Based on a relative Wu theorem in étale cohomology, we study the
compatibility of Steenrod operations on Chow groups and on étale
cohomology. Using the resulting obstructions to algebraicity, we construct
new examples of nonalgebraic cohomology classes over various fields
(,
,
,
).
We also use Steenrod operations to study the mod
cohomology classes
of a compact
manifold
that are algebraizable, i.e., algebraic on some real algebraic model of
. We
give new examples of algebraizable and nonalgebraizable classes, answering questions
of Benedetti, Dedò and Kucharz.