Equivariant formality of isotropic torus actions (Q2631919)

A continuous action \(G \times X \to X\) is said to be {\em equivariantly formal} if the fibre inclusion \(X \hookrightarrow X_G = X_G = EG \times_G \to BG\) in the Borel fibration induces a surjection \(H^*_G(X,\mathbb Q) = H^*(X_G,\mathbb Q) \to H^*(X,\mathbb Q)\) in singular cohomology. Such an asumption makes the computation of \(H_G^*(X,\mathbb Q)\) comparatively tractable, because it is equivalent to the collapsing of the spectral sequence of the fibration at the \(E_2\) level. It is natural to ask whether the action \(H \times (G/K) \to (G/K)\) is equivariantly formal for \(H \subseteq G\), or more specifically whether \(K \times (G/K) \to (G/K)\) is equivariantly formal. In this case one says that \((G,K)\) is \text{isotropy-formal}. The author studies equivariant formality of pairs \((G,K)\). Theorem. If \(G\) is a compact Lie group, \(K\) a closed connected subgroup, and \(S\) any maximal torus within \(K\), then \((G,K)\) is isotropy-formal if and only if \((G,S)\) is. The question of isotropy-formality reduces to the case where the commutator subgroup of \(G\) is simply-connected, and this depends largely on the case where \(G\) itself is simply-connected. The author classifies all pairs \((G,S)\) such that \(G\) is a compact connected Lie group and the embedded circular group \(S\) acts equivariantly formally on \(G/S\).