On smooth manifolds with homotopy type of a homology sphere

Abstract

In this paper we study $\mathcal{M}(X)$, the set of diffeomorphism classes of smooth manifolds with the simple homotopy type of $X$, via a map $\Psi$ from $\mathcal{M}(X)$ into the quotient of $K(X)=[X,BSO]$ by the action of the group of homotopy classes of simple self equivalences of $X$. The map $\Psi$ describes which bundles over $X$ can occur as normal bundles of manifolds in $\mathcal{M}(X)$. We determine the image of $\Psi$ when $X$ belongs to a certain class of homology spheres. In particular, we find conditions on elements of $K(X)$ that guarantee they are pullbacks of normal bundles of manifolds in $\mathcal{M}(X)$.

arXiv comment10 pages, This is the preprint of an article published in "Topology and its Applications"