In the field of
mathematics known as
algebraic topology
Algebraic topology is a branch of mathematics that uses tools from abstract algebra to study topological spaces. The basic goal is to find algebraic invariants that classify topological spaces up to homeomorphism, though usually most classif ...
, the Gysin sequence is a
long exact sequence
An exact sequence is a sequence of morphisms between objects (for example, groups, rings, modules, and, more generally, objects of an abelian category) such that the image of one morphism equals the kernel of the next.
Definition
In the conte ...
which relates the
cohomology classes of the
base space, the fiber and the
total space of a
sphere bundle In the mathematical field of topology, a sphere bundle is a fiber bundle in which the fibers are spheres S^n of some dimension ''n''. Similarly, in a disk bundle, the fibers are disks D^n. From a topological perspective, there is no difference betw ...
. The Gysin sequence is a useful tool for calculating the
cohomology ring In mathematics, specifically algebraic topology, the cohomology ring of a topological space ''X'' is a ring formed from the cohomology groups of ''X'' together with the cup product serving as the ring multiplication. Here 'cohomology' is usually u ...
s given the
Euler class
In mathematics, specifically in algebraic topology, the Euler class is a characteristic class of oriented, real vector bundles. Like other characteristic classes, it measures how "twisted" the vector bundle is. In the case of the tangent bundle ...
of the sphere bundle and vice versa. It was introduced by , and is generalized by the
Serre spectral sequence In mathematics, the Serre spectral sequence (sometimes Leray–Serre spectral sequence to acknowledge earlier work of Jean Leray in the Leray spectral sequence) is an important tool in algebraic topology. It expresses, in the language of homolog ...
.
Definition
Consider a fiber-oriented sphere bundle with total space ''E'', base space ''M'', fiber ''S''
''k'' and
projection map
:
Any such bundle defines a degree ''k'' + 1 cohomology class ''e'' called the Euler class of the bundle.
De Rham cohomology
Discussion of the sequence is clearest with
de Rham cohomology
In mathematics, de Rham cohomology (named after Georges de Rham) is a tool belonging both to algebraic topology and to differential topology, capable of expressing basic topological information about smooth manifolds in a form particularly adap ...
. There cohomology classes are represented by
differential form
In mathematics, differential forms provide a unified approach to define integrands over curves, surfaces, solids, and higher-dimensional manifolds. The modern notion of differential forms was pioneered by Élie Cartan. It has many application ...
s, so that ''e'' can be represented by a (''k'' + 1)-form.
The projection map
induces a map in cohomology
called its
pullback
In mathematics, a pullback is either of two different, but related processes: precomposition and fiber-product. Its dual is a pushforward.
Precomposition
Precomposition with a function probably provides the most elementary notion of pullback: ...
:
In the case of a fiber bundle, one can also define a
pushforward map
:
which acts by
fiberwise integration of differential forms on the oriented sphere – note that
this map goes "the wrong way": it is a covariant map between objects associated with a contravariant functor.
Gysin proved that the following is a long exact sequence
:
where
is the
wedge product
A wedge is a triangular shaped tool, and is a portable inclined plane, and one of the six simple machines. It can be used to separate two objects or portions of an object, lift up an object, or hold an object in place. It functions by convert ...
of a differential form with the Euler class ''e''.
Integral cohomology
The Gysin sequence is a long exact sequence not only for the
de Rham cohomology
In mathematics, de Rham cohomology (named after Georges de Rham) is a tool belonging both to algebraic topology and to differential topology, capable of expressing basic topological information about smooth manifolds in a form particularly adap ...
of differential forms, but also for
cohomology
In mathematics, specifically in homology theory and algebraic topology, cohomology is a general term for a sequence of abelian groups, usually one associated with a topological space, often defined from a cochain complex. Cohomology can be viewe ...
with integral coefficients. In the integral case one needs to replace the wedge product with the
Euler class
In mathematics, specifically in algebraic topology, the Euler class is a characteristic class of oriented, real vector bundles. Like other characteristic classes, it measures how "twisted" the vector bundle is. In the case of the tangent bundle ...
with the
cup product In mathematics, specifically in algebraic topology, the cup product is a method of adjoining two cocycles of degree ''p'' and ''q'' to form a composite cocycle of degree ''p'' + ''q''. This defines an associative (and distributive) graded commutat ...
, and the pushforward map no longer corresponds to integration.
Gysin homomorphism in algebraic geometry
Let ''i'': ''X'' → ''Y'' be a (closed)
regular embedding
In algebraic geometry, a closed immersion i: X \hookrightarrow Y of schemes is a regular embedding of codimension ''r'' if each point ''x'' in ''X'' has an open affine neighborhood ''U'' in ''Y'' such that the ideal of X \cap U is generated by a ...
of codimension ''d'', ''Y'' → ''Y'' a morphism and ''i'': ''X'' = ''X'' ×
''Y'' ''Y'' → ''Y'' the induced map. Let ''N'' be the pullback of the normal bundle of ''i'' to ''X''. Then the refined Gysin homomorphism ''i''
! refers to the composition
:
where
* σ is the
specialization homomorphism; which sends a ''k''-dimensional subvariety ''V'' to the
normal cone to the intersection of ''V'' and ''X'' in ''V''. The result lies in ''N'' through
.
* The second map is the (usual) Gysin homomorphism induced by the zero-section embedding
.
The homomorphism ''i''
! ''encodes''
intersection product
In mathematics, intersection theory is one of the main branches of algebraic geometry, where it gives information about the intersection of two subvarieties of a given variety. The theory for varieties is older, with roots in Bézout's theorem o ...
in
intersection theory
In mathematics, intersection theory is one of the main branches of algebraic geometry, where it gives information about the intersection of two subvarieties of a given variety. The theory for varieties is older, with roots in Bézout's theorem o ...
in that one either shows, or defines the intersection product of ''X'' and ''V'' by, the formula
Example: Given a vector bundle ''E'', let ''s'': ''X'' → ''E'' be a section of ''E''. Then, when ''s'' is a
regular section,