An improved four-periodicity theorem and a conjecture of Hopf with symmetry

Publication date 23 November 2022

Global Riemannian geometry, including pinching (53C20) Compact Lie groups of differentiable transformations (57S15) Primary cohomology operations in algebraic topology (55S05) Homology of classifying spaces and characteristic classes in algebraic topology (55R40)

Abstract: In the 1930s, H. Hopf conjectured that a closed, even-dimensional manifold of positive sectional curvature has positive Euler characteristic. We show this under the additional assumption of an isometric

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-action on the manifold, improving from previous theorems of Kennard, Wiemeler and Wilking assuming a

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-action. More specifically, this is achieved by giving a rational cohomology classification of possible fixed point components. The main new tool is an improvement on the four-periodicity theorem originally developed by Kennard through the use of characteristic class theory. As a second application we give a rational cohomology classification of closed positively curved even-dimensional manifolds without odd rational cohomology that admit an isometric

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-action.

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