On the generalized Nielsen realization problem (Q2427578)

The Nielsen realization problem is about finite group actions on a closed aspherical manifold \(M\). The question is whether such an action exists that realizes a given group \(G\) of outer automorphisms of the fundamental group \(\pi_1(M)\). In view of the Borel conjecture (that every self homotopy equivalence be homotopic to a homeomorphism), this asks for a genuine action having the same effect on \(\pi_1\) as a given homotopy action. The authors give new counterexamples to the Nielsen problem in cases where the required group extension of \(G\) by \(\pi_1\) does exist. The examples also show that the action of a finite group \(\pi\) on Euclidean space need not extend to a larger group \(\Pi\) such that the index \(\Pi:\pi\) is finite, even if \(\pi\) contains all torsion elements of \(\Pi\). The examples constructed are in fact the first examples of equivariant aspherical Poincaré complexes that are not realized by group actions on closed aspherical manifolds.