\(G\)-surgery on 3-dimensional manifolds for homology equivalences (Q5935926)

For a finite group \(G\) and a \(G\)-map \(f: X\to Y\) of degree one, where \(X\) and \(Y\) are compact, connected, oriented, 3-dimensional, smooth \(G\)-manifolds, we give an obstruction element \(\sigma(f)\) in a \(K\)-theoretic group called the Bak group, with the property: \(\sigma(f)= 0\) guarantees that one can perform \(G\)-surgery on \(X\) so as to convert \(f\) to a homology equivalence \(f': X'\to Y\). Using this obstruction theory, we determine the \(G\)-homeomorphism type of the singular set of a smooth action of \(A_5\) on a 3-dimensional homology sphere having exactly one fixed point, where \(A_5\) is the alternating group on five letters.