- Adams operation
In
mathematics , an Adams operation:ψ"k"
is a
cohomology operation intopological K-theory , or any allied operation inalgebraic K-theory or other types of algebraic construction, defined on a pattern introduced byFrank Adams . The basic idea is to implement some fundamental identities insymmetric function theory, at the level ofvector bundle s or other representing object in more abstract theories. Here "k" ≥ 0 is a given integer.The fundamental idea is that for a vector bundle "V" on a topological space "X", we should have
:ψ"k"("V") is to Λ"k"("V")
as
:the
power sum Σ α"k" is to the "k"-thelementary symmetric function σ"k"of the roots α of a
polynomial "P"("t"). (Cf.Newton's identities .) Here Λ"k" denotes the "k"-thexterior power . From classical algebra it is known that the power sums are certainintegral polynomial s "Q""k" in the σ"k". The idea is to apply the same polynomials to the Λ"k"("V"), taking the place of σ"k". This calculation can be defined in a "K"-group, in which vector bundles may be formally combined by addition, subtraction and multiplication (tensor product ). The polynomials here are called Newton polynomials (not, however, theNewton polynomial s ofinterpolation theory).Justification of the expected properties comes from the
line bundle case, where "V" is aWhitney sum of line bundles. For that case treating the line bundle direct factors formally as roots is something rather standard in algebraic topology (cf. theLeray-Hirsch theorem ). In general a mechanism for reducing to that case comes from thesplitting principle for vector bundles .References
* Adams, J.F. "Vector Fields on Spheres", The Annals of Mathematics, 2nd Ser., Vol. 75, No. 3 (May, 1962), pp. 603-632
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