A topologically rigid set of quotients of the Davis complex (Q6174784)

A family \(\mathcal F\) of topological spaces is \textit{topologically rigid} if any two spaces in \(\mathcal{F}\) with isomorphic fundamental groups are homeomorphic. The paper under review investigates whether certain families of quotients of Davis complexes are topologically rigid. For any graph \(\Gamma\), a right angled Coxeter group \(W_\Gamma\) and a Davis complex \(\Sigma_\Gamma\) are associated, so that \(W_\Gamma\) acts properly and discontinuously on \(\Sigma_\Gamma\). The quotient space \(\mathcal{D}_\Gamma=\Sigma_\Gamma/W_\Gamma\) is called \textit{Davis orbifold}. The families of topological spaces considered in this paper consists of finite sheeted covers of Davis orbifolds. The first two results are negative: a class of graphs is given, such that the family of all finite sheeted covers of \(\mathcal{D}_\Gamma\) is not topologically rigid for any \(\Gamma\) in this class (Theorem 1). The author also gives examples of pairs of graphs \(\Gamma_1\), \(\Gamma_2\) such that the two families of covers of \(\mathcal{D}_{\Gamma_1}\) and \(\mathcal{D}_{\Gamma_2}\) may in principle be topologically rigid when considered on their own, but their union fails to be rigid (Theorem 2). In the positive direction, the author gives examples of graphs \(\Gamma\) and infinite families of finite sheeted covers of \(\mathcal{D}_{\Gamma}\) that are topologically rigid (Theorem 3). The graphs under consideration always have a particularly simple form (cycles of generalized \(\Theta\)-graphs), and give rise to hyperbolic \(W_\Gamma\). The proofs of the negative results build on previous work of \textit{E. Stark} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 146, No. 12, 5357--5366 (2018; Zbl 1401.51011)]. The positive result seems inspired by \textit{P. Dani} et al. [Groups Geom. Dyn. 12, No. 4, 1273--1341 (2018; Zbl 1456.20039)] and relies on results of \textit{J.-F. Lafont} [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 209, No. 3, 771--780 (2007; Zbl 1131.20029)] on topological rigidity for hyperbolic \(P\)-surfaces. This work is technically involved. It contains a few pictures (\(10\) in total) which help keeping track of the constructions involved.