Wilson spaces and stable splittings of BTr

Abstract

Let Q(X) denote and let BTr denote the classifying space of the r-torus. In [8], Segal showed that Q(BT1) is homotopy equivalent to a product BU × F where BU denotes the classifying space for stable complex vector bundles and F a space with finite homotopy groups. This result has been a very useful one. For example, in [5] it was used to show that up to a stable homotopy equivalence there is only one loop structure on the 3-sphere at each odd prime p. (The subsequent work of Dwyer, Miller, and Wilkerson shows this result is even true unstably, at every prime p.) In [6] it was used to classify, up to homology, the stable self maps of the projective spaces ℂPn and ℍPn. In [5] I asked if a splitting similar to Segal's might exist for Q(BTr) when r≥2. In particular, since the homotopy and homology groups of BU are torsion free it seemed natural to ask if Q(BTr), when r>, could likewise contain a retract with torsion free homology and homotopy groups and whose complement is rationally trivial. The purpose of this note is to show that the answer is no.