Hodge's harmonic $p$-sets and Pontrjagin classes

Abstract

This paper shows how Hodge's theory of harmonic $p$-sets (a discrete version of his theory of harmonic forms) allows a new approach to be taken to the problem of providing a combinatorial definition of the Pontrjagin classes of a compact manifold. This approach is then related to the author's definition of flag vectors for hypergraphs, and other objects constructed out of vertices and cells.