Vector fields on RP^m x RP^n

Abstract

The span of a manifold is its maximum number of linearly independent vector fields. We discuss the question, still unresolved, of whether span(P^m x P^n) always equals span(P^m) + span(P^n). Here P^n denotes real projective space. We use BP-cohomology to obtain new upper bounds for span(P^m x P^n), much stronger than previously known bounds.