A remark on the exotic free actions in dimension 4 (Q1817372)

For coprime integers \(p,q\) consider the minimal elliptic surface \(S_k(p,q)\) over \(CP^2\) with Euler number \(12k\) and two multiple fibers with multiplicities \(p,q\). For fixed \(k\) these \(4\)-manifolds are homeomorphic but there are infinitely many smooth structures among them. For \(k>2\), the same result holds for the Gompf-Mrowka analogues \(S^{\sigma}_k(p,q)\) of \(S_k(p,q)\) which are obtained by a cut and glue procedure which leads out of the complex category. Let \(s(G)\) be the spun rational homology \(4\)-sphere, which is obtained from a spherical \(3\)-manifold with fundamental group \(G\) by crossing with \(S^1\) and then surgering the same circle. Then the author shows that for fixed \(k>2\) there are again infinitely many distinct smooth structures among the \(4\)-manifolds \(s(G) \# S^{\sigma}_k(p,q)\). Moreover, these \(4\)-manifolds have diffeomorphic universal coverings so that one obtains infinitely many exotic free actions on a fixed \(4\)-manifold.