FUNCTORIAL PROPERTIES OF THE HOPF INVARIANT I

Abstract

Homotopy operations Θ: [ΣY, U] → [ΣY, V] which are natural in Y are considered. In particular a technique used in the definition of the Hopf invariant (as treated by Berstein-Hilton) shows that any fibration p: E → B with fiber V, when provided with a homotopy section of Ωp, determines such a homotopy operation [ΣY, E] → [ΣY, V]. More generally, starting from a track class of homotopies α º f ≃ β º g we adapt this fibration technique to construct a homotopy operation [ΣY, M(f,g)] → [ΣY, F _α * F _β] called a Hopf invariant. The intervening fibration in the definition of this Hopf invariant arises via the fiberwise join construction.