We show that a free period three action on the three-sphere is standard, i.e. the quotient is homeomorphic to a lens space. We use a minimax argument involving sweepouts.
The standard actions of finite groups on spheres S^d are linear actions, i.e. by finite subgroups of the orthogonal group O(d+1). We prove that, in each dimension d>5, there is a finite group G which admits a faithful, topological action on a sphere S^d but is not isomorphic to a subgroup of O(d+1). The situation remains open for smooth actions.
The symplectic group Sp(2g,Z) is a subgroup of the linear group SL(2g,Z) and admits a faithful action on the sphere S^(2g-1), induced from its linear action on Euclidean space R^(2g). Generalizing corresponding results for linear groups, we show that, if m < 2g-1 and g > 2, any continuous action of Sp(2g,Z) on a homology m-sphere, and in particular on S^m, is trivial.
We consider quotients of spheres by linear actions of real tori. To each quotient we associate a matroid built out of a diagonalization of the torus action. We find the integral homology groups of the resulting quotient spaces in terms of the Tutte polynomial of the matroid. We also find the homotopy type and homology of the singular space of such an action. Lastly, we consider the circumstances under which the orbit space is a manifold or, more specifically, a (homology) sphere.
According to the work of Laitinen, Morimoto, Oliver and Pawałowski, a finite group $G$ has a smooth effective one fixed point action on some sphere if and only if $G$ is an Oliver group. For some finite Oliver groups $G$ of order up to $216$, and for $G=A_5\times C_n$ for $n=3,5,7$, we present a strategy of excluding of smooth effective one fixed point $G$-actions on low-dimensional spheres.
R. S. Kulkarni showed that a finite group acting pseudofreely, but not freely, preserving orientation, on an even-dimensional sphere (or suitable sphere-like space) is either a periodic group acting semifreely with two fixed points, a dihedral group acting with three singular orbits, or one of the polyhedral groups, occurring only in dimension 2. It is shown here that the dihedral group does not act pseudofreely and locally linearly on an actual n-sphere when n is congruent to 0 mod 4. The possibility of such an action when n is congruent to 2 mod 4 and n>2 remains open. Orientation-reversing …
The group SL(n,Z) admits a smooth faithful action on the (n-1)-sphere S^(n-1), induced from its linear action on euclidean space R^n. We show that, if m < n-1 and n > 2, any smooth action of SL(n,Z) on a mod 2 homology m-sphere, and in particular on the m-sphere S^m, is trivial.
Let $X_0$ denote a compact, simply-connected smooth $4$-manifold with boundary the Poincaré homology $3$-sphere $Σ(2,3,5)$ and with even negative definite intersection form $Q_{X_0}=E_8$. We show that free $\mathbb{Z}/p$ actions on $Σ(2,3,5)$ do not extend to smooth actions on $X_0$ with isolated fixed points for any prime $p>7$. The approach is to study the equivariant version of the Yang-Mills instanton-one moduli space for $4$-manifolds with cylindrical ends. As an application we show that for $p>7$ a smooth $\mathbb{Z}/p$ action on $\#^8 S^2 \times S^2$ with isolated fixed points does not …
A finite nonabelian simple group does not admit a free action on a homology sphere, and the only finite simple group which acts on a homology sphere with at most 0-dimensional fixed point sets ("pseudofree action") is the alternating group A_5 acting on the 2-sphere. Our first main theorem is the finiteness result that there are only finitely many finite simple groups which admit a smooth action on a homology sphere with at most d-dimensional fixed points sets, for a fixed d. We then go on proving that the finite simple groups acting on a homology sphere with at most 1-dimensional fixed point …
This paper has been withdrawn since it is superated by the latest version of arXiv:0812.1139 (this is the version which will appear in Rend. Circ. Mat. Palermo; it is a strengthening and elaboration of a paper published in Math. Proc. Camb. Phil. Soc. 144, 397-401 (2008))
Any continuous action of SL(n,Z), where n > 2, on a r-dimensional mod 2 homology sphere factors through a finite group action if r < n - 1. In particular, any continuous action of SL(n+2,Z) on the n-dimensional sphere factors through a finite group action.
In the paper of Montgomery, D. and Yang, C.T. [5], they discuss the de-suspension of smooth free actions of S1 on (2n+1)-dimensional homotopy spheres. In this paper we discuss the de-suspension of smooth free actions of S3 on (4n + 3)-dimensional homotopy spheres.
Classical work of Lee, Schultz, and Stolz relates the smooth transformation groups of exotic spheres to the stable homotopy groups of spheres. In this note, we apply recent progress on the latter to produce smooth circle and cyclic group actions on certain exotic spheres.
There are four groups $G$ fitting into a short exact sequence $ 1\rightarrow SL(2,5)\rightarrow G\rightarrow C_2\rightarrow 1, $ where $SL(2,5)$ is the special linear group of $(2\times 2)$-matrices with entries in the field of five elements. Except for the direct product of $SL(2,5)$ and $C_2$, there are two other semidirect products of these two groups and just one non-semidirect product $SL(2,5).C_2$, considered in this paper. It is known that each finite nonsolvable group can act on spheres with arbitrary positive number of fixed points. Clearly, $SL(2,5).C_2$ is a nonsolvable group. Moreo…
We use methods from the cohomology of groups to describe the finite groups which can act freely and homologically trivially on closed 3-manifolds which are rational homology spheres.
We study the (relative) SL(2,C) character varieties of the four-holed sphere and the action of the mapping class group on it. We describe a domain of discontinuity for this action, and, in the case of real characters, show that this domain of discontinuity may be non-empty on the components where the relative euler class is non-maximal.
We consider the following problem: for which classes of finite groups, and in particular finite simple groups, does the minimal dimension of a faithful, smooth action on a homology sphere coincide with the minimal dimension of a faithful, linear action on a sphere? We prove that the two minimal dimensions coincide for the linear fractional groups PSL(2,p) as well as for various classes of alternating and symmetric groups. We prove analogous results also for actions on Euclidean spaces.
We use the notion of fixity for representations of finite groups to construct free and smooth actions on products of spheres. In particular we show that a finite p-group (for p>3) will act freely and smoothly on a product of two spheres if and only if it does not contain a rank 3 elementary abelian subgroup. We show that if G is a finite subgroup of U(n), acting freely on U(n)/U(k) for some k>0 and if (|G|,(n-1)!)=1, then the action propagates to a free and smooth action on a product of n-k spheres. A number of explicit examples are discussed.
A free action of a finite group on an odd-dimensional sphere is said to be almost linear if the action restricted to each cyclic or 2-hyperelementary subgroup is conjugate to a free linear action. We begin this survey paper by reviewing the status of almost linear actions on the 3-sphere. We then discuss almost linear actions on higher-dimensional spheres, paying special attention to the groups SL_2(p), and relate such actions to surgery invariants. Finally, we discuss geometric structures on space forms or, more generally, on manifolds whose fundamental group has periodic cohomology. The geom…
We show that a finite dihedral group does not act pseudofreely and locally linearly on a 2k-dimensional sphere, if k > 1. This answers a question of R. S. Kulkarni from 1982.
In this note we derive an upper bound on the number of 2-spheres in the fixed point set of a smooth and homologically trivial cyclic group action of prime order on a simply-connected 4-manifold. This improves the a priori bound which is given by one half of the Euler characteristic of the 4-manifold. The result also shows that in some cases the 4-manifold does not admit such actions of a certain order at all or that any such action has to be pseudofree.
It is a consequence of the classical Jordan bound for finite subgroups of linear groups that in each dimension n there are only finitely many finite simple groups which admit a faithful, linear action on the n-sphere. In the present paper we prove an analogue for smooth actions on arbitrary homology n-spheres: in each dimension n there are only finitely many finite simple groups which admit a faithful, smooth action on some homology sphere of dimension n, and in particular on the n-sphere. We discuss also the finite simple groups which admit an action on a homology sphere of dimension 3, 4 or …
We establish lower bounds on the dimensions in which arithmetic groups with torsion can act on acyclic manifolds and homology spheres. The bounds rely on the existence of elementary p-groups in the groups concerned. In some cases, including Sp(2n,Z), the bounds we obtain are sharp: if X is a generalized Z/3-homology sphere of dimension less than 2n-1 or a Z/3-acyclic Z/3-homology manifold of dimension less than 2n, and if n \geq 3, then any action of Sp(2n,Z) by homeomorphisms on X is trivial; if n = 2, then every action of Sp(2n,Z) on X factors through the abelianization of Sp(4,Z), which is …
For n at least 3, let SAut(F_n) denote the unique subgroup of index two in the automorphism group of a free group. The standard linear action of SL(n,Z) on R^n induces non-trivial actions of SAut(F_n) on R^n and on S^{n-1}. We prove that SAut(F_n) admits no non-trivial actions by homeomorphisms on acyclic manifolds or spheres of smaller dimension. Indeed, SAut(F_n) cannot act non-trivially on any generalized Z_2-homology sphere of dimension less than n-1, nor on any Z_2-acyclic Z_2-homology manifold of dimension less than n. It follows that SL(n,Z) cannot act non-trivially on such spaces eithe…
Let SL(n,Z) be the special linear group over integers and $M =S^r_1 \times S^r_2,T^r_1 \times S^r_2$ , or $T^r_0 \times S^r_1 \times S^r_2$, products of spheres and tori. We prove that any group action of SL(n,Z) on $M^r$ by diffeomorphims or piecewise linear homeomorphisms is trivial if $r<n-1$. This confirms a conjecture on Zimmer's program for these manifolds.
It is proved that for a product action of $(\mathbb Z_p)^k$ on a product of (mod p) homology spheres $N^{n_1}\times...\times N^{n_k}$, where all $n_i$'s are assumed to be odd if $p$ is odd, and any continuous map $f\colon N^{n_1}\times...\times N^{n_k}\to \mathbb R^m$ the set $A(f)=\{x\in N^{n_1}\times...\times N^{n_k}| f(x)=f(gx) \forall g\in(\mathbb Z_p)^k\}$ has dimension at least $n_1+...+n_k-m(p^k-1)$, provided $n_i\ge mp^{i-1}(p-1)$ for all $i (1\le i\le k)$. Moreover, if $n_i\ge mp^{k-1}(p-1)$ for all $i(1\le i\le k)$ then the free action $μ$ can be assumed arbitrary.
To embed the bouquet of $g$ circles $B_g$ into the $n$-sphere $S^n$ so that its full symmetry group action extends to an orthogonal actions on $S^n$, the minimal $n$ is $2g-1$. This answers a question raised by B. Zimmermann.
We show that standard cyclic actions on Brieskorn homology 3-spheres with non-empty fixed set do not extend smoothly to any contractible smooth 4-manifold it may bound. The quotient of any such extension would be an acyclic $4$-manifold with boundary a related Brieskorn homology sphere. We briefly discuss well known invariants of homology spheres that obstruct acyclic bounding 4-manifolds, and then use a method based on equivariant Yang-Mills moduli spaces to rule out extensions of the actions.
We construct a non-abelian extension $Γ$ of $S^1$ by $\cy 3 \times \cy 3$, and prove that $Γ$ acts freely and smoothly on $S^{5} \times S^{5}$. This gives new actions on $S^{5} \times S^{5}$ for an infinite family $\cP$ of finite 3-groups. We also show that any finite odd order subgroup of the exceptional Lie group $G_2$ admits a free smooth action on $S^{11}\times S^{11}$. This gives new actions on $S^{11}\times S^{11}$ for an infinite family $\cE $ of finite groups. We explain the significance of these families $\cP $, $\cE $ for the general existence problem, and correct some mistakes in th…
There are known infinite families of Brieskorn homology 3-spheres which can be realized as boundaries of smooth contractible 4-manifolds. In this paper we show that free periodic actions on these Brieskorn spheres do not extend smoothly over a contractible 4-manifold. We give a new infinite family of examples in which the actions extend locally linearly but not smoothly.
In this paper, we study the action of $\text{Homeo}_0(M)$, the identity component of the group of homeomorphisms of an $n$-dimensional manifold $M$ with an $\mathbb{F}_p$-free action, on another manifold $N$ of dimension $n+k<2n$. We prove that if $M$ is not an $\mathbb{F}_p$-homology sphere, then $N\cong M\times K$ for a homology manifold $K$ such that the action of $\text{Homeo}_0(M)$ on $M$ is standard and on $K$ is trivial. In particular, for $M=S^n$ a sphere, any nontrivial action is a generalization of the "coning-off" construction.
Moduli spaces of points on $n$-spheres carry natural actions of braid groups. For $n=0$, $1$, and $3$, we prove that these symmetries extend to actions of mapping class groups of positive genus surfaces, by establishing exceptional isomorphisms with certain moduli of local systems. This relies on the existence of group structure for spheres in these dimensions. We also use the connection to demonstrate that the space of rank 4 Stokes matrices with fixed Coxeter invariant of nonzero discriminant contains only finitely many integral braid group orbits.