Torus actions of generalized odd type on oriented manifolds (Q2312452)

It is known that a non-trivial group action on a manifold implies certain restrictions on its characteristic classes. For instance, \textit{M. F. Atiyah} and \textit{F. Hirzebruch} showed that if a closed spin manifold admits a nontrivial circle action then its \(\widehat{A}\)-genus vanishes [in: Essays Topol. Relat. Top., Mem. dedies a Georges de Rham 18--28 (1970; Zbl 0193.52401)]. The present short paper adds to this literature, proving the following theorem: if the action of a torus \(\mathbb{T}^k\) on a closed oriented manifold \(M\) has generalised odd type, then the signature of \(M\) vanishes. The notion of ``generalised odd type'' here generalises the notion of an odd type action of the circle on a spin manifold. A circle action on a spin manifold \(M\) of dimension \(n\) lifts to an action on the associated principal \(\mathrm{SO}(n)\) bundle, and it has even or odd type accordingly as it does or does not lift to an action on the associated principal \(\mathrm{Spin}(n)\). It is known that a circle action has even (resp. odd) type accordingly as each connected component of the fixed point set of the associated \(\mathbb{Z}_2\)-action (where \(\mathbb{Z}_2 \subset S^1\)) has codimension congruent to 0 (resp. 2) mod 4. Following \textit{H. Herrera} and \textit{R. Herrera} [Topology Appl. 136, No. 1--3, 251--259 (2004; Zbl 1039.57018)], the author uses these criteria to define the notion of generalised odd type: a \(\mathbb{T}^k\)-action on a manifold has odd type if there is some closed subgroup \(S\) of \(\mathbb{T}^k\) such that any connected component of the fixed point set of the \(S\)-action has codimension congruent to \(2\bmod 4\). The main theorem generalises a result of \textit{P. S. Landweber} and \textit{R. E. Stong} [Topology 27, No. 2, 145--161 (1988; Zbl 0647.57013)], that if a closed spin manifold admits a smooth circle action of odd type, then its signature vanishes. The proof applies results of Atiyah-Singer, Kobayashi and Herrera-Herrera.