\(G\)-complexes with a compatible CW structure (Q1890294)

Let \(X\) be a \(G\)-CW complex where \(G\) is a compact Lie group. The authors consider the problem of finding a \(G\)-space \(Y\) \(G\)-homotopy equivalent to \(X\) together with a CW decomposition such that the action \(G\times Y \to Y\) is a cellular map with respect to some CW decomposition of \(G\). The main result of the paper is that when \(G\) is a toral group, i.e. an extension of a torus by a finite group, there exists such a space \(Y\) (Theorem 1.1). The prototype of this theorem is the construction of \(Y\) for \(G=SO(2)\) due to \textit{J. P. C. Greenlees} and \textit{J. P. May} [Mem. Am. Math. Soc. 543 (1995; Zbl 0876.55003)]. This was generalized to the non-abelian cases \(G=O(2), N_{SU(2)}T\) by \textit{J. A. Perez} [Glasg. Math. J. 38, 215--220 (1996; Zbl 0876.55011)] and also to the case \(G=SU(2)\) by the first and second authors [Bull. Aust. Math. Soc. 65, 45--53 (2002; Zbl 0997.55014)] of the paper under review. The first two groups are isomorphic to the semi-direct products of \(SO(2)\) and \(\mathbb Z/2\) so that they are both toral groups. In order to construct \(Y\) for the general toral groups the authors, however, use the method of construction exploited for the latter case. The key to the authors' approach is showing that there exists a family of subgroups \(H \subset G\), up to conjugacy classes, such that every orbit \(G/H\) admits a CW decomposition, the action \(G\times G/H \to G/H\) is a cellular map and the fixed point set \((G/H)^K\) becomes a subcomplex of \(G/H\). Section 2 treats the existence of such a family for the case where \(G\) is a torus and Section 3 discusses the case where \(G\) is a general toral group. Finally the proof of the main result is completed in Section 4.