The depth and LS category of a topological space

Abstract

The depth of an augmented ring $\varepsilon \colon A\to k $ is the least $p$, or ∞, such that \begin {equation*} \Ext _A^p(k , A)\neq 0. \end {equation*} When $X$ is a simply connected finite type CW complex, $H_*(\Omega X;\mathbb {Q})$ is a Hopf algebra and the universal enveloping algebra of the Lie algebra $L_X$ of primitive elements. It is known that $\depth H_*(\Omega X;\mathbb {Q}) \leq \cat X$, the Lusternik-Schnirelmann category of $X$. For any connected CW complex we construct a completion $\widehat {H}(\Omega X)$ of $H_*(\Omega X;\mathbb {Q})$ as a complete Hopf algebra with primitive sub Lie algebra $L_X$, and define $\depth X$ to be the least $p$ or ∞ such that \[ \Ext ^p_{UL_X}(\mathbb {Q}, \widehat {H}(\Omega X))\neq 0. \] Theorem: for any connected CW complex, $\depth X\leq \cat X$.