Stable Cohomotopy in Codimensions Two and Three: From Algebraic Characterizations to Bordism-Theoretic Interpretations

Abstract

This paper investigates stable cohomotopy groups in codimensions two and three from complementary algebraic and geometric viewpoints. For general CW complexes, we give a complete characterization of stable cohomotopy in codimension two and a characterization in codimension three up to a $3$-primary parameter. Geometrically, we provide bordism-theoretic interpretations of these stable cohomotopy groups for oriented manifolds in codimension two and string manifolds in codimension three. As an application, we derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of nowhere-vanishing sections of vector bundles, extending the foundational codimension-one results of Konstantis.