Determination of compact Lie groups with the Borsuk-Ulam property (Q2172639)

A compact Lie group \(G\) has the Borsuk-Ulam property if for any orthogonal representations \(V,W\) with trivial fixed point sets \(V^G=\{0\}=W^G\) the existence of an equivariant map \(SV\to SW\) between the unit spheres implies \(\dim(V) \le \dim(W)\). The author calls a group \(G\) with this property a BU-group of type I. \(G\) is said to be a BU-group of type II if the existence of an equivariant map \(f:SV\to SW\) between fixed point free representation spheres with \(\dim(V)=\dim(W)\) implies \(\deg(f)\ne0\). It is well known that elementary abelian \(p\)-groups \((C_p)^n\) and tori \((S^1)^n\) are BU-groups of type I and II. Due to work of the reviewer [Topology 31, No. 3, 533--543 (1992; Zbl 0770.55003)], \textit{W. Marzantowicz} [Pac. J. Math. 144, No. 2, 299--311 (1990; Zbl 0685.57021)] and \textit{I. Nagasaki} [J. Fixed Point Theory Appl. 21, No. 1, Paper No. 16, 14 p. (2019; Zbl 1407.55001)] it is known that the Borsuk-Ulam property can only hold if \(G\) is an extension of a torus by a finite \(p\)-group \(\Gamma\) such that every nontrivial element of \(\Gamma\) has order \(p\). The main result of the present paper is that tori and elementary abelian \(p\)-groups are the only BU-groups of type I or of type II. This finally settles the question of which compact Lie groups have the Borsuk-Ulam property.