Equivariant de Rham theory and graphs (Q1585470)

Let \(G\) be an \(n\)-dimensional Lie group which is compact, connected and abelian. A recent result of Goresky, Kottwitz and MacPherson shows that the computation of the equivariant cohomology ring of a \(G\)-manifold can be reduced to a computation in graph theory. These results suggest, as in Part 1 of this paper, that many theorems in equivariant de Rham theory may really be theorems about graphs. In Part 2 of this paper the authors show that this is indeed the case for some familiar theorems. Part 2 is concerned with the combinatorial invariants of a pair \((\Gamma,\alpha)\), where \(\Gamma\) is any finite simple \(d\)-valent graph and \(\alpha\) is an abstract analogue of an axial function. For such a pair, combinatorial versions of theorems in Part 1 are proven. These theorems help to shed light on the role of localization theorems in Smith theory. This paper is the first of two papers on graphs and equivariant cohomology. In the second paper of this series \(K\)-theoretical analogues of results in this paper will be discussed.