Realizing homotopy group actions (Q475787)

Let \(\text{haut}(X)\) denote the monoid of self-homotopy equivalences of a topological space \(X\). Let \(G\) be a finite group. By a \textit{homotopy action} of \(G\) on \(X\) is meant the homotopy class of a map \(\Phi : BG \to B\text{haut}(X)\). Given such a homotopy action, this uniquely determines a free \(G\)-action on \(X\) in the sense of Bredon's definition since the natural \(G\)-equivariant projection \(X\times EG \to X\) is a homotopy equivalence. In this paper the authors introduce the notion of a \textit{Bredon homotopy action} and then present a procedure for realizing this action. Letting \(\Lambda\) denote the partially ordered set of subgroups of \(G\), this new notion consists of two ingredients: one is a diagram \(\underset{\sim}{X} : \Lambda^{\mathrm{op}} {\mathcal T}\mathrm{op}\) and another is a pointed homotopy action \(\Phi^*_H\) of \(W_H=N_GH/H\) on the homotopy cofibre \(\underset{\sim}{X}^H_H\) of the obvious map \(\text{hocolim}_{H < K} \underset{\sim}{X}{(K)} \underset{\sim}{X}(H) \) for each conjugacy class \(\langle H \rangle\) and a representative \(H \in \langle H \rangle\). It is then shown that such a Bredon homotopy action can be realized by a topological action based on descending induction on the subgroups of \(G\). For \(H < G\) and a chain of proper inclusions \(H=H_0 < H_1 < \cdots < H_k=G\) we assume by induction on this filtration that there is given an action of \(W_H\) on \(\underset{\sim}{X}_H =\text{hocolim}_{0 < i \leq k} \underset{\sim}{X}(H_i)\). Then from the induction hypothesis for \(\underset{\sim}{X}^H_H\) considering the homotopy cofibration sequence \(\underset{\sim}{X}{_H} \underset{\sim}{X}{(H)} \underset{\sim}{X}^H_H\) we can infer that we have a \(W_H\)-action on \(\underset{\sim}{X}(H)\). More precisely the main theorem of this paper states that a Bredon homotopy action \({\mathcal A}=\langle \underset{\sim}{X}, (\Phi^*_H)_{H \leq G} \rangle\) for a finite group \(G\) can be realized by a \(G\)-space \(X\) if and only if one can inductively construct a coherent sequence of cofibrant diagrams \((\underline{X}_k : {\mathcal F}_k \to {\mathcal T}\mathrm{op})\) realizing \(\mathcal A\), where \(\underline{X}_k\) can be extended to \(\underline{X}_{k+1}\) if and only if the \(H\)-lifting problem can be solved.