Volume 18, issue 3 (2014)

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On the rational homology of high-dimensional analogues of spaces of long knots

Gregory Arone and Victor Turchin

Geometry & Topology 18 (2014) 1261–1322
Abstract

We study high-dimensional analogues of spaces of long knots. These are spaces of compactly supported embeddings (modulo immersions) of ${ℝ}^{m}$ into ${ℝ}^{n}$. We view the space of embeddings as the value of a certain functor at ${ℝ}^{m}$, and we apply manifold calculus to this functor. Our first result says that the Taylor tower of this functor can be expressed as the space of maps between infinitesimal bimodules over the little-disks operad. We then show that the formality of the little-disks operad has implications for the homological behavior of the Taylor tower. Our second result says that when $2m+1, the singular chain complex of these spaces of embeddings is rationally equivalent to a direct sum of certain finite chain complexes, which we describe rather explicitly.

Keywords
embedding spaces, infinitesimal bimodules, formality
Mathematical Subject Classification 2010
Primary: 57R70
Secondary: 18D50, 18G55