Classical invariants for global actions and groupoid atlases (Q1029603)

A global action is given by a family of groups acting ``coherently'' on subsets of a given set. The motivating example originating in \(K\)-theory was given by \textit{A. Bak} [Russ. Math. Surv. 52, No.~5, 955--996 (1997); translation from Usp. Mat. Nauk 52, No.~5, 71--112 (1997; Zbl 0928.18005)]. It consists in certain triangular subgroups of \(GL(n, R)\) acting on \(GL(n, R)\) by left multiplication and its group of path components coincides with \(K_1(n, R)\). By introducing a global action model for the line one can define paths, loops, and a notion of (weak) fundamental group for global actions. Just like the action of a group \(G\) on a set \(X\) yields a groupoid \(G \ltimes X\), one gets a so called groupoid atlas from a global action. Starting with the same model for the line as before, the authors introduce the homotopy invariant notion of (strong) fundamental group for good atlases. In general a procedure called regularization produces good atlases and allows to extend this notion to all atlas groupoids. Weak and strong fundamental groups differ in general. The last part of the article deals with simplicial methods and investigates in particular the relationship between a weak and a strong nerve construction for regular atlases.