Twisted equivariant \(K\)-theory for proper actions of discrete groups (Q2481132)

This paper presents an extension of the construction of \textit{A. Adem} and \textit{Y. Ruan} [Commun. Math. Phys. 237, 533--556 (2003; Zbl 1051.57022 )] for twisted equivariant \(K\)-theory using ideas of \textit{W. Lück} and \textit{B. Oliver} [Topology 40, No. 3, 585--616 (2001; Zbl 0981.55002)] to the case of proper actions of a discrete group \(G\). Let \(\alpha \in Z^2(G, U(1))\) be a 2-cocycle of \(G\) and \(\widetilde{G_\alpha}\) denote the central extension of \(G\) by \(U(1)\) represented by \(\alpha\), and let \(X\) be a finite proper \(G\)-CW-complex. By an \(\alpha\)-twisted \(G\)-bundle over \(X\) is meant a complex vector bundle \(E\) over \(X\) with an action of \(\widetilde{G_\alpha}\) on \(E\) which covers the action of \(G\) on \(X\) and whose restriction to the central \(U(1)\) is the complex multiplication action on the fibres. For this first it is remarked that if \(\alpha\) is a torsion cocycle then there is at least one \(\alpha\)-twisted \(G\)-bundle (Theorem 3.1). In addition it is pointed out that, however, if \(\alpha\) is not torsion then there are no \(\alpha\)-twisted \(G\)-bundles. This shows that for the author's aim it suffices to consider only torsion coycles. So suppose \(\alpha\) is torsion of order \(n\). Then this becomes cohomologous to a cocycle which takes values in \(\mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z}\). Denoting by \(G_\alpha\) the central extension of \(G\) by \(\mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z}\) corresponding to this cocycle, one finds that the definition given above for an \(\alpha\)-twisted \(G\)-bundle holds valid even if \(\widetilde{G_\alpha}\) and \(U(1)\) are read as \(G_\alpha\) and \(\mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z}\), respectively. Hence, when viewing \(X\) as a \(G_\alpha\)-CW-complex in a natural way, the \(\alpha\)-twisted \(G\)-bundle can be seen as a \(G_\alpha\)-equivariant bundle in which the central \(\mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z}\) acts by multiplication by powers of \(e^{2\pi i/n}\) on the fibres. The author defines the group \( ^\alpha K_G(X)\) as the Grothendieck group of the category of \(\alpha\)-twisted \(G\)-bundles over \(X\). (This does not have ring structure since the tensor product of two \(\alpha\)-twisted \(G\)-bundles in general does not become an \(\alpha\)-twisted \(G\)-bundle.) Then \( ^\alpha K_G(X)\) becomes a direct summand of the equivariant \(K\)-group \(K_{G_\alpha}(X)\) defined by Lück and Oliver [loc. cit.]. Using this fact the author obtains the main theorem (Theorem 3.4) which states as follows: (1) The groups \( ^\alpha K_G(X)\) extend to a \(\mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z}\)-graded equivariant cohomology theory on the category of finite proper \(G\)-CW-pairs and in particular if \(\alpha\) is the trivial cocycle, then this coincides with the above \(K_G^*\) of Lück and Oliver; (2) For two torsion cocycles \(\alpha\) and \(\beta\), there is a twisted product \[ ^\alpha K_G^*(X, A)\otimes \;^\beta K_G^*(X, A) \to \;^{\alpha +\beta}K_G^*(X, A)\quad \] which gives on \( ^\alpha K_G^*(X, A)\) a natural graded \(K_G^*(X, A)\)-module structure; (3) For a finite subgroup \(H\) of \(G\), there are natural isomorphism \( ^\alpha K^0_G(G/H)\cong R_{\text{res}^G_H\alpha}(H)\) (the Grothendieck group of restricted \(\alpha\)-representations of \(H\)) and \( ^\alpha K^1_G(G/H)=0\). In the rest of the paper the author gives the definition of a twisted Bredon cohomology and shows the existence of an equivariant Chern character to this cohomology. Finally the author concludes with some comments on connections to other constructions of twisted equivariant \(K\)-theory.