Manifold structures on highly connected Poincaré complexes

Abstract

This paper constructs numerous examples of highly connected Poincaré complexes, each homotopy equivalent to a topological manifold yet not homotopy equivalent to any smooth manifold. Furthermore, we determine the homotopy type of any closed $2k$-connected framed $(4k+2)$-manifold with Kervaire invariant one for $k=7,15,31$.