Equivariant formality in \(K\)-theory (Q1740622)

A space \(X\) with an action of a compact Lie group \(G\) is called rational \(K\)-theoretic equivariantly formal if the forgetful map \(K_G^*(X) \otimes \mathbb{Q} \to K^*(X) \otimes \mathbb{Q}\) is surjective. Here \(K_G^*(X)\) and \(K^*(X)\) denote the equivariant and non-equivariant \(K\)-theory rings, respectively. When \(G\) is connected and \(X\) is a finite CW-complex, this article shows the equivalence of this condition with equivariant formality in the sense of \textit{M. Goresky} et al. [Invent. Math. 131, No. 1, 25--83 (1998; Zbl 0897.22009)] and with \textit{M. Harada} and \textit{G. D. Landweber}'s \(\mathbb{Q}\)-weak equivariant formality [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 359, No. 12, 6001--6025 (2007; Zbl 1128.53057)]. The proof involves a reduction to the case of a torus action, and pertinent use of Segal's localization theorem and the equivariant and non-equivariant Chern characters. In the last section, this characterization is used to give alternative proofs of equivariant formality for certain group actions by showing rational \(K\)-theoretic equivariant formality instead. Namely, for a connected compact Lie group \(G\), the author proves rational \(K\)-theoretic equivariant formality for the left translation action of \(G\) on \(G/H\) when \(H\) has maximal rank, for the conjugation action of \(G\) on itself, and for a finite \(G\)-CW-complex with maximal rank connected isotropy subgroups.