Cohomology projective spaces of finite cohomological dimension need not be finitistic (Q1268533)

Several classical theorems about fixed point sets and orbit spaces of transformation groups (e.g., theorems of P. A. Smith type) have heen proved in two versions, one for locally compact spaces of finite cohomological dimension, the other for paracompact finitistic spaces. The author proposes to show that neither of the two versions implies the other. This requires the construction of a space \(W\) that is both locally compact and paracompact and has finite cohomological dimension but is not finitistic. The author obtains a non-finitistic space \(W\) with \(\dim_\mathbb{Z} W=4\) from a compact metric space \(X\) constructed by \textit{A. N. Dranishnikov} [Russ. Math. Surv. 43, No. 4, 11-63 (1988); translation from Usp. Mat. Nauk 43, No. 4(262), 11-55 (1988; Zbl 0658.55001)], having infinite covering dimension but \(\dim_\mathbb{Z} X= 3\). He gets \(W\) by taking the cone over an infinite discrete union of copies of \(X\). The space \(W\) is paracompact, but unfortunately not locally compact at the vertex of the cone, hence the problem above remains unsolved. However, the author points out (personal communication) that \(W\) is at least compactly generated, and so the two versions of the classical theorems are independent, as claimed. By taking products with \(W\) one can obtain other spaces with similar properties that have the cohomology of any preassigned nice space.