# Eliminating higher-multiplicity intersections, III. Codimension 2

S. Avvakumov, I. Mabillard, A. Skopenkov, U. Wagner, ArXiv (n.d.).

Preprint | Submitted | English
Department
Abstract
We study conditions under which a finite simplicial complex $K$ can be mapped to $\mathbb R^d$ without higher-multiplicity intersections. An almost $r$-embedding is a map $f: K\to \mathbb R^d$ such that the images of any $r$ pairwise disjoint simplices of $K$ do not have a common point. We show that if $r$ is not a prime power and $d\geq 2r+1$, then there is a counterexample to the topological Tverberg conjecture, i.e., there is an almost $r$-embedding of the $(d+1)(r-1)$-simplex in $\mathbb R^d$. This improves on previous constructions of counterexamples (for $d\geq 3r$) based on a series of papers by M. \"Ozaydin, M. Gromov, P. Blagojevi\'c, F. Frick, G. Ziegler, and the second and fourth present authors. The counterexamples are obtained by proving the following algebraic criterion in codimension 2: If $r\ge3$ and if $K$ is a finite $2(r-1)$-complex then there exists an almost $r$-embedding $K\to \mathbb R^{2r}$ if and only if there exists a general position PL map $f:K\to \mathbb R^{2r}$ such that the algebraic intersection number of the $f$-images of any $r$ pairwise disjoint simplices of $K$ is zero. This result can be restated in terms of cohomological obstructions or equivariant maps, and extends an analogous codimension 3 criterion by the second and fourth authors. As another application we classify ornaments $f:S^3 \sqcup S^3\sqcup S^3\to \mathbb R^5$ up to ornament concordance. It follows from work of M. Freedman, V. Krushkal and P. Teichner that the analogous criterion for $r=2$ is false. We prove a lemma on singular higher-dimensional Borromean rings, yielding an elementary proof of the counterexample.
Publishing Year
Date Published
2015-11-15
Journal Title
arXiv
Acknowledgement
We would like to thank A. Klyachko, V. Krushkal, S. Melikhov, M. Tancer, P. Teichner and anonymous referees for helpful discussions.
Article Number
1511.03501
IST-REx-ID

### Cite this

Avvakumov S, Mabillard I, Skopenkov A, Wagner U. Eliminating higher-multiplicity intersections, III. Codimension 2. arXiv.
Avvakumov, S., Mabillard, I., Skopenkov, A., & Wagner, U. (n.d.). Eliminating higher-multiplicity intersections, III. Codimension 2. arXiv.
Avvakumov, Sergey, Isaac Mabillard, A. Skopenkov, and Uli Wagner. “Eliminating Higher-Multiplicity Intersections, III. Codimension 2.” ArXiv, n.d.
S. Avvakumov, I. Mabillard, A. Skopenkov, and U. Wagner, “Eliminating higher-multiplicity intersections, III. Codimension 2,” arXiv. .
Avvakumov S, Mabillard I, Skopenkov A, Wagner U. Eliminating higher-multiplicity intersections, III. Codimension 2. arXiv, 1511.03501.
Avvakumov, Sergey, et al. “Eliminating Higher-Multiplicity Intersections, III. Codimension 2.” ArXiv, 1511.03501.
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