Homotopy spherical space forms -- a numerical bound for homotopy types (Q5935594)

This paper is concerned with free actions of finite groups \(G\) on spaces of the homotopy type of an \((2n-1)\)-sphere. The question that is addressed is: for a given finite group \(G\), how many different homotopy types can arise as the orbit space of a free action on a homotopy \((2n-1)\)-sphere? If \(G\) is a finite group and \(H^{2n}(G;\mathbb{Z}) \cong \mathbb{Z}/|G|\) then each automorphism of \(G\) gives rise to an automorphism \(\phi^*\in \text{Aut}(\mathbb{Z}/|G|)\). Let \(Z=\{ \pm\phi^* \mid \phi\in \text{Aut}(G)\}\). The authors prove that the number of homotopy types of orbit spaces of homotopy \((2n-1)\)-spheres by \(G\)-actions is no greater than the order of the quotient group \(\text{Aut}(G)/Z\). In particular, there are only finitely many such homotopy types. In specific calculations, it is shown that there are at most two homotopy types of lens spaces determined by free \(\mathbb{Z}/p^m\) actions on homotopy \(3\)-spheres when \(p\) is an odd prime, and only one when \(4\nmid p-1\). If \(n\) is odd then there is (up to homotopy) only one orbit space of a homotopy \(n\)-sphere by \(\mathbb{Z}/2^m\). There are at most two homotopy types that can be obtained from free actions of the quaternion group \(Q_8\) on homotopy \(3\)-spheres.