mathbbCP^1 times mathbbCP^1$; these both satisfy $b_2 = 2$ but the first one has signature $2$ and the second has signature $0$ (although you don't need to know what signature is to compute that the cohomology rings aren't isomorphic). See this blog post for more background.






          share|cite|improve this answer























          • Thanks, the example of $mathbbCP^2# mathbbCP^2$ and $mathbbCP^1×mathbbCP^1$ in particular is perfect, as these also can't be distinguished by their fundamental group. This was exactly what I was hoping to find.
            – Tsein32
            Jul 18 at 7:17






          • 1




            The triple cup product is a good place to distinguish 3-manifolds with their ring structure; the simplest example that comes to mind is $T^3$ vs $#^3 (S^2 times S^1)$.
            – Mike Miller
            Jul 21 at 4:48


















          up vote
          4
          down vote













          A similar example to yours is $mathbb CP^n$ and $bigveeS^i:0<ileq 2n$ with $i$ even$$, as the cohomology ring of $mathbb CP^n$, with coefficients in $Bbb Z$, is



          $$mathbb Z[alpha]/alpha^n+1,text deg(alpha)=2.$$






          share|cite|improve this answer






























            up vote
            3
            down vote













            This simple example may be outside the scope of your seminar, but it adds a layer of complexity to the other examples already given.



            Consider $Sigma mathbbCP^n$ and $bigvee_i=1,dots n S^2i+1$. These spaces have the same cohomology groups for all coefficients, and indeed the same cohomology rings, since all cup products in the suspension $Sigma mathbbCP^n$ are trivial.



            How can cohomolgoy distinguish between the homotopy types of these spaces? Their mod $p$ cohomology rings are not isomorphic as modules over the Steenrod algebra, since $Sigma mathbbCP^n$ will admit non-trivial operations for suitable $p$ whilst $bigvee_i=1,dots n S^2i+1$ will not. In particular, if $xin H^2(mathbbCP^2mathbbZ_2)$ is a generator then so is $Sq^2x=x^2in H^4(mathbbCP^2;mathbbZ_2)$. Thus if $sigma$ denotes the supension isomorphism, which commutes with the Steenrod operations, then $Sq^2(sigma x)=sigma(Sq^2x)=sigma (x^2)in H^5(SigmamathbbCP^2;mathbbZ_2)$ is non-trivial.






            share|cite|improve this answer





















              Your Answer




              StackExchange.ifUsing("editor", function ()
              return StackExchange.using("mathjaxEditing", function ()
              StackExchange.MarkdownEditor.creationCallbacks.add(function (editor, postfix)
              StackExchange.mathjaxEditing.prepareWmdForMathJax(editor, postfix, [["$", "$"], ["\\(","\\)"]]);
              );
              );
              , "mathjax-editing");

              StackExchange.ready(function()
              var channelOptions =
              tags: "".split(" "),
              id: "69"
              ;
              initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

              StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function()
              // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
              if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled)
              StackExchange.using("snippets", function()
              createEditor();
              );

              else
              createEditor();

              );

              function createEditor()
              StackExchange.prepareEditor(
              heartbeatType: 'answer',
              convertImagesToLinks: true,
              noModals: false,
              showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
              reputationToPostImages: 10,
              bindNavPrevention: true,
              postfix: "",
              noCode: true, onDemand: true,
              discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
              ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
              );



              );








               

              draft saved


              draft discarded


















              StackExchange.ready(
              function ()
              StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fmath.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f2855215%2fexample-of-two-spaces-indisinguishable-by-their-homology-modules-with-mathbb%23new-answer', 'question_page');

              );

              Post as a guest






























              3 Answers
              3






              active

              oldest

              votes








              3 Answers
              3






              active

              oldest

              votes









              active

              oldest

              votes






              active

              oldest

              votes








              up vote
              7
              down vote



              accepted










              An easy example is the torus $S^1 times S^1$, which has the same homology as but different cohomology ring than the wedge $S^1 vee S^1 vee S^2$ (which has no nontrivial cup products).



              A more interesting question is whether there are examples which are both closed manifolds. There might be 3-manifold examples but I don't know how to construct them off the top of my head.



              For 4-manifolds we can construct examples by finding simply connected closed 4-manifolds with the same middle Betti number $b_2$ but such that the absolute value of the signature is different, which implies that the cohomology rings are not isomorphic. I think we can take $mathbbCP^2 # mathbbCP^2$ and $mathbbCP^1 times mathbbCP^1$; these both satisfy $b_2 = 2$ but the first one has signature $2$ and the second has signature $0$ (although you don't need to know what signature is to compute that the cohomology rings aren't isomorphic). See this blog post for more background.






              share|cite|improve this answer























              • Thanks, the example of $mathbbCP^2# mathbbCP^2$ and $mathbbCP^1×mathbbCP^1$ in particular is perfect, as these also can't be distinguished by their fundamental group. This was exactly what I was hoping to find.
                – Tsein32
                Jul 18 at 7:17






              • 1




                The triple cup product is a good place to distinguish 3-manifolds with their ring structure; the simplest example that comes to mind is $T^3$ vs $#^3 (S^2 times S^1)$.
                – Mike Miller
                Jul 21 at 4:48















              up vote
              7
              down vote



              accepted










              An easy example is the torus $S^1 times S^1$, which has the same homology as but different cohomology ring than the wedge $S^1 vee S^1 vee S^2$ (which has no nontrivial cup products).



              A more interesting question is whether there are examples which are both closed manifolds. There might be 3-manifold examples but I don't know how to construct them off the top of my head.



              For 4-manifolds we can construct examples by finding simply connected closed 4-manifolds with the same middle Betti number $b_2$ but such that the absolute value of the signature is different, which implies that the cohomology rings are not isomorphic. I think we can take $mathbbCP^2 # mathbbCP^2$ and $mathbbCP^1 times mathbbCP^1$; these both satisfy $b_2 = 2$ but the first one has signature $2$ and the second has signature $0$ (although you don't need to know what signature is to compute that the cohomology rings aren't isomorphic). See this blog post for more background.






              share|cite|improve this answer























              • Thanks, the example of $mathbbCP^2# mathbbCP^2$ and $mathbbCP^1×mathbbCP^1$ in particular is perfect, as these also can't be distinguished by their fundamental group. This was exactly what I was hoping to find.
                – Tsein32
                Jul 18 at 7:17






              • 1




                The triple cup product is a good place to distinguish 3-manifolds with their ring structure; the simplest example that comes to mind is $T^3$ vs $#^3 (S^2 times S^1)$.
                – Mike Miller
                Jul 21 at 4:48













              up vote
              7
              down vote



              accepted







              up vote
              7
              down vote



              accepted






              An easy example is the torus $S^1 times S^1$, which has the same homology as but different cohomology ring than the wedge $S^1 vee S^1 vee S^2$ (which has no nontrivial cup products).



              A more interesting question is whether there are examples which are both closed manifolds. There might be 3-manifold examples but I don't know how to construct them off the top of my head.



              For 4-manifolds we can construct examples by finding simply connected closed 4-manifolds with the same middle Betti number $b_2$ but such that the absolute value of the signature is different, which implies that the cohomology rings are not isomorphic. I think we can take $mathbbCP^2 # mathbbCP^2$ and $mathbbCP^1 times mathbbCP^1$; these both satisfy $b_2 = 2$ but the first one has signature $2$ and the second has signature $0$ (although you don't need to know what signature is to compute that the cohomology rings aren't isomorphic). See this blog post for more background.






              share|cite|improve this answer















              An easy example is the torus $S^1 times S^1$, which has the same homology as but different cohomology ring than the wedge $S^1 vee S^1 vee S^2$ (which has no nontrivial cup products).



              A more interesting question is whether there are examples which are both closed manifolds. There might be 3-manifold examples but I don't know how to construct them off the top of my head.



              For 4-manifolds we can construct examples by finding simply connected closed 4-manifolds with the same middle Betti number $b_2$ but such that the absolute value of the signature is different, which implies that the cohomology rings are not isomorphic. I think we can take $mathbbCP^2 # mathbbCP^2$ and $mathbbCP^1 times mathbbCP^1$; these both satisfy $b_2 = 2$ but the first one has signature $2$ and the second has signature $0$ (although you don't need to know what signature is to compute that the cohomology rings aren't isomorphic). See this blog post for more background.







              share|cite|improve this answer















              share|cite|improve this answer



              share|cite|improve this answer








              edited Jul 18 at 5:47


























              answered Jul 18 at 5:26









              Qiaochu Yuan

              269k32564900




              269k32564900











              • Thanks, the example of $mathbbCP^2# mathbbCP^2$ and $mathbbCP^1×mathbbCP^1$ in particular is perfect, as these also can't be distinguished by their fundamental group. This was exactly what I was hoping to find.
                – Tsein32
                Jul 18 at 7:17






              • 1




                The triple cup product is a good place to distinguish 3-manifolds with their ring structure; the simplest example that comes to mind is $T^3$ vs $#^3 (S^2 times S^1)$.
                – Mike Miller
                Jul 21 at 4:48

















              • Thanks, the example of $mathbbCP^2# mathbbCP^2$ and $mathbbCP^1×mathbbCP^1$ in particular is perfect, as these also can't be distinguished by their fundamental group. This was exactly what I was hoping to find.
                – Tsein32
                Jul 18 at 7:17






              • 1




                The triple cup product is a good place to distinguish 3-manifolds with their ring structure; the simplest example that comes to mind is $T^3$ vs $#^3 (S^2 times S^1)$.
                – Mike Miller
                Jul 21 at 4:48
















              Thanks, the example of $mathbbCP^2# mathbbCP^2$ and $mathbbCP^1×mathbbCP^1$ in particular is perfect, as these also can't be distinguished by their fundamental group. This was exactly what I was hoping to find.
              – Tsein32
              Jul 18 at 7:17




              Thanks, the example of $mathbbCP^2# mathbbCP^2$ and $mathbbCP^1×mathbbCP^1$ in particular is perfect, as these also can't be distinguished by their fundamental group. This was exactly what I was hoping to find.
              – Tsein32
              Jul 18 at 7:17




              1




              1




              The triple cup product is a good place to distinguish 3-manifolds with their ring structure; the simplest example that comes to mind is $T^3$ vs $#^3 (S^2 times S^1)$.
              – Mike Miller
              Jul 21 at 4:48





              The triple cup product is a good place to distinguish 3-manifolds with their ring structure; the simplest example that comes to mind is $T^3$ vs $#^3 (S^2 times S^1)$.
              – Mike Miller
              Jul 21 at 4:48











              up vote
              4
              down vote













              A similar example to yours is $mathbb CP^n$ and $bigveeS^i:0<ileq 2n$ with $i$ even$$, as the cohomology ring of $mathbb CP^n$, with coefficients in $Bbb Z$, is



              $$mathbb Z[alpha]/alpha^n+1,text deg(alpha)=2.$$






              share|cite|improve this answer



























                up vote
                4
                down vote













                A similar example to yours is $mathbb CP^n$ and $bigveeS^i:0<ileq 2n$ with $i$ even$$, as the cohomology ring of $mathbb CP^n$, with coefficients in $Bbb Z$, is



                $$mathbb Z[alpha]/alpha^n+1,text deg(alpha)=2.$$






                share|cite|improve this answer

























                  up vote
                  4
                  down vote










                  up vote
                  4
                  down vote









                  A similar example to yours is $mathbb CP^n$ and $bigveeS^i:0<ileq 2n$ with $i$ even$$, as the cohomology ring of $mathbb CP^n$, with coefficients in $Bbb Z$, is



                  $$mathbb Z[alpha]/alpha^n+1,text deg(alpha)=2.$$






                  share|cite|improve this answer















                  A similar example to yours is $mathbb CP^n$ and $bigveeS^i:0<ileq 2n$ with $i$ even$$, as the cohomology ring of $mathbb CP^n$, with coefficients in $Bbb Z$, is



                  $$mathbb Z[alpha]/alpha^n+1,text deg(alpha)=2.$$







                  share|cite|improve this answer















                  share|cite|improve this answer



                  share|cite|improve this answer








                  edited Jul 21 at 3:04


























                  answered Jul 18 at 6:03









                  Camilo Arosemena-Serrato

                  5,50911847




                  5,50911847




















                      up vote
                      3
                      down vote













                      This simple example may be outside the scope of your seminar, but it adds a layer of complexity to the other examples already given.



                      Consider $Sigma mathbbCP^n$ and $bigvee_i=1,dots n S^2i+1$. These spaces have the same cohomology groups for all coefficients, and indeed the same cohomology rings, since all cup products in the suspension $Sigma mathbbCP^n$ are trivial.



                      How can cohomolgoy distinguish between the homotopy types of these spaces? Their mod $p$ cohomology rings are not isomorphic as modules over the Steenrod algebra, since $Sigma mathbbCP^n$ will admit non-trivial operations for suitable $p$ whilst $bigvee_i=1,dots n S^2i+1$ will not. In particular, if $xin H^2(mathbbCP^2mathbbZ_2)$ is a generator then so is $Sq^2x=x^2in H^4(mathbbCP^2;mathbbZ_2)$. Thus if $sigma$ denotes the supension isomorphism, which commutes with the Steenrod operations, then $Sq^2(sigma x)=sigma(Sq^2x)=sigma (x^2)in H^5(SigmamathbbCP^2;mathbbZ_2)$ is non-trivial.






                      share|cite|improve this answer

























                        up vote
                        3
                        down vote













                        This simple example may be outside the scope of your seminar, but it adds a layer of complexity to the other examples already given.



                        Consider $Sigma mathbbCP^n$ and $bigvee_i=1,dots n S^2i+1$. These spaces have the same cohomology groups for all coefficients, and indeed the same cohomology rings, since all cup products in the suspension $Sigma mathbbCP^n$ are trivial.



                        How can cohomolgoy distinguish between the homotopy types of these spaces? Their mod $p$ cohomology rings are not isomorphic as modules over the Steenrod algebra, since $Sigma mathbbCP^n$ will admit non-trivial operations for suitable $p$ whilst $bigvee_i=1,dots n S^2i+1$ will not. In particular, if $xin H^2(mathbbCP^2mathbbZ_2)$ is a generator then so is $Sq^2x=x^2in H^4(mathbbCP^2;mathbbZ_2)$. Thus if $sigma$ denotes the supension isomorphism, which commutes with the Steenrod operations, then $Sq^2(sigma x)=sigma(Sq^2x)=sigma (x^2)in H^5(SigmamathbbCP^2;mathbbZ_2)$ is non-trivial.






                        share|cite|improve this answer























                          up vote
                          3
                          down vote










                          up vote
                          3
                          down vote









                          This simple example may be outside the scope of your seminar, but it adds a layer of complexity to the other examples already given.



                          Consider $Sigma mathbbCP^n$ and $bigvee_i=1,dots n S^2i+1$. These spaces have the same cohomology groups for all coefficients, and indeed the same cohomology rings, since all cup products in the suspension $Sigma mathbbCP^n$ are trivial.



                          How can cohomolgoy distinguish between the homotopy types of these spaces? Their mod $p$ cohomology rings are not isomorphic as modules over the Steenrod algebra, since $Sigma mathbbCP^n$ will admit non-trivial operations for suitable $p$ whilst $bigvee_i=1,dots n S^2i+1$ will not. In particular, if $xin H^2(mathbbCP^2mathbbZ_2)$ is a generator then so is $Sq^2x=x^2in H^4(mathbbCP^2;mathbbZ_2)$. Thus if $sigma$ denotes the supension isomorphism, which commutes with the Steenrod operations, then $Sq^2(sigma x)=sigma(Sq^2x)=sigma (x^2)in H^5(SigmamathbbCP^2;mathbbZ_2)$ is non-trivial.






                          share|cite|improve this answer













                          This simple example may be outside the scope of your seminar, but it adds a layer of complexity to the other examples already given.



                          Consider $Sigma mathbbCP^n$ and $bigvee_i=1,dots n S^2i+1$. These spaces have the same cohomology groups for all coefficients, and indeed the same cohomology rings, since all cup products in the suspension $Sigma mathbbCP^n$ are trivial.



                          How can cohomolgoy distinguish between the homotopy types of these spaces? Their mod $p$ cohomology rings are not isomorphic as modules over the Steenrod algebra, since $Sigma mathbbCP^n$ will admit non-trivial operations for suitable $p$ whilst $bigvee_i=1,dots n S^2i+1$ will not. In particular, if $xin H^2(mathbbCP^2mathbbZ_2)$ is a generator then so is $Sq^2x=x^2in H^4(mathbbCP^2;mathbbZ_2)$. Thus if $sigma$ denotes the supension isomorphism, which commutes with the Steenrod operations, then $Sq^2(sigma x)=sigma(Sq^2x)=sigma (x^2)in H^5(SigmamathbbCP^2;mathbbZ_2)$ is non-trivial.







                          share|cite|improve this answer













                          share|cite|improve this answer



                          share|cite|improve this answer











                          answered Jul 18 at 8:59









                          Tyrone

                          3,24611125




                          3,24611125






















                               

                              draft saved


                              draft discarded


























                               


                              draft saved


                              draft discarded














                              StackExchange.ready(
                              function ()
                              StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fmath.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f2855215%2fexample-of-two-spaces-indisinguishable-by-their-homology-modules-with-mathbb%23new-answer', 'question_page');

                              );

                              Post as a guest













































































                              Comments

                              Popular posts from this blog

                              What is the equation of a 3D cone with generalised tilt?

                              Color the edges and diagonals of a regular polygon

                              Relationship between determinant of matrix and determinant of adjoint?