Groups which act freely on \({\mathbb{R}}^ m\times S^{n-1}\) (Q916163)

Let \(\Gamma\) be a discrete group of finite cohomological dimension. The authors study and answer the following question: When does there exist a finite Poincaré complex X with \(\pi_ 1(X)\cong \Gamma\) and \(\tilde X\) homotopy equivalent to \(S^{n-1}\) for some n? In particular, they prove a conjecture of C. T. C. Wall: Assume \(vcd(\Gamma)<\infty\). Then \(\Gamma\) acts freely and properly discontinuously on \({\mathbb{R}}^ m\times S^{n- 1}\) for some m and n iff \(\Gamma\) is countable and the Farell-Tate cohomology of \(\Gamma\) is periodic. Moreover, the authors can construct the above \(\Gamma\)-actions so that \({\mathbb{R}}^ m\times S^{n-1}/\Gamma\) has the homotopy type of a finite simplicial complex, provided that \(\Gamma\) has only finitely many conjugacy classes of finite subgroups and normalizer N(H) for each finite \(H\subseteq G\) has a K(N(H),1) with finite skeleta. Another theorem: Let \(\Gamma\) be as in the last phrase. Then there is a finite Poincaré complex X with \(\pi_ 1(X)\cong \Gamma\) and \(\tilde X\simeq S^{n-1}\) for some n if \(\hat H^*(\Gamma;{\mathbb{Z}})\) is periodic and some subgroup \(H\subseteq \Gamma\) with \([\Gamma:H]<\infty\) is a Poincaré duality group.