Unstable K1-group and homotopy type of certain gauge groups

Abstract

We denote the group of homotopy set [X, U(n)] by the unstable K1-group of X. In this paper, using the unstable K1-group of the multi-suspended CP2, we give a necessary condition for two principal SU(n)-bundles over §4 to have the associated gauge group of the same homotopy type, which is an improvement of the result of Sutherland and, particularly, show the complete classification of homotopy types of SU(3)-gauge groups over S4.