On exotic characteristic classes for spherical fibrations

Abstract

We define for every so-called admissible relation r in the Steenrod algebra A and for every oriented spherical fibration ξ over a CW-space an exotic characteristic class (mod 2) ε( r)( ξ), which is primitive and vanishes for sphere bundles. The set of exotic classes associated with the universal spherical fibration and the admissible Adem relations are compared with the algebra generators of H ∗(BSG; Z 2) due to Milgram. Moreover, their behaviour under the action of A is computed. Finally, we give a secondary Wu formula for exotic classes of special Poincaré duality spaces.