Torus actions of complexity 1 and their local properties (Q2280433)

Let a compact \(k\)-torus \(T^k\) act effectively on a \(2n\)-manifold. The number \(n-k\) is called the complexity of the action. Actions of complexity zero are well understood while actions of complexity \(\geq 2\) can be very complicated. In this paper, the author considers complexity one actions from a topological viewpoint. Let \(T^{n-1}\) act effectively on a smooth closed \(2n\)-dimensional manifold \(X\) with isolated fixed points. Assume the action satisfies a general position condition and the sets \(X^H=\{ x\in X\mid T^{n-1}_x=H\}\) are sufficiently nice for closed subgroups \(H\) of \(T^{n-1}\). The author shows that under these conditions the orbit space \(X/T^{n-1}\) is a closed topological manifold. The subset of orbits of dimensions less than \(n-1\) can be equipped with a particular topology, which the author axiomatizes in the notion of a sponge. He then shows that in many cases the original manifold can be recovered from the orbit manifold, the sponge and the weights of the tangent representations at fixed points. He also considers in detail the examples of the Grassmann manifold \(G_{4,2}\), the complete flag manifold \(F_3\) and quasitoric manifolds with an induced action of a subtorus of complexity one.