Diameters of 3-sphere quotients

Let G⊂O(4) act isometrically on S³. In this article we calculate a lower bound for the diameter of the quotient spaces S³/G. We find it to be , which is exactly the value of the lower bound for diameters of the spherical space forms. In the process, we are also able to find a lower bound for diameters for the spherical Aleksandrov spaces, Sn/G, of cohomogeneities 1 and 2, as well as for cohomogeneity 3 (with some restrictions on the group type). This leads us to conjecture that the diameter of Sn/G is increasing as the cohomogeneity of the group G increases.     

Embeddability of multiple cones

The main result of this paper is that if X is a Peano continuum such that its nth cone Cn(X) embeds into Rn+2 then X embeds into S². This solves a problem proposed by W. Rosicki.     

Embeddings of homology equivalent manifolds with boundary

We prove a theorem on equivariant maps implying the following two corollaries:(1) Let N and M be compact orientable n-manifolds with boundaries such that M⊂N, the inclusion M→N induces an isomorphism in integral cohomology, both M and N have (n−d−1)-dimensional spines and . Then the restriction-induced map Embm(N)→Embm(M) is bijective. Here Embm(X) is the set of embeddings X→Rm up to isotopy (in the PL or smooth category).(2) For a 3-manifold N with boundary whose integral homology groups are trivial and such that N?D³ (or for its special 2-spine N) there exists an equivariant map , although N does not embed into R³.The second corollary completes the answer to the following question: for which pairs (m,n) for each n-polyhedron N the existence of an equivariant map implies embeddability of N into Rm? An answer was known for each pair (m,n) except (3,3) and (3,2).     

Laminated decompositions involving a given submanifold

Let M denote a connected (n+1)-manifold (without boundary). We study laminated decompositions of M, by which we mean upper semicontinous decompositions G of M into closed, connected n-manifolds. In particular, given M with a lamination G and N, a locally flat, closed, n-dimensional submanifold, we determine conditions under which M admits another lamination G_N with N?G_N. For n ≠ 3 a sufficient condition is that i: N → M be a homotopy equivalence. For n > 3 we give examples to show that i: N → M being a homology equivalence is not sufficient. We also show how to replace the assumption of local flatness of N with a weaker cellularity criterion (n ? 4) known as the inessential loops condition. We then give examples illustrating the abundance of pathology if M is not assumed to have a preexisting lamination.     

Detecting codimension one manifold factors with topographical techniques

We prove recognition theorems for codimension one manifold factors of dimension n?4. In particular, we formalize topographical methods and introduce three ribbons properties: the crinkled ribbons property, the twisted crinkled ribbons property, and the fuzzy ribbons property. We show that X×R is a manifold in the cases when X is a resolvable generalized manifold of finite dimension n?3 with either: (1) the crinkled ribbons property; (2) the twisted crinkled ribbons property and the disjoint point disk property; or (3) the fuzzy ribbons property.     

A solution to de Groot’s absolute cone conjecture

A compactum X is an ‘absolute cone’ if, for each of its points x, the space X is homeomorphic to a cone with x corresponding to the cone point. In 1971, J. de Groot conjectured that each n-dimensional absolute cone is an n-cell. In this paper, we give a complete solution to that conjecture. In particular, we show that the conjecture is true for n≤3 and false for n≥5. For n=4, the absolute cone conjecture is true if and only if the 3-dimensional Poincaré Conjecture is true.     

Splitting manifolds as M × R where M has a k-fold end structure

Let X be a locally finite simplicial complex of dimension n, n? 5, equipped with a k-fold end structure [4] and consider a piecewise linear (n + 1)-dimensional manifold M that is proper homotopy equivalent to X × R by F:M → X × R, where R is the set of real numbers. The question arises as to whether or not the manifold M can be split, i.e., written as M = N × R where N is a n-manifold and where there is a proper homotopy between F and (p₁ ° F₀) × id:N × R → X × R, preserving the natural (k+1)-fold end structure, where F₀ is F|_N and p₁ is the projection X × R → X. Of particular significance is the fact that X is noncompact. When the construction of such splittings is attempted, algebraic obstructions arise, which vanish if and only if the construction can be completed. This paper develops such an obstruction theory by utilizing methods of L.C. Siebenmann and the k-fold end structures of F. Waldhausen.     

Locally G-homogeneous Busemann G-spaces

We present short proofs of all known topological properties of general Busemann G-spaces (at present no other property is known for dimensions more than four). We prove that all small metric spheres in locally G-homogeneous Busemann G-spaces are homeomorphic and strongly topologically homogeneous. This is a key result in the context of the classical Busemann conjecture concerning the characterization of topological manifolds, which asserts that every n-dimensional Busemann G-space is a topological n-manifold. We also prove that every Busemann G-space which is uniformly locally G-homogeneous on an orbal subset must be finite-dimensional.     

Three-dimensional Lie group actions on compact (4n+3)-dimensional geometric manifolds

The (4n+3)-dimensional sphere S⁴ⁿ⁺³ can be viewed as the boundary of the quaternionic hyperbolic space and the group PSp(n+1,1) of quaternionic hyperbolic isometries extends to a real analytic transitive action on S⁴ⁿ⁺³. We call the pair (PSp(n+1,1),S⁴ⁿ⁺³) a spherical Q C-C geometry. A manifold M locally modelled on this geometry is said to be a spherical Q C-C manifold. We shall classify all pairs (G,M) where G is a three-dimensional connected Lie group which acts smoothly and almost freely on a compact spherical Q C-C manifold M, preserving the geometric structure. As an application, we shall determine all compact 3-pseudo-Sasakian manifolds admitting spherical Q C-C structures.     

Topologically equivalent N-dimensional isometries

Let G be the group of isometries of the n-sphere, Euclidean n-space, or hyperbolic n-space, the group of similarities of Euclidean n-space, or the group of Möbius transformations of the n-sphere. In each case we attempt to determine the conjugacy classes in G which are amalgamated when we allow conjugation of the elements of G by homeomorphisms of the space on which G acts. We are successful modulo undetermined amalgamation among certain periodic orthogonal transformations.     

Finite Abelian actions on surfaces

Edmonds showed that two free orientation preserving smooth actions φ₁ and φ₂ of a finite Abelian group G on a closed connected oriented smooth surface M are equivalent by an equivariant orientation preserving diffeomorphism iff they have the same bordism class [M,φ₁]=[M,φ₂] in the oriented bordism group Ω₂(G) of the group G. In this paper, we compute the bordism class [M,φ] for any such action of G on M and we determine for a given M, the bordism classes in Ω₂(G) that are representable by such actions of G on M. This will enable us to obtain a formula for the number of inequivalent such actions of G on M. We also determine the “weak” equivalence classes of such actions of G on M when all the p-Sylow subgroups of G are homocyclic (i.e. of the form n(Z/pαZ)).     

o-Boundedness of free topological groups

Assuming the absence of Q-points (which is consistent with ZFC) we prove that the free topological group F(X) over a Tychonov space X is o-bounded if and only if every continuous metrizable image T of X satisfies the selection principle fin_?(O,Ω) (the latter means that for every sequence 〈un〉_n∈ω of open covers of T there exists a sequence 〈vn〉_n∈ω such that vn∈[un]^<ω and for every F∈[X]^<ω there exists n∈ω with F⊂?vn). This characterization gives a consistent answer to a problem posed by C. Hernándes, D. Robbie, and M. Tkachenko in 2000.     

On the homotopy type of CW-complexes with aspherical fundamental group

This paper is concerned with the homotopy type distinction of finite CW-complexes. A (G,n)-complex is a finite n-dimensional CW-complex with fundamental-group G and vanishing higher homotopy-groups up to dimension n−1. In case G is an n-dimensional group there is a unique (up to homotopy) (G,n)-complex on the minimal Euler-characteristic level χmin(G,n). For every n we give examples of n-dimensional groups G for which there exist homotopically distinct (G,n)-complexes on the level χmin(G,n)+1. In the case where n=2 these examples are algebraic.     

Properly discontinuous actions of subgroups in amenable algebraic groups and its application to affine motions

This note will concern properly discontinuous actions of subgroups in real algebraic groups on contractible manifolds. Let (π,X,ρ) be such an action, where ρ:π→ Diff(X) is a homomorphism. We assume that ? extends to a smooth action of a real algebraic group G containing π. If such π has a nontrivial radical (i.e., unique maximal normal solvable subgroup), then we can apply the method of Seifert construction [14],[17] to yield that the quotient π\X supports the structure of an injective Seifert fibering with typical (resp. exceptional) fiber diffeomorphic to a solv (resp. infrasolv)-manifold (when π acts freely). When G is an amenable algebraic group, we can say about a uniqueness property for such actions. Namely, let (π_i, X_i, ρ_i) be actions as above (i= 1,2). Then, given an isomorphism f of π₁ onto ?₂, there is a diffeomorphism h: X₁→X₂ such that h(ρ₁(r)x)=ρ₂(f(r)h(x).As an application, we try to decide the structure of affine motions of some euclidean space $\text{R}$ⁿ. First we verify the conjecture of [17, 4 5], i.e., a compact complete affinely flat manifold admits a maximal toral action if its fundamental group has a nontrivial center. Second, a compact complete affinity flat manifold whose fundamental group is virtually polycyclic supports the structure of an infrasolvmanifold. This structure varies depending on its solvable kernel (if it is abelian or nilpotent, it must be a euclidean space form or an infranilmanifold respectively). If a group of the affine group A(n) acts properly discontinuously and with compact quotient of $\text{R}$ⁿ, then it is called an affine crystallographic group. Finally, we can say so far as to a uniqueness property that two virtually polycyclic affine crystallographic groups are conjugate inside Diff($\text{R}$ⁿ) if they are isomorphic (cf.[8]).     

On higher analogs of topological complexity

Farber introduced a notion of topological complexity TC(X) that is related to robotics. Here we introduce a series of numerical invariants TCn(X), n=2,3,… , such that TC₂(X)=TC(X) and TCn(X)?TCn+1(X). For these higher complexities, we define their symmetric versions that can also be regarded as higher analogs of the symmetric topological complexity.     

Detecting codimension one manifold factors with 0-stitched disks

The 0-stitched disks property is introduced and shown to detect codimension one manifold factors of dimension n?4. It is shown that if a space X is an ANR and has the 0-stitched disks property, then X has the disjoint homotopies property. It follows that if a space X is a resolvable generalized manifold of dimension n?4 with the 0-stitched disks property, then X is a codimension one manifold factor. Whether or not the 0-stitched disks property is equivalent to the disjoint homotopies property remains an open question.     

Higher-dimensional Bruckner-Garg type theorem

In this paper, we investigate several properties of maps from a compactum X to an n-dimensional (combinatorial) manifold Mn. We introduce the notions of stable point and locally extreme point of map, and we prove a higher-dimensional Bruckner-Garg type theorem for the fiber structure of a generic map in the space C(X,Mn) of maps from a compactum X with dimX?n to an n-dimensional manifold Mn (n?1). As applications, we also study the spaces of Bing maps, Lelek maps, k-dimensional maps and Krasinkiewicz maps in C(X,Mn).     

Cellularity in polyhedra

A compact subset X of a polyhedron P is cellular in P if there is a pseudoisotropy of P shrinking precisely X to a point. A proper surjection between polyhedra f:P→Q is cellular if each point inverse of f is cellular in P. It is shown that if f:P→Q is a cellular map and either P or Q is a generalized n-manifold, n≠4, then f is approximable by homeomorphisms. Also, if P or Q is an n-manifold with boundary, n≠4, 5, then a cellular map f:P→Q is approximable by homeomorphisms. A cellularity criterion for a special class of cell-like sets in polyhedra is established.     

Fixity and free group actions on products of spheres

A representation G U(n) of degree n has fixity equal to the smallest integer f such that the induced action of G on U(n) /U(n-f-1) is free. Using bundle theory we show that if G admits a representation of fixity one, then it acts freely and smoothly on We use this to prove that a finite p-group (for p > 3) acts freely and smoothly on a product of two spheres if and only if it does not contain ( /p)³ as a subgroup. We use propagation methods from surgery theory to show that a representation of fixity f < n - 1 gives rise to a free action of G on a product of f + 1 spheres provided the order of G is relatively prime to (n - 1)!. We give an infinite collection of new examples of finite p-groups of rank r which act freely on a product of r spheres, hence verifying a strong form of a well-known conjecture for these groups. In addition we show that groups of fixity two act freely on a finite complex with the homotopy type of a product of three spheres. A number of examples are explicitly described.