Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 October 2008
Introduction. For applications in differential topology it is desirable to be able to find restrictions on the possible real and complex vector bundles over a given manifold. These restrictions usually state that the top component of some specific rational multinomial in the various characteristic classes is an integral multiple of the fundamental cocycle. For example, in proving non-embedding or non-immersion theorems (compare (1); (10)) one could test whether the normal bundle is consistent with these integrality conditions.