Variations on the Nerve Theorem

Abstract Given a locally finite cover of a simplicial complex by subcomplexes, Björner’s version of the Nerve Theorem provides conditions under which the homotopy groups of the nerve agree with those of the original complex through a range of dimensions. We extend this result to covers of CW complexes by subcomplexes and to open covers of arbitrary topological spaces, without local finiteness restrictions. Moreover, we show that under somewhat weaker hypotheses, the same conclusion holds when one utilizes the multinerve introduced by Colin de Verdière, Ginot, and Goaoc. Our main tool is the Čech complex associated to a cover, as analyzed in work of Dugger and Isaksen. As applications, we prove a generalized crosscut theorem for posets and some variations on Quillen’s Poset Fiber Theorem.