Group actions on disks

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(Oliver group)
(Oliver number)
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Let $G$ be a finite group not of prime power order. Oliver in \cite{Oliver1975} proved that the set $$\{\chi(X^G)-1\colon X\textup{ is a contractible }$G$\textup{-CW-complex}\}$$ is a subgroup of the group of integers $\mathbb{Z}$. Therefore, the set is of the form $n_G\cdot \mathbb{Z}$ for a unique integer $n_G\geq 0$, which we refer to as the ''Oliver number'' of $G$.
Let $G$ be a finite group not of prime power order. Oliver in \cite{Oliver1975} proved that the set $$\{\chi(X^G)-1\colon X\textup{ is a contractible }$G$\textup{-CW-complex}\}$$ is a subgroup of the group of integers $\mathbb{Z}$. Therefore, the set is of the form $n_G\cdot \mathbb{Z}$ for a unique integer $n_G\geq 0$, which we refer to as the ''Oliver number'' of $G$.
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{{beginthm|Proposition|\cite{Oliver1975}}}
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For a finite group $G$ not of prime power order, the following holds:
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*$n_G=1$ if and only if there does not exist a sequence $P\trianglelefteq H\trianglelefteq G$ of normal subgroups such that $P$ is a $p$-group, $G/H$ is a $q$-group, and $H/P$ is cyclic for two (possibly equal) primes $p$ and $q$.
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*
{{beginthm|Proposition|\cite{Oliver1975}}}
For a finite group $G$ not of prime power order the following two conditions are equivalent:
*$n_G=1$
*There does not exist a sequence $P\trianglelefteq H\trianglelefteq G$ of normal subgroups such that $P$ is a $p$-group, $G/H$ is a $q$-group, and $H/P$ is cyclic for two (possibly equal) primes $p$ and $q$.
{{endthm}}
{{endthm}}

Revision as of 18:46, 26 November 2010

This page has not been refereed. The information given here might be incomplete or provisional.

Contents

1 History

Floyd and Richardson [Floyd&Richardson1959] have constructed for the first time a smooth fixed point free action of G on a disk for G=A_5, the alternating group on five letters (see [Bredon1972, pp. 55-58] for a transparent description of the construction). Later, Greever [Greever1960]has described plenty of finite solvable groups G not of prime power order, which can act smoothly on disks without fixed points. Then Oliver has answered completely the question of which compact Lie groups admit smooth fixed point free actions on disks (see [Oliver1975] and [Oliver1976]).

2 Oliver number

Let G be a finite group not of prime power order. Oliver in [Oliver1975] proved that the set
\displaystyle \{\chi(X^G)-1\colon X\textup{ is a contractible }$G$\textup{-CW-complex}\}
is a subgroup of the group of integers \mathbb{Z}. Therefore, the set is of the form n_G\cdot \mathbb{Z} for a unique integer n_G\geq 0, which we refer to as the Oliver number of G.

Proposition 1.1 [Oliver1975]. For a finite group G not of prime power order, the following holds:

  • n_G=1 if and only if there does not exist a sequence P\trianglelefteq H\trianglelefteq G of normal subgroups such that P is a p-group, G/H is a q-group, and H/P is cyclic for two (possibly equal) primes p and q.


3 Oliver group

In connection with the work on smooth one fixed point actions on spheres, Laitinen and Morimoto [Laitinen&Morimoto1998] have introduced the notion of Oliver group.

Definition 2.1. A finite group G not of prime power order is called an Oliver group if n_G=1.

Examples of finite Oliver groups include:

  • finite nilpotent (in particular, abelian) groups with three or more non-cyclic Sylow subgroups (e.g. \mathbb{Z}_{pqr}\times \mathbb{Z}_{pqr} for three distinct primes p, q, and r).
  • the groups S_4\oplus \mathbb{Z}_3 and A_4\oplus S_3 of order 72 (which are solvable but not nilpotent).
  • finite non-solvable (in particular, non-trivial perfect) groups (e.g. A_n, S_n for n\geq 5).

4 Solution

Theorem 3.1 [Oliver1975]. Let G be a finite group not of prime power order. Then the following three conditions are equivalent.

Theorem 3.2 [Oliver1976]. Let G be a compact Lie group with non-abelian identity connected component G_0. Then there exist smooth fixed point free action of G on some disk.

Corollary 3.3. A compact Lie group G has a smooth fixed point free action on soome disk if and only if G_0 is non-abelian or n_{G/G_0}=1.


5 References

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