Free involutions on odd dimensional Wall manifolds and cohomology of orbit spaces (Q2140641)

Given a group \(G\) and a topological space \(X\), a central problem in geometric topology is to decide if \(G\) acts on \(X\) (existence aspect) and if yes, in what manners (classification aspect). The authors focus their study on free \(\mathbb{Z}/2\) actions on the Wall manifolds. Previously they have proved that any Wall manifold \(Q(m,n)\) with \(n\) odd admits a free \(\mathbb{Z}/2\)-action [\textit{T. F. V. Paiva} and \textit{E. L. dos Santos}, Bull. Braz. Math. Soc. (N.S.) 53, No. 1, 281--294 (2022; Zbl 1485.57029)]. In the current paper, efforts are taken to understand the classification aspect by studying the possible cohomology algebra of the orbit space. The main strategy is to make use of the Borel fibration \(X\to X_G\to BG\) (here \(X_G\) is the Borel construction for the \(G\)-space \(X\), i.e. \(X_G=X\times EG/G\) which is homotopy equivalent to the orbit space \(X/G\) due to the contractibility of \(EG\)). Associated to this fibration, there is a first quadrant spectral sequence converging to \(H^*(X_G)\). A careful analysis of the spectral sequence allows the authors to determine all the possible mod 2 cohomology algebras of the orbit space. The problem which of these cohomology algebras can be realized is left open, nor do the authors make any claim about the correspondence between the actions produced in [loc. cit.] and the cohomology algebras extracted in the current paper.