An axiomatic proof of Stiefel’s conjecture

Blanton, John D.; McCrory, Clint

doi:10.1090/S0002-9939-1979-0545605-1

An axiomatic proof of Stiefel’s conjecture
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by John D. Blanton and Clint McCrory PDF

Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 77 (1979), 409-414 Request permission

Abstract:

Stiefel’s combinatorial formula for the Stiefel-Whitney homology classes of a smooth manifold is proved, by verifying that the classes defined by his formula satisfy axioms which characterize the Stiefel-Whitney classes.

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