\(C_2\)-equivariant orthogonal calculus (Q6898216)

Orthogonal calculus as developed by \textit{M. Weiss} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 347, No. 10, 3743--3796 (1995; Zbl 0866.55020)] is a homotopical method for studying problems often of geometric origin. The often stated slogan is that orthogonal calculus ``is'' Taylor's Theorem for functors\N\[\N\mathsf{Vect}_\mathbb{R} \longrightarrow \mathsf{Spaces}\N\]\Nfrom the category of finite-dimensional inner product spaces and linear isometric embeddings to the category of spaces.\N\NSuccessful generalisations of the theory exist to take into account different origins e.g., complex vector spaces, complex vector spaces with an involution given by complex conjugation and quaterionic and symplectic vector spaces [\textit{N. Taggart}, Glasg. Math. J. 64, No. 1, 197--230 (2022; Zbl 1480.55013); \textit{M. Carr} and \textit{N. Taggart}, ``Symplectic Weiss calculi'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:2404.11796}].\N\NIn the paper under review, the author provides a generalisation of orthogonal calculus to the equivariant setting, i.e., where the input has symmetries and these symmetries are respected. As with much of the literature on equivariant homotopy theory, the author concentrates on the case of the cyclic group of order \(2\), laying out clearly how the foundations of orthogonal calculus work when the category of finite-dimensional inner product spaces and linear isometric embeddings is replaced by the category of finite-dimensional \(C_2\)-representations and the category of spaces is replaced by the category of (``genuine'') \(C_2\)-spaces.\N\NShortly after the pre-print version of the article under review appeared, work of \textit{P. Bhattacharya} and \textit{Y. Hu} [``Equivariant Weiss calculus'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:2410.12087}] provided a general framework for equivariant orthogonal calculus for a finite group \(G\). It is clear from reading both works that many of the proofs from the general \(G\) case mirror that of the article currently under review, a non-surprising fact echoed throughout much of equivariant homotopy theory.