Equivariant formality of corank-one isotropy actions and products of rational spheres (Q6056519)

This paper characterizes the pairs \((G,K)\) of connected Lie groups, with \(K< G\), such that \(\mathrm{rk} \,G-\mathrm{rk}\, K=1\) and the left action of \(K\) on \(G/K\) is equivariantly formal, that is, the homomorphism of equivariant homology groups \(H^*((G/K)_G;\mathbb Q)\to H^*(G/K;\mathbb Q)\) induced by the fiber inclusion of the Borel fibration is surjective. By a previous result [\textit{J. D. Carlson}, J. Homotopy Relat. Struct. 14, No. 1, 199--234 (2019; Zbl 1429.57032)], the authors' case reduces to the case that \(G\) is compact. In some cases, in order to determine the formality of the pair, the authors pass through the rational cohomology of certain products of spheres. This forces them to review (and improve) the classification of homogeneous quotients having the rational homotopy type of a product \(\mathbb S^n\times \mathbb S^n\) with \(m\) odd and \(n\) even. The main characterization result involves computation of maximal regular pairs and their homotopy and rational homology groups.