Algebraic Topology – Homology Computations Using Normalized Chain Complexes

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I have to compute the homology group of the abstract simplicial set $\partial \Delta[n]$ using normalized chain complexes.

I know that the nondegenerate $k$-simplices of $\partial \Delta[n]$ are $\Delta[n]^{\text{nd}}_k$ for $k \neq n$ (which are the strictly increasing maps $[k] \to [n]$) and $\varnothing$ otherwise.

Moreover, I proved that the homology of $\Delta[n]$ is the same as the one of a point, that is, $H_0(\Delta[n]) = \mathbb{Z}$ and it is $0$ otherwise.

However, I don't understand how to put everything together. It seems clear that for $k=n$ the homology of the boundary is $0$, but what happens for $k = n+1, n-1$ in the chain complex?

Of course, I know that I have to get $H_k(\partial \Delta[n])=\mathbb{Z}$ for $k=0, n-1$ and $0$ otherwise, but how can I deduce this from the homology of the abstract simplex $\Delta[n]$?

Thank you very much for your help.

Best Answer

Let $S^{n-1}$ be the complex with $\mathbb{Z}$ in degree $0, n-1$ and $0$ in all other degrees. Let $i_n$ be the unique nondegenerate $n$-simplex of $\Delta^n$. Then the nondegenerate $(n-1)$-simplices of $\partial\Delta^n$ are $d^n_i(i_n), i=0,\ldots, n$ and $c = \sum_{j=0}^n(-1)^jd_j(i_n)$ is a cycle in $N(\partial \Delta^n)$, since it is a boundary in $N(\Delta^n)$. Define a chain map $f\colon S^{n-1}\to N(\partial\Delta^n)$ via $f_{n-1}(k) = kc$ and in degree $0$ $\mathbb{Z}\to N(\partial\Delta^n)_0$ by sending the generator of $\mathbb{Z}$ to the basis element corresponding to the $0$th vertex. There is a retraction $r\colon N(\partial\Delta^n)\to S^{n-1}$. In degree $0$ this maps $N(\partial\Delta^n)_0\to \mathbb{Z}$ the basis element corresponding to the $0$th vertex to $1$ and all other basis elements to $0$. In degree $n-1$ it is given by $r_{n-1}\colon N(\partial\Delta^n)\to \mathbb{Z}$, $$r_{n-1}(d^n_j(i_n)) = \begin{cases} 0 &\text{if }j<n,\\ 1 &\text{if }j=n. \end{cases}$$ I claim that $f\circ r$ is homotopic to the identity. An increasing map $\alpha\colon [k]\to [n]$ corresponds to an increasing sequence $(i_0,\ldots, i_k)$ and this is nondegenerate if all elements are distinct. We define a chain homotopy on basis elements by $$s_k(i_0,\ldots,i_k) = \begin{cases} (-1)^{k+1}(i_0,\ldots, i_k, n) &\text{if } i_k<n,\\ 0 &\text{otherwise}, \end{cases}$$ and we extend this to a linear map $N(\partial\Delta^n)_k\to N(\partial\Delta^n)_{k+1}$. I leave it to you to check that this gives the desired chain homotopy.

One can also use the long exact sequence in homology. Let $\mathbb{Z}[n]$ be the complex with $\mathbb{Z}$ in degree $n$ and $0$ in all other degrees. Then there is a short exact sequence of complexes $$0\to N(\partial\Delta^n)\to N(\Delta^n)\to \mathbb{Z}[n]\to 0,$$ since $\partial\Delta^n$ and $\Delta^n$ have the same nondegenerate $k$-simplices for $k\neq n$, $\partial\Delta^n$ has only degenerate $n$-simplices and $\Delta^n$ has exactly one nondegenerate $n$-simplex. Now if you already know the homology of $N(\Delta^n)$ it is easy to read off the homology of $N(\partial \Delta^n)$ from the long exact sequence in homology.

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