The topology of certain 3-Sasakian 7-manifolds

Abstract

We calculate the integer cohomology ring and stable tangent bundle of a family of compact, 3-Sasakian 7-manifolds constructed by Boyer, Galicki, Mann, and Rees. Previously only the rational cohomology ring was known. The most important part of the cohomology ring is a torsion group that we describe explicitly and whose order we compute. There is a surprising connection with the combinatorics of trees.