Non-abelian GKM theory (Q2249616)

Classically a GKM manifold is an orientable, closed manifold \(M\) with an action of a compact torus \(T\) such that: {\parindent=6mm \begin{itemize}\item[(1)] The action is equivariantly formal, i.e. \(H^*_T(M;\mathbb{R})\) is a free \(H^*(BT;\mathbb{R})\) module.\item[(2)] The fixed point set \(M^T\) consists out of isolated points.\item[(3)] The one-skeleton of the action, i.e. the set of points \(p\in M\) whose isotropy group satisfies \(\dim T_p\geq \dim T -1\) is a union of two-dimensional spheres. \end{itemize}} Associated to a GKM manifold \(M\) there is its GKM graph \(\Gamma_M\) which is a weighted graph that encodes the structure of the one-sekeleton. By the classical Chang-Skjelbred Lemma, the \(T\)-equivariant cohomology of \(M\) can be computed from \(\Gamma_M\). The purpose of this paper is two-fold. First the notion of a GKM manifold is generalized to non-orientable \(T\)-manifolds. In this case the one-skeleton is a union of copies of \(S^2\) and \(\mathbb{R} P^2\). Again one can define a GKM graph which determines the \(T\)-equivariant cohomology of \(M\). Second the notion of a GKM action is generalized to actions of compact connected non-abelian Lie groups \(G\). As it turns out a \(G\)-manifold is a non-abelian GKM manifold if and only if the restriction of the \(G\)-action to a maximal torus of \(G\) is a GKM action in the usual sense. Moreover, for a non-abelian GKM manifold the notion of a non-abelian GKM graph is defined. This graph determines the \(G\)-equivariant cohomology of \(M\). The paper contains many examples which illustrate the constructions in the paper.