On the first pontrjagin class of homotopy complex projective spaces

Abstract

Abstract Let M 2n be a closed smooth manifold homotopy equivalent to the complex projective space ℂP(n). It is known that the first Pontrjagin class p 1(M) of M 2n has the form (n+1+24α(M))u 2 for some integer α(M) where u is a generator of H 2(M; ℤ). We prove that α(M) is even when n is even but not divisible by 64.