Classifying spaces for commutativity of low-dimensional Lie groups

For each of the groups G = O(2), SU(2), U(2), we compute the integral and $\mathbb{F}_2$-cohomology rings of BcomG (the classifying space for commutativity of G), the action of the Steenrod algebra on the mod 2 cohomology, the homotopy type of EcomG (the homotopy fiber of the inclusion BcomG → BG), and some low-dimensional homotopy groups of BcomG.

1-loop graphs and configuration space integral for embedding spaces

We will construct differential forms on the embedding spaces Emb(j, n) for n − j ≥ 2 using configuration space integral associated with 1-loop graphs, and show that some linear combinations of these forms are closed in some dimensions. There are other dimensions in which we can show the closedness if we replace Emb(j, n) by Emb(j, n), the homotopy fiber of the inclusion Emb(j, n) ↪ Imm(j, n). We also show that the closed forms obtained give rise to nontrivial cohomology classes, evaluating them on some cycles of Emb(j, n) and Emb(j, n). In particular we obtain nontrivial cohomology classes (for example, in H3(Emb(2, 5))) of higher degrees than those of the first nonvanishing homotopy groups.