Equivariant deformations of manifolds and real representations (Q5929045)

We give a partial answer to the following question: let \(G\) be a finite group acting smoothly on a compact (smooth) manifold \(M\), such that for each isotropy subgroup \(H\) of \(G\) the submanifold \(M^H\) fixed by \(H\) can be deformed without fixed points; is it true that then \(M\) can be deformed without fixed points \(G\)-equivariantly? The answer is no, in general. It is yes, for any \(G\)-manifold, if and only if \(G\) is the direct product of a 2-group and an odd-order group.