A Hopf type classification theorem for isovariant maps from free \(G\)-manifolds to representation spheres (Q546298)

Let \(G\) be a finite group and \(X\) and \(Y\) be \(G\)-spaces. A \(G\)-equivariant map \(\varphi : X\to Y\) is called \(G\)-isovariant if it preserves the isotropy groups, i.e., if \(G_x=G_{\varphi(x)}\) for each \(x\in X\). \(G\)-isovariant homotopy between \(G\)-isovariant maps is naturally defined. The set of \(G\)-isovariant homotopy classes of \(G\)-isovariant maps \(X\to Y\) is denoted by \([X,Y]^{\text{isov}}_G\). Let \(G\) be a smooth, connected, orientable, closed free \(G\)-manifold. Let \(W\) be a unitary representation of \(G\) and \(SW\) be the unit sphere in \(W\). The authors study the isovariant homotopy set \([M,SW]^{\text{isov}}_G\) satisfying the inequality \[ \dim M + 1\leq \dim SW - \dim SW^{>1}. \] Here \(SW^{>1}=\bigcup_{1\neq H\subset G}SW^H\), the singular set of \(SW\). This inequality is called the Borsuk-Ulam inequality by the authors. If \(\dim M + 1 < \dim SW - \dim SW^{>1}\), \([X,Y]^{\text{isov}}_G\) consists of a single element. If \(\dim M + 1 = \dim SW - \dim SW^{>1}\), the homotopy set \([X,Y]^{\text{isov}}_G\) has many isovariant homotopy classes; they are equivariantly homotopic to each other when \(SW^{>1}\neq \emptyset\). Let \(w: G\to \mathbb Z_2=\{\pm 1 \}\) be the orientation homomorphism of \(G\) on \(M\), let \(K_w\) be the kernel of \(w\), and let \( \mathbb Z_w\) be the \( \mathbb ZG\)-module with the \(G\)-action induced by \(w\). Let \(\mathcal A\) be the set of isotropy subgroups \(H\) in Iso \(W\) such that \(\dim SW^H = \dim SW^{>1}\), \(\mathcal A^+=\{H\in \mathcal A ~| ~NH\subset K_w\}\) and \(\mathcal A^-=\{H\in \mathcal A ~| ~NH\not\subset K_w\}\), where \(NH\) is the normalizer of \(H\) in \(G\). Denote by \(\mathcal A/G, \;\mathcal A^+/G, \;\mathcal A^-/G\) the set of conjugacy classes of \(H\in \mathcal A/G, \;\mathcal A^+/G, \;\mathcal A^-/G\), respectively. The authors prove the following classification result. Theorem. If \(\dim M +1=\dim SW - \dim SW^{>1}\) then \[ [M,SW]^{isov}_G \cong \bigoplus_ {(H)\in \mathcal A^+/G} \mathbb Z \;\oplus \bigoplus_ {(H)\in \mathcal A^-/G} \mathbb Z_{/2}. \] Furthermore, the authors show that the free part of the right hand side is detected by a degree-like function induced from the multidegree \[ \text{mDeg}f=d_H(f))\in \bigoplus_ {(H)\in \mathcal A^+/G} \mathbb Z. \]