Every simply-connected rational homology sphere is, in fact, the usual sphere in dimensions $2, 3.$ Is this true in dimension 4? Where are the first counterexamples? (I know there are some in dimension 7.) Yes, the topological category is fine, to avoid the smooth Poincaré conjecture.
Simply-Connected Rational Homology Spheres – Algebraic Topology
at.algebraic-topologygt.geometric-topology
Best Answer
In dimension 4, we have the following: Simply-connectedness implies that $H_1(M)=0$. The condition that $M$ be a rational homology sphere implies that $H_2(M), H_3(M)$ are finitely generated torsion groups. It follows that $H^3(M) = Ext(H_2(M),\mathbb{Z})$, which is noncanonically isomorphic to $H_2(M)$ again (that's true for finitely generated torsion groups).
But Poincare duality tells us that $H^3(M)=H_1(M) =0$, so $H_2(M)=0$. Similarly, we can obtain $H_3(M)=0$. It follows that $M$ is already a homology sphere.
In dimension 5, there's the first counterexample: The so-called Wu manifold $SU(3)/SO(3)$ has homology groups $\mathbb{Z}, 0, \mathbb{Z}/2, 0, 0, \mathbb{Z}$, so rationally, it is a homology sphere.