A note on orbit categories, classifying spaces, and generalized homotopy fixed points (Q1744188)

Given a discrete group \(\Gamma\), the classifying space for a family of subgroups \(\mathcal F\) of \(\Gamma\) is a \(\Gamma\)-CW-complex \(\mathcal E_{\mathcal F}\Gamma\) whose fixed point sets with respect to groups belonging to \(\mathcal F\) are contractible, and empty otherwise. The homotopical properties of \(\mathcal E_{\mathcal F}\Gamma\) determine it up to \(\Gamma\)-homotopy equivalence, and it can therefore be realized via several models. The generalized homotopy fixed point set \(X^{h_{\mathcal F}\Gamma}\) with respect to \(\mathcal F\) is then a space defined in terms of the \(\mathcal E_{\mathcal F}\Gamma\), and is also determined up to homotopy equivalence. In this paper, the author considers a specific categorical model for \(\mathcal E_{\mathcal F}\Gamma\), defined as the realization of a category \(E_{\mathcal F}\Gamma\), which is in turn obtained as the Grothendieck wreath product category of a suitable functor \(\mathcal U_{\mathcal F}: \text{Orb}_{\mathcal F}\Gamma\to\mathcal Set\). This model was already considered by several authors in the literature, but this paper presents a different proof of the properties of \(E_{\mathcal F}\Gamma\). In particular, the author discusses the functoriality of the construction, shows that the quotient of \(|E_{\mathcal F}\Gamma|\) modulo the action of \(\Gamma\) is isomorphic to the realization \(|\text{Orb}_{\mathcal F}\Gamma|\) of the orbit category (as also observed by Grodal), and proves that \(E_{\mathcal F}\Gamma\) can be written as the homotopy colimit of the functor \(\mathcal U_{\mathcal F}\) (lifting to the categorical context an analogous formula for \(\mathcal E_{\mathcal F}\Gamma\) by Davis-Lück). As a corollary, every connected CW-complex arises as the realization of the orbit category with respect to a suitable \(\mathcal F\). From the specific model of classifying space \(|E_{\mathcal F}\Gamma|\), one gets a specific model for the generalized fixed point set \(X^{h_{\mathcal F}\Gamma}\) for any \(X\). The author constructs an explicit identification of such model of \(X^{h_{\mathcal F}\Gamma}\) with a model for the homotopy limit of the fixed point set diagram \(X^{-}:\text{Orb}_{\mathcal F}\Gamma\to\mathcal Top\), defined by \(\Gamma/F\mapsto X^{F}\). This formula enlightens the homotopical nature of the generalized homotopy fixed point set \(X^{h_{\mathcal F}\Gamma}\), and is used by the author to prove homotopy invariance of the generalized homotopy fixed point set (which was firstly proven by \textit{D. Rosenthal} [\(K\)-Theory 32, No. 2, 139--166 (2004; Zbl 1068.19008)] using a cell-by-cell argument). As a corollary, by specializing to a family of subgroups \(\mathcal F\) that contains a unique maximal element, a cofinality argument shows that the generalized homotopy fixed point set \(X^{h_{\mathcal F}\Gamma}\) can be expressed in terms of ordinary homotopy fixed point sets.