The injectivity radius and the fundamental group of compact homogeneous Riemannian manifolds of positive curvature (Q5933600)

The author proves Theorem A: Let \(M\) be an \(m\)-dimensional \((m \geq 3)\) connected, compact, non-simply connected homogeneous Riemannian manifold with sectional curvature \(K_M\geq 1\). Let \(N\) be an \(n\)-dimensional \((n\geq 1)\) compact, connected, totally geodesic submanifold embedded in \(M\) such that \(2n\leq m-1\). Assume that \(\pi_1(M)\) is not a cyclic group and that \(\pi_1(M,N)\) is nontrivial. Then the injectivity radius \(i(N)\) of \(N\) in \(M\) is \(\leq\pi/4\). Here if equality holds, then \(M\) is of constant curvature 1, \(m=4j-1\) \((j\geq 1)\) and \(\pi_1(M)\) is isomorphic to a binary dihedral group with presentation \(D_k^*= <a,b \mid a^{2k} =e\), \(a^k=b^2\) \(aba=b> (D^*_2=\) the quaternion group \(Q8)\). As an application, the author shows that the fundamental group of a non-simply connected homogeneous 1/4-pinched Riemannian manifold is isomorphic to a finite subgroup of the special unitary subgroup SU(2) of degree 2.