The real cycle class map

Abstract

The classical cycle class map for a smooth complex variety sends cycles in the Chow ring to cycles in the singular cohomology ring. We study two cycle class maps for smooth real varieties: the map from the I-cohomology ring to singular cohomology induced by the signature, and a new cycle class map defined on the Chow-Witt ring. For both maps, we establish basic compatibility results like compatibility with pullbacks, pushforwards and cup products. As a first application of these general results, we show that both cycle class maps are isomorphisms for cellular varieties.