Finiteness properties of classifying spaces of proper \(\Gamma\)-actions (Q1079241)

Let \(\Gamma\) be a discrete group. If \(\Gamma\) has finite cohomological dimension, we write cd \(\Gamma\) \(<\infty\); if \(\Gamma\) contains a subgroup \(\Gamma_ 0\) of finite index with cd \(\Gamma\) \({}_ 0<\infty\), we write vcd \(\Gamma\) \(<\infty\). Next, suppose that \(\Gamma\) acts cellularly on a given CW complex K such that (i) for each subgroup H of \(\Gamma\), the fixed set \(K^ H\) is a subcomplex, contractible if H is finite, and (ii) isotropy groups of points are finite. Properties (i) and (ii) determine the \(\Gamma\)-homotopy type of K, and we denote such a \(\Gamma\)-complex by \({\mathcal E}\Gamma.\) The authors are motivated by the following questions: (1) If vcd \(\Gamma\) \(=d<\infty\), can \({\mathcal E}\Gamma\) be chosen to have dimension d ? (2) If vcd \(\Gamma\) \(<\infty\), can \({\mathcal E}\Gamma\) be finite-dominated, as a \(\Gamma\)-complex ? (3) When can \({\mathcal E}\Gamma\) be chosen as a finite \(\Gamma\)-complex ? Question (2) is answered by the authors as follows: Suppose vcd \(\Gamma\) \(<\infty\). Then \({\mathcal E}\Gamma\) is finitely dominated if and only if \(\Gamma\) contains only finitely many conjugacy classes of finite subgroups H, and, for each such H, the normalizer N(H) possesses a classifying complex BN(H) with finite skeleta. (This last condition has a purely algebraic formulation.) Question (3) is answered in terms of a Wall-like finiteness theory. Finally, the authors attack question (1) in terms of homological properties of the \(\Gamma\)-poset \({\mathcal F}(\Gamma)\) of finite, non- trivial subgroups of \(\Gamma\). Certain homological vanishing conditions on \({\mathcal F}(\Gamma)\) are shown to be equivalent to the existence of an \({\mathcal E}\Gamma\) whose fixed sets have suitably prescribed dimensions. When \(\Gamma =SP(4, {\mathbb{Z}})\), these vanishing conditions can be verified, and, consequently, \({\mathcal E}\Gamma\) can be chosen to be four- dimensional.