Connected sums of almost complex manifolds, products of rational homology spheres, and the twisted spin^c Dirac operator

Abstract

We record an answer to the question "In which dimensions is the connected sum of two closed almost complex manifolds necessarily an almost complex manifold?". In the process of doing so, we are naturally led to ask "For which values of l is the connected sum of l closed almost complex manifolds necessarily an almost complex manifold?". We answer this question, along with its non-compact analogue, using obstruction theory and Yang's results on the existence of almost complex structures on (n-1)-connected 2n-manifolds. Finally, we partially extend Datta and Subramanian's result on the nonexistence of almost complex structures on products of two even spheres to rational homology spheres by using the index of the twisted spin^c Dirac operator.

Minor changes in exposition according to referee suggestions. Index calculation moved from Introduction to Proposition 2.9. To appear in Topology and its Applications