Collapsed 5-manifolds with pinched positive sectional curvature (Q1018418)

The study of closed 5-manifolds of pinched positive curvature is the subject of this paper. The main theorem states that any closed 5-manifold \(M\) of positive sectional curvature is homeomorphic to a spherical space form, provided that \(M\) admits a \(\pi_1(M)\)-invariant isometric \(T^k\)-action with \(k>1\). . Several consequences of this result are obtained. In fact, let \(M\) be a closed 5-manifold of pinched curvature \(0<\delta\leq \text{sec}_M\leq 1\). Assume the existence of a constant \(w(\delta)>0\) such that the fundamental group \(\pi_1(M)\) has index \(\geq w (\delta)\). Then \(M\) admits local compatible isometric \(T^k\)-actions, \(k \geq 1\). The authors prove that \(k\geq 2\), the universal covering of \(M\) is diffeomorphic to a sphere, \(\pi_1(M)\) is isomorphic to a spherical space group and the \(\pi_1(M)\)-action is conjugate to a linear one. The main theorem implies that \(M\) is homeomorphic to a spherical space form and the homotopy type of \(M\) contains at most \(c(\delta)\) many diffeomorphism types that support a \(\delta\)-pinched metric. Furthermore, the authors prove that a closed \(\delta\)-pinched 5-manifold \(M\) is homeomorphic to a spherical space form provided that \(\delta= \frac{1}{4(1+10^{-6})^2}\) and \(\pi_1(M)\) is not cyclic. Another relevant result is the following. Let \(M\) be a closed 5-manifold of positive sectional curvature which admits a \(\pi_1(M)\)-invariant fixed point free isometric \(T^1\)-action. Assume that \(\pi_1(M)\) has a center of index \(\geq w>0\), \(w\) being a constant, and \(\pi_1(M)\) has odd order or is a spherical 5-space group. Then the universal covering of \(M\) is diffeomorphic to \(S^5\). In particular, \(M\) is homeomorphic to a spherical space form, provided that \(\pi_1 (M)\) satisfies the just mentioned conditions and \(M\) is a \(\delta\)-pinched manifold with \(\text{vol}(M)< \varepsilon(\delta)\).