In this note we show that every (real or complex) vector bundle over a compact rank one symmetric space carries, after taking the Whitney sum with a trivial bundle of sufficiently large rank, a metric with nonnegative sectional curvature. We also examine the case of complex vector bundles over other manifolds, and give upper bounds for the rank of the trivial bundle that is necessary to add when the base is a sphere.

Abstract. In this note we consider submersions from compact manifolds, homotopy equivalent to the Eschenburg or Bazaikin spaces of positive curvature. We show that if the submersion is nontrivial, the dimension of the base is greater than the dimension of the fiber. Together with previous results, this proves the Petersen-Wilhelm Conjecture for all the known compact manifolds with positive curvature.