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It is known that given a SES of real vector bundles $$0\rightarrow E\rightarrow F\rightarrow G\rightarrow 0$$, there is a splitting $F\simeq E\oplus G$, if the base space $B$ is paracompact. We can do this by choosing a metric on $F$.

If $B$ is not paracompact, what is an explicit example of such sequences that don't split?

Y. Hu
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1 Answers1

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The original question was unclear as to whether $B$ was an arbitrary topological space, a topological manifold or a smooth manifold, and whether $E$, $F$ and $G$ were smooth or continuous vector bundles. In the first half of this answer, $B$ is a Hausdorff, nonparacompact, topological space and the vector bundles are continuous. Further down, below the horizontal line, I will build a more complicated example using smooth manifolds.

The first part of this answer is extracted from

Schröer, Stefan, Pathologies in cohomology of non-paracompact Hausdorff spaces, Topology Appl. 160, No. 13, 1809-1815 (2013). ZBL1282.55010.

Essentially, I have combined the standard argument that $\mathrm{Ext}^1(C^0(\mathbb{R}), C^0(\mathbb{R}))$ is the same as $H^1(C^0(\mathbb{R}))$ with Shroer's construction of a nonzero Cech class in Proposition 3.1, using the simplification from Remark 3.6. (Here $C^0(\mathbb{R})$ is the sheaf of continuous real valued funtions.)

As a set, let $B = \{ 0 \} \sqcup {\Big (} \mathbb{N} \times (0,1] {\Big )}$, where $\mathbb{N} = \{ 1,2,3, \cdots \}$. A subset $\Omega$ of $B$ is open if and only if

  • The intersection $\Omega \cap {\Big(} \{n \} \times (0,1] {\Big)}$ is open for each $n \in \mathbb{N}$ AND

  • either $0 \not \in \Omega$ or else, for all but finitely many $n$, we have $\{ n \} \times (0,1) \subset \Omega$.

Let $U_n = \{ n \} \times (0,1]$ and let $V = \{ 0 \} \cup {\Big(} \mathbb{N} \times (0,1) {\Big)}$. Then $V \cup \bigcup_n U_n$ is an open cover of $B$ which has no locally finite subcover.

We have $V \cap U_n = \{ n \} \times (0,1)$; let $y_n$ be the function which projects $V \cap U_n$ onto this second coordinate. We build a rank two vector bundle $F$ on $B$ by gluing $V \times \mathbb{R}^2$ to $U_n \times \mathbb{R}^2$ by the map $\left( \begin{smallmatrix} 1 & (1-y_n)^{-1} \\ 0 & 1 \end{smallmatrix} \right)$.

Clearly, $F$ sits in a short exact sequence $0 \to \mathbb{R} \to F \to \mathbb{R} \to 0$. Suppose that this sequence had a splitting. Write this splitting on the coordinate chart $U_n \times (0,1)$ as $\left( \begin{smallmatrix} \sigma_n \\ 1 \end{smallmatrix} \right)$ and on the chart $V$ as $\left( \begin{smallmatrix} \tau \\ 1 \end{smallmatrix} \right)$. So $\sigma_n$ and $\tau$ are continuous functions $U_n \to \mathbb{R}$ and $V \to \mathbb{R}$ and $\sigma_n - \tau = (1-y_n)^{-1}$ on $U_n \cap V$.

Since $\tau$ is continuous, there is an open neighborhood $\Omega$ of $0$ where $|\tau| < 1$. For all but finitely many $n$, the set $\{ n \} \times (0,1)$ is contained in this $\Omega$. So, for such $n$, the function $\tau$ is bounded as we approach $(n,1)$. But $\sigma_n$ is continuous on $U_n$, so it is also bounded as we approach $(n,1)$. This contradicts that $\sigma_n - \tau = (1-y_n)^{-1}$, which is unbounded near $(n,1)$.


I thought about this more, and I can make a variant of this construction with smooth manifolds, taking $B$ to be the Prufer surface. Recall that $B$ has an open cover consisting of sets $U_a \cong \mathbb{R}^2$ for each $a \in \mathbb{R}$ and also $H \cong \mathbb{R} \times \mathbb{R}_{>0}$, with the point $(x,y) \in U_a$ glued to $(a+xy, y)$ in $H$. In particular, note that $y$ is a well defined global smooth function on $B$.

Let $f: \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}$ be a function which is not a pointwise limit of continuous functions. We build a rank two vector bundle $F$ over $B$ by gluing $U_a \times \mathbb{R}^2$ to $H \times \mathbb{R}^2$ by the map $\left[ \begin{smallmatrix} 1 & f(a) y^{-1} \\ 0 & 1 \end{smallmatrix} \right]$.

Once again, we have a short exact sequence $0 \to \mathbb{R} \to F \to \mathbb{R} \to 0$. Suppose that it were split, with the splitting given by $\left[ \begin{smallmatrix} \sigma_a \\ 1 \end{smallmatrix} \right]$ on $U_a$ and $\left[ \begin{smallmatrix} \tau \\ 1 \end{smallmatrix} \right]$ on $H$. Then $$\sigma_a(x,y) - \tau(a+xy,y) = f(a) y^{-1}$$ for $(x,y) \in \mathbb{R} \times \mathbb{R}_{>0}$. Also, $\sigma_a$ extends continuously to $y=0$, so $\lim_{y \to 0^+} \sigma_a(0,y) y = 0$. We deduce that $$\lim_{y \to 0^{+}} \tau(a,y) y = f(a).$$ But this exhibits $f$ as a pointwise limit of continuous functions, contradicting our hypothesis.

  • Excellent! The Prüfer surface is contractible, isn't it? Then this also provides a smooth example to this question: https://mathoverflow.net/q/106497 – Ben Aug 22 '18 at 09:59
  • Indeed, I can also see where the homotopy I thought of fails. For the second part, I thought that $F$ cannot be numerable, more or less by construction. But this is of course not obvious. However, if $F$ were trivial, then $F$ had to be numerable, and I think every short exact sequence of numerable vector bundles splits. But I might be missing a subtle point here. – Ben Aug 22 '18 at 11:31
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    I agree that $F$ is not trivial. Indeed, I claim that it is not generated by any finite number of sections! Proof: Let $\pi$ be the map $F \to \mathbb{R}$. Suppose that there were finitely many sections $s_1$, $s_2$, ...., $s_N$ such that the $s_i(x)$ span the fiber $F(x)$ for every $x \in B$. Then we would have $\sum \pi(s_i)^2>0$ everywhere, and $\frac{\sum \pi(s_i) s_i}{\sum \pi(s_i)^2}$ would provide a splitting. I don't know whether or not the Prufer surface is contractible though. – David E Speyer Aug 22 '18 at 15:30
  • This paper https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0609665 seems relevant, but beware that it studies a surface with an upper and lower half plane glued in, not just an upper one. – David E Speyer Aug 22 '18 at 15:30
  • But Corollary 3.2 applies to all non-paracompact manifolds. (Not paracompact implies not metrisable since any metric space is paracompact.) So also your $B$ does not have the homotopy type of a CW-complex. – Ben Aug 22 '18 at 15:41
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    Thanks for pointing that out! But Cor 3.2 says that it is not homeomorphic to a CW complex; I don't see a statement about homotopy there. – David E Speyer Aug 22 '18 at 15:45
  • Oops, my mind must have replaced homeomorphic by homotopy-equivalent. Then, I don't know about contractibility either. – Ben Aug 22 '18 at 15:52
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    It is contractible. Your definition of $B$ agrees with Spivak's definition (A comprehensive introduction ... Appendix A p. 466ff.) and problem 6(e) defines a homotopy moving everything into the union of $H$ with all the images of $0\in U_a$, $a\in\mathbb{R}$. This is something like the cone over an open line-segment, with uncountably many vertices. – Ben Aug 24 '18 at 10:49