Stiefel-Whitney classes of real representations of finite groups (Q1263126)

The authors prove that for representations of finite groups there exists one and only one family of Stiefel-Whitney classes which satisfies a modified version of Hirzebruch axioms. The construction is done within the framework of the cohomology of finite groups. They compute these classes in several cases and give examples for which the mod 2 cohomology of the group is generated by Stiefel-Whitney classes of representations.