Finite isometry groups of 4-manifolds with positive sectional curvature (Q926249)

Let \(M\) be an oriented compact Riemannian \(4\)-manifold with positive sectional curvature. Let \(G\) be a finite subgroup of the isometry group of \(M\). The author proves that, if \(G\) is a finite group of order \(| G| \geq 3^{10^{500}}| \), then: {\parindent6mm \begin{itemize}\item[(i)] \(G\) is isometric to a subgroup of \(PU(3)\) if \(| G| \) is odd; \item[(ii)] \(G\) contains a normal subgroup of index at most 2 which is isometric to a subgroup of \(SO(5)\) or \(PU(3)\) if \(| G| \) is even, and \(M\) is not homeomorphic to \(S^4\). \end{itemize}} Moreover, \(M\) is homeomorphic to \(\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}^2\) if \(G\) is non-abelian of odd order. These results are included in the following Chern conjecture in the early 1960s: Let \(M\) be a compact oriented \(4\)-manifold with positive sectional curvature and let \(\text{Isom}(M)\) be its orientation preserving isometry group. Then \(\text{Isom}(M)\) is either a subgroup of \(PU(3)\) or a subgroup of \(SO(5)\). If \(\text{Isom}(M)\) is not a finite group, by a paper of \textit{W. Hsiang} and \textit{B. Kleiner} [J. Differ. Geom. 29, 615--621 (1989; Zbl 0674.53047)] \(M\) is homeomorphic to \(\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}^2\) or \(S^4\). In the first case, the Chern conjecture holds since by \textit{D. Wilczynski} [Math. Z. 203, No.~2, 309--319 (1990; Zbl 0703.57024)] any compact Lie group acting effectively on \(\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}^2\) is a subgroup of \(PU(3)\), and for \(M=S^4\), the Chern conjecture is true when \(\text{Isom}(M)\) is connected by a result of \textit{R. W. Richardson} [Ill. J. Math. 5, 474--485 (1961; Zbl 0099.39105)]. Given these, the remaining part of the Chern's conjecture is mainly in finite isometry groups. The above results of the present paper prove that the conjecture is verified when \(\text{Isom}(M)\) is a finite group of sufficiently large odd order, and up to index at most 2 normal subgroup, when \(\text{Isom}(M)\) is a finite group of sufficiently large even order.