Finite groups and approximate fibrations (Q1971367)

The concept of an approximate fibration \(p:M\rightarrow B\) was introduced in [Rocky Mt. J. Math. 7, 275-288 (1977; Zbl 0367.55019)] by \textit{D. S. Coram} and \textit{P. F. Duvall jun.}. The difference between this concept and that of a fibration occurs only in that the part of the diagram involving the lifted homotopy need only commute up to arbitrary approximations instead of commuting exactly. Let \(N\) be a closed \(n\)-manifold. A proper map \(p:M\rightarrow B\) is called an \(N\)-like map if each fiber \(p^{-1}(b)\) has the shape of \(N\). One calls \(p\) a codimension-\(k\) map if \(M\) is an \((n+k)\)-manifold, \(\dim B<\infty\), and each fiber \(p^{-1}(b)\) has the shape of some closed \(n\)-manifold \(N_b\). It is said that \(N\) is a codimension-\(k\) fibrator if every \(N\)-like codimension-\(k\) map \(p:M\rightarrow B\) is an approximate fibration. The term ``orientable'' is appended in the preceding if \(M\) is required to be orientable and similarly for ``PL''. A group \(H\) is said to be hopfian if every epimorphism \(H\rightarrow H\) is an isomorphism. It is called hyperhopfian if every homomorphism \(\psi:H\rightarrow H\) with \(\psi(H)\) normal and \(H/\psi(H)\) cyclic is necessarily an isomorphism. A closed manifold \(N\) is defined to be hopfian if it is orientable and every degree-one map \(N\rightarrow N\) is a homotopy equivalence. According to work of \textit{R. J. Daverman} [Compos. Math. 86, No. 2, 159-176 (1993; Zbl 0788.57012)], every closed, orientable \(n\)-manifold \(N\) with \(\pi_1(N)\) finite is a hopfian manifold. With these definitions in hand, here are the main results of this paper. (i) If \(N\) is a hopfian manifold with \(|H_1(N)|\leq 2\), then \(N\) is a codimension-2 orientable fibrator. (ii) If \(N\) is a closed manifold whose fundamental group is isomorphic to a finite product of \(\mathbb Z_{2^r}\)'s for some \(r\), then \(N\) is a codimension-2 fibrator. (iii) Let \(N\) be a hopfian \(n\)-manifold with \(H_1(N)\approx\mathbb Z_2\). If \([\pi_1(N),\pi_1(N)]\), the commutator subgroup of \(\pi_1(N)\), is a hyperhopfian group, then \(N\) is a codimension-2 fibrator. (iv) If a codimension-2 PL fibrator \(N\) satisfies that both \(\pi_1(N)\) and \(\pi_{k-1}(N)\) are finite and that \(\pi_i(N)=0\) for \(2\leq i\leq k-2\), then \(N\) is a codimension-\(k\) PL fibrator.