Rational homology cobordisms of spherical space forms (Q1092463)

Let \(W^ 4\) be a compact smooth 4-manifold bounded by p spherical space forms \(\partial_ 1,...,\partial_ p\), and assume that \(W^ 4\) is \({\mathbb{Q}}\)-homology equivalent to \(S^ 4-\{p\) points\(\}\). Let \(\chi_ j\) be the restriction of \(\chi\) : \(H_ 1(W, {\mathbb{Z}})\to U(1)\) to \(\partial_ j\) and suppose that for some \(j_ 0\) the order of Im \(\chi\) \({}_{j_ 0}\neq 2\) and that \(H^ 2(W,\partial_{j_ 0}, {\mathbb{Z}})\) has no 2-torsion. The authors obtain restrictions on three integers \(\sigma\), \(\rho\), and \(\mu\) associated to \(\chi\), and use these to show (for example) that if two odd order lens spaces are homology equivalent, then they are actually diffeomorphic. They also give applications to the Casson-Gordon invariant. Critical to their proof is the calculation of the formal dimension of the moduli space of (anti) self-dual connections in a flat SO(3)-bundle E defined by \(\chi\) over \(W^ 4\cup \{p\) cones\(\}\).