Smooth free involution of \(h{\mathbb{C}}P^{3}\) and Smith conjecture for imbeddings of \(S^{3}\) in \(S^{6}\) (Q2458859)

The classical Smith conjecture, solved in the DIFF category, asserts that no periodic transformation of \(S^3\) can have a tame knotted \(S^1\) as its fixed point set. This conjecture is not true in the PL and TOP categories. However, the generalized Smith conjecture of codimension two is not true in any of the categories DIFF, PL, or TOP. In the case the codimension is greater than two, the conjecture is related to the knot theory of the imbedded \(S^m\) in \(S^n\). The paper under review focuses on the generalized Smith conjecture in the DIFF category in the case \(2n= 3(m+ 1)\) and \(m+1\equiv 0\bmod4\); especially, for \(n= 6\) and \(m= 3\). The main result establishes an equivalence between existence of free involutions on homotopy complex projective space \(H\mathbb{C} P^3\) and existence of involutions on \(S^6\) with fixed point set an embedded \(S^3\). Then, for imbeddings of \(S^3\) in \(S^6\), counterexamples of the Smith conjecture are given. The paper answers also an old problem of \textit{T. Petrie} [Lect. Notes Math. 298, 234--259 (1972; Zbl 0258.57015)] by showing that no homotopy complex projective space \(H\mathbb{C} P^3\) admits an orientation preserving smooth free involution.