Equivariant homotopy and deformations of diffeomorphisms (Q1012336)

Let \(G\) be a Lie group acting on a manifold \(M\). Then let \(S(M,G)^G\) denote the set of equivariant maps \(\alpha:M\to G\) with the conjugation action of \(G\) on itself. Let \(S(M)\) be the set of smooth self maps of \(M\). Consider the map \(R:S(M,G)^G\to S(M)\) given by \(R(\alpha)(x)=\widehat{\alpha}(x)=\alpha(x)\cdot x\). The \(\widehat{\alpha}\) is called the equivariant reentrance associated to \(\alpha\). The image \(R\) falls into the group \(\text{Diff}(M)\) of diffeomorphisms of \(M\). Furthermore, the equivariant reentrance process provides a group anti-homomorphism \(R:[M,G]^G\to \pi_0(\text{Diff}(M))\). The equivariant reentrance technique provides a ``canonical'' way of deforming diffeomorphisms \(\widehat{\alpha}(x)\) through equivariant deformations of the corresponding maps \(\alpha\). This is applied to the study of exotic diffeomorphisms and involutions of spheres and to the equivariant homotopy of Lie groups.