On the characterization of rational homotopy types and Chern classes of closed almost complex manifolds

Abstract We give an exposition of Sullivan’s theorem on realizing rational homotopy types by closed smooth manifolds, including a discussion of the necessary rational homotopy and surgery theory, adapted to the realization problem for almost complex manifolds: namely, we give a characterization of the possible simply connected rational homotopy types, along with a choice of rational Chern classes and fundamental class, realized by simply connected closed almost complex manifolds in real dimensions six and greater. As a consequence, beyond demonstrating that rational homotopy types of closed almost complex manifolds are plenty, we observe that the realizability of a simply connected rational homotopy type by a simply connected closed almost complex manifold depends only on its cohomology ring. We conclude with some computations and examples.