\(\mathbb{Z}_2\)-torus actions on positively curved manifolds (Q7285367)

The paper contributes to the symmetry program for positively curved Riemannian manifolds by studying discrete, rather than continuous, symmetry. Here a \(\mathbb Z_2\)-torus means an elementary abelian group \((\mathbb Z_2)^r\), and the starting point is a theorem of Kennard, Khalili Samani and Searle which, under a fixed-point assumption and a lower bound on \(r\) of approximately one half of the dimension, gives a homotopy classification of closed positively curved manifolds admitting effective isometric \((\mathbb Z_2)^r\)-actions. The purpose of the present article is therefore to lower the coefficient in that rank bound.\N\NIn this context, the main result states that, if \((\mathbb Z_2)^r\) acts effectively and isometrically on a closed Riemannian manifold \(M^n\) of positive sectional curvature, the action has a fixed point, \(n\geq 15\), and\N\[\Nr\geq 0.3992n+1.5\log_2 n+2.772,\N\]\Nthen \(M\) is homotopy equivalent to \(S^n\), \(\mathbb RP^n\), \(\mathbb CP^{n/2}\), or a lens space. No simple-connectivity assumption is imposed and, as a more transparent asymptotic consequence, for \(n\geq 31\,482\) the hypothesis \(r\geq 2n/5\) yields the same conclusion.\N\NRegarding the main tools, the proof combines coding theory with fixed-point geometry, cohomological methods and homotopy clasifications.