Fixed point free low dimensional real algebraic actions of \(A_ 5\) on contractible varieties (Q1173775)

A \(G\)-invariant real algebraic variety in an orthogonal \(G\)- representation is called a real algebraic \(G\)-variety. The basic motivation for the paper is the Conjecture: For a compact Lie group \(G\), there is a real algebraic \(G\)-variety diffeomorphic to \({\mathbb{R}}^ n\) without fixed points iff \(G\) can act smoothly and fixed point free on a euclidean disk. The authors verify the conjecture for \(G=A_ 5\) by producing an \(A_ 5\)-variety with one fixed point diffeomorphic to \(S^ 6\). The starting point is the variety \[ SO(3)/A_ 5\times SO(3)/A_ 5=:P_ 2. \] By \textit{K. H. Dovermann}, \textit{M. Masuda} and \textit{T. Petrie} [Topological methods in algebraic transformation groups, Proc. Conf., New Brunswick 1988, Prog. Math. 80, 49-80 (1989; Zbl 0695.57021)]\ it suffices to show that \(P_ 2\) is \(A_ 5\)-cobordant to an \(S^ 6\) with one fixed point. The equivariant surgery necessary for constructing the cobordism covers the major part of the paper.