Actions without nontrivial singular orbits on Riemannian manifolds of negative curvature (Q343243)

A complete Riemannian manifold \(M\) with a closed connected Lie group \(G\) acting on \(M\) by isometries is called a Riemannian \(G\)-manifold. Its cohomogeneity is the codimension of a principal \(G\)-orbit. Non-principal orbits are either exceptional, if their codimension is equal to the cohomogeneity, or singular, if their codimension is strictly greater than the cohomogeneity. This paper is about the topology of negatively curved Riemannian \(G\)-manifolds of cohomogeneity two. The main result is stated as follows: Theorem. If \(M\) is a cohomogeneity-two Riemannian \(G\)-manifold of strictly negative curvature then either there is a non-exceptional singular orbit of positive dimension or one of the following is true: (1) \(M\) is simply connected. (2) \(\pi_1(M) = {\mathbf Z}^p\), \( p \geq 1\). (3) \(M\) is homeomorphic to \(M_1 \times {\mathbf R}\), where \(M_1\) is a horosphere cohomogeniety-one \(G\)-submanifold of \(M\). By combining this theorem with a result of \textit{B.H. Bowditch} [J. Differ. Geom. 38, No. 3, 559--583 (1993; Zbl 0793.53029)], the author obtains the following corollary: Theorem. If \(M\) is a non-simply connected cohomogeneity-two Riemannian \(G\)-manifold without a singular orbit of positive dimension and whose curvature is pinched between two negative constants, then \(\pi_1(M)\) is finitely generated. The cohomogeneity-one case was previously studied by \textit{F. Podestà} and \textit{A. Spiro} [Ann. Global Anal. Geom. 14, No. 1, 69--79 (1996; Zbl 0846.53024)].