String topology in three flavors

Abstract

We describe two major string topology operations, the Chas–Sullivan product and the Goresky–Hingston coproduct, from geometric and algebraic perspectives. The geometric construction uses Thom–Pontrjagin intersection theory while the algebraic construction is phrased in terms of Hochschild homology. We give computations of products and coproducts on lens spaces via geometric intersection, and deduce that the coproduct distinguishes $3$-dimensional lens spaces. Algebraically, we describe the structure these operations define together on the Tate–Hochschild complex. We use rational homotopy theory methods to sketch the equivalence between the geometric and algebraic definitions for simply-connected manifolds and real coefficients, emphasizing the role of configuration spaces. Finally, we study invariance properties of the operations, both algebraically and geometrically.