Equivariant cohomology of cohomogeneity-one actions: the topological case (Q505384)

Let \(G\) be a compact connected Lie group acting continuously on a closed topological manifold \(M\). Assume the action is of cohomogeneity one, i.e., that the orbit space \(M/G\) is one-dimensional. The authors prove that the equivariant cohomology \(H^\ast_G(M)=H^\ast(EG\times _GM)\), considered as an \(H^\ast(BG)\)-module, is Cohen-Macaulay. Here the coefficient ring for cohomology is always \(\mathbb{R}\). The result generalizes a previous result by the authors concerning smooth actions [\textit{O. Goertsches} and \textit{A.-L. Mare}, Topology Appl. 167, 36--52 (2014; Zbl 1293.55006)]. The proof uses a recent structure theorem for cohomogeneity one actions on closed topological manifolds, see [\textit{F. Galaz-García} and \textit{M. Zarei}, ``Cohomogeneity one topological manifolds revisited'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:1503.09068}].