On smooth SL(2,\({\mathbb{C}})\) actions on 3-manifolds (Q919327)

The study of the actions of special linear groups on various manifolds has been carried out by many authors. \textit{C. R. Schneider} [Am. J. Math. 96, 511-528 (1974; Zbl 0306.57020)] initiated the study in low dimensions; for the case where the manifold is a sphere, there is the work of \textit{F. Uchida} [Tôhoku Math. J., II. Ser. 33, 145-175 (1981; Zbl 0542.57032)]. The present paper gives a remarkably complete study of real analytic actions of the group \(SL(2,{\mathbb{C}})\) on \(S^ 3\). The author constructs a family \(\phi_ r\) of such actions, \(r\in {\mathbb{R}}\), equivariantly distinct, such that any transitive \(SL(2,{\mathbb{C}})\) action is equivariantly diffeomorphic to one \(\phi_ r.\) The definition of \(\phi_ r\) is given in a totally explicit form using the exponential map. The proof involves some Lie algebras and, above all, some very explicit constructions of certain functions which serve to describe the equivalence classes of these actions. The details are too complex to be included here.