On the topological classification of pseudofree group actions on 4- manifolds. I (Q1346327)

Let \(M\) be a closed, oriented, simply connected topological 4-manifold. In this paper, we give a topological classification of locally linear, pseudofree, cyclic group actions on \(M\) with a prescribed equivariant intersection form and a family of local representations at the fixed points. The classification involves certain finite quotients (the \(O\)- groups) of the automorphism group of the equivariant intersection form. It follows in particular that there are only finitely many topologically inequivalent actions on \(M\) with the same two invariants. The automorphism group of the intersection form is generally not an easy invariant to use, but the \(O\)-groups are. This makes some computations possible. We obtain for example that for many forms there is in fact only one action on \(M\) with given local representations (the topologically rigid case). Examples of topologically rigid actions include all actions obtained by the equivariant connected sum, \(X \# (G \times S^ 2 \times S^ 2)\), of a pseudofree action on the first summand and the permutation action on the other. Another class of examples corresponds to actions with at most three fixed points. This includes the important special case of a pseudofree action on the complex projective plane whose rigidity was established in a previous paper [Topology 30, No. 1, 55-65 (1991; Zbl 0715.57018)]. In contrast to the case of three fixed points, we show that pseudofree actions with four fixed points on \(S^ 2 \times S^ 2\) or \(CP^ 2 \# \overline {CP}^ 2\) are, with few exceptions, topologically nonrigid. Examples are given by complex automorphisms of the Hirzebruch surfaces. The computational aspect of the obtained classification is further illustrated by applications to smoothability of group actions on \(S^ 2 \times S^ 2\) and \(CP^ 2 \# \overline {CP}^ 2\). We also prove that for most orders there are smoothable pseudofree actions on \(S^ 2 \times S^ 2\) and \(CP^ 2 \# \overline {CP}^ 2\), which have the fixed point data of a holomorphic action, but which nonetheless are not topologically equivalent to any holomorphic action on a Hirzebruch surface.