Equivariant \(s\)-cobordism theorems (Q1108625)

For a compact Lie group \(G\), by a smooth \(G\)-\(h\)-cobordism \((W;X,Y)\) between two closed smooth \(G\)-manifolds \(X\) and \(Y\) the authors mean a compact smooth G- manifold \(W\) whose boundary is the disjoint union of \(X\) and \(Y\), such that both inclusions \(X\subset W\) and \(Y\subset W\) are \(G\)-homotopy equivalences. The pair \((W,X)\) is usually called a smooth \(G\)-\(h\)-cobordism on \(X\). The inclusion \(X\subset W\) determines an element \(\tau_ G(W,X)\) in the equivariant Whitehead group \(Wh_ G(X)\). The authors use Illman's description of \(Wh_ G(X)\) and prove that if the equivariant torsion \(\tau_ G(W,X)\) vanishes, then there is a \(G\)-diffeomorphism \(W\cong X\times [0,1]\) rel \(X\), establishing an equivariant version of the classical \(s\)-cobordism theorem. The result does not hold in general and it is obtained under some dimension restrictions on the connected components of the \(H\)-fixed point sets \(W^ H\) for the isotropy subgroups \(H\) occurring in \(W\). For a finite group \(G\), the authors show that a stable equivariant \(s\)-cobordism theorem holds to the effect that if \(\tau_ G(W,X)\) vanishes, then there is a \(G\)-diffeomorphism \[ W\times DV\cong X\times DV\times [0,1]\quad \text{rel }X\times DV, \] where \(DV\) is the closed invariant unit disk in some orthogonal G-representation space \(V\). Also for a finite group \(G\), the authors describe a necessary and sufficient condition for a \(G\)-map between two closed smooth \(G\)-manifolds to be a tangential simple G-homotopy equivalence, establishing an equivariant version of the results due to \textit{M. W. Hirsch} [Ann. Math., II. Ser. 83, 211-217 (1966; Zbl 0137.177)] and \textit{H. Mazur} [Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 67, 377-384 (1961; Zbl 0107.170)]. Similarly as in the category of smooth G-manifolds, equivariant s-cobordism theorems are obtained in the categories of PL manifolds and topological manifolds, respectively, with locally linear \(G\)-actions. A more general problem is to provide a calculation of the set of isomorphism classes rel \(X\) of \(G\)-\(h\)-cobordisms \((W,X)\) on a given \(G\)-manifold \(X\) in the chosen category. So called realization theorems show which elements in \(Wh_ G(X)\) defined appropriately in each category, can occur as the equivariant torsions \(\tau_ G(W,X)\) of \(G\)-\(h\)-cobordisms \((W,X)\) on \(X\). The realization theorems and the equivariant \(s\)-cobordism theorems provide the required calculations. For related results see, e.g., the works of \textit{W. Browder} and \textit{F. Quinn} [Manifolds, Proc. int. Conf. Manifolds relat. Top. Topol., Tokyo 1973, 27-36 (1975; Zbl 0343.57017)], \textit{K.-H. Dovermann} and \textit{M. Rothenberg} [Transformation Groups, Proc. Symp. Poznań/Pol. 1985, Lect. Notes Math. 1217, 92-114 (1986; Zbl 0613.57020)], \textit{M. Steinberger} and \textit{J. West} [Bull. Am. Math. Soc., New. Ser. 12, 217-220 (1985; Zbl 0572.57021)], and \textit{M. Steinberger} [Invent. Math. 91, 61-104 (1988)], as well as the recent preprint of \textit{P. Andrzejewski} [Realization theorem for equivariant \(h\)-cobordisms] concerned with the realization theorem in the category of compact smooth \(G\)-manifolds for a compact Lie group \(G\).