The rank 8 case of a conjecture on square-zero upper triangular matrices

Abstract: Let $A$ be the polynomial algebra in $r$ variables with coefficients in an algebraically closed field $k$. When the characteristic of $k$ is $2$, Carlsson conjectured that for any $\mathrm{dg}$-$A$-module $M$, which has dimension $N$ as a free $A$-module, if the homology of $M$ is nontrivial and finite dimensional as a $k$-vector space, then $N\geq 2^r$. Here we examine a stronger conjecture concerning varieties of square-zero upper triangular $N\times N$ matrices with entries in $A$. Stratifying these varieties via Borel orbits, we show that the stronger conjecture holds when $N = 8$ without any restriction on the characteristic of $k$. This result also verifies that if $X$ is a product of $3$ spheres of any dimensions, then the elementary abelian $2$-group of order $4$ cannot act freely on $X$.