Characteristic classes and quadric bundles

Abstract

We construct Euler and Stiefel-Whitney classes of vector bundles with quadratic form by analyzing the intersection theory of the associated quadric bundles. We also compute the Chow rings of quadric and isotropic flag bundles. Along the way, we prove a conjecture of Fulton on top Chern classes of maximal isotropic sub-bundles of an even rank quadratic vector bundle.