Free, isometric circle actions on compact symmetric spaces (Q1421748)

The existence of free circle actions on compact symmetric spaces is important in constructing examples of manifolds with positive sectional curvature. This motivated the authors to address the following question: Which symmetric spaces admit free, isometric circle actions? A reducible symmetric space \(S\), say \(S=S_1 \times S_2\) where \(S_1, S_2\) are Riemannian compact symmetric spaces, admits a free, isometric circle action if and only if \(S_1\) or \(S_2\) admits such an action. If \(S\) is a strongly irreducible, simply connected, compact symmetric space which admits free circle actions, the authors show that \(S\) must be one of the following: (i) A simple compact Lie group, (ii) \({\text{SU}}(2n)/{\text{SO}}(2n)\) where \(n \geq 2\), (iii) \({\text{SU}}(2n)/{\text{Sp}}(2n)\) where \(n \geq 2\), (iv) \({\text{SO}}(p+q)/({\text{SO}}(p) \times {\text{SO}}(q))\) where \(p, q \geq 1\) are odd. The above classification was made possible by the following result of this paper: Let \(S\) be a strongly irreducible, compact symmetric space and let \(\widetilde{G}\) be the connected component of its isometry group. Then any inner involution on \(S\) without fixed points lies in a circle subgroup \(U \subset{\widetilde{G}}\) such that \(U\) acts freely on S.