Finite-order algebraic automorphisms of affine varieties (Q1087953)

The paper under review deals with various properties of algebraic actions of a finite group G on a (real or complex) affine variety V, i.e. of homomorphisms \(\psi: G\to Aut(V),\) where Aut(V) is the group of algebraic automorphisms of V. First of all the authors prove that if G acts algebraically on V, then there exists a G-invariant Morse function with finitely many critical points; this implies in particular, that V has the equivariant homotopy type of a finite G-CW complex, so that a Lefschetz fixed point formula is obtained. Moreover the connections between smooth and algebraic actions are investigated and necessary conditions for a smooth action to be algebraically realized (i.e. to be equivariantly diffeomorphic to an algebraic action) are found. In particular it is proven that if G acts algebraically on V, then V must admit a compactification \(V^*\), i.e. a compact smooth G-manifold \(V^*\) such that \(V^*-\partial V^*\) is equivariantly diffeomorphic to V.