Universal simplicial complexes inspired by toric topology

Abstract

Let $\mathbf{k}$ be the field $\mathbb{F}_p$ or the ring $\mathbb{Z}$. We study combinatorial and topological properties of the universal simplicial complexes $X(\mathbf{k}^n)$ and $K(\mathbf{k}^n)$ whose simplices are certain unimodular subsets of $\mathbf{k}^n$. As a main result we show that $X(\mathbf{k}^n)$, $K(\mathbf{k}^n)$ and the links of their simplicies are homotopy equivalent to a wedge of spheres specifying the exact number of spheres in the corresponding wedge decompositions. This is a generalisation of Davis and Januszkiewicz's result that $K(\mathbb{Z}^n)$ and $K(\mathbb{F}_2^n)$ are $(n-2)$-connected simplicial complexes. We discuss applications of these universal simplicial complexes to toric topology and number theory.