arXiv research

Study exotic tori and their SL_d(Z) actions, proving many do not admit nontrivial actions.

In this paper, we study the action of $\text{Homeo}_0(M)$, the identity component of the group of homeomorphisms of an $n$-dimensional manifold $M$ with an $\mathbb{F}_p$-free action, on another manifold $N$ of dimension $n+k<2n$. We prove that if $M$ is not an $\mathbb{F}_p$-homology sphere, then $N\cong M\times K$ fo…

We produce infinite families of exotic actions of finite cyclic groups on simply connected smooth 4-manifolds with nontrivial Seiberg-Witten invariants.

Generic groups can't move spaces but have rich actions.

Constructs CAT(0) actions for certain groups without unipotent elements.

Let Gamma be a finitely generated, amenable group. Using an idea of E Ghys, we prove that if Gamma has a nontrivial, orientation-preserving action on the real line, then Gamma has an infinite, cyclic quotient. (The converse is obvious.) This implies that if Gamma has a faithful action on the circle, then some finite-in…

The paper finds infinite families of exotic spheres with free actions.

We construct an example of an isometric action of $F(a,b)$ on a $δ$-hyperbolic graph $Y$, such that this action is acylindrical, purely loxodromic, has asymptotic translation lengths of nontrivial elements of $F(a,b)$ separated away from $0$, has quasiconvex orbits in $Y$, but such that the orbit map $F(a,b)\to Y$ is n…

We study the existence of closed geodesics on compact Riemannian orbifolds, and on noncompact Riemannian manifolds in the presence of a cocompact, isometric group action. We show that every noncontractible Riemannian manifold which admits such an action, and every odd-dimensional, compact Riemannian orbifold has a nont…

On a smooth closed oriented $4$-manifold $M$ with a smooth action by a compact Lie group $G$, we define a $G$-monopole class as an element of $H^2(M;\Bbb Z)$ which is the first Chern class of a $G$-equivariant Spin$^c$ structure which has a solution of the Seiberg-Witten equations for any $G$-invariant Riemannian metri…

Origami can create complex knots, with minimum creases defining a new knot invariant.

We study when the mapping class group of an infinite-type surface $S$ admits an action with unbounded orbits on a connected graph whose vertices are simple closed curves on $S$. We introduce a topological invariant for infinite-type surfaces that determines in many cases whether there is such an action. This allows us …

We give a shorter proof of the following theorem of Kathryn Mann \cite{M}: the identity component of the group of the compactly supported $C^r$ diffeomorphisms of $\R^n$ cannot admit a nontrivial $C^p$-action on $S^1$, provided $n\geq2$, $r\neq n+1$ and $p\geq2$. We also give a new proof of another theorem of Mann: any…

Study mapping class group action on de Rham quasimorphisms, finding no fixed points.

We show that in all dimensions >7 there are closed aspherical manifolds whose fundamental groups have nontrivial center but do not possess any topological circle actions. This disproves a conjectured converse (proposed by Conner and Raymond) to a classical theorem of Borel.

The natural bundle $π:E\to M$ of almost-complex structures is considered. The action of the pseudogroup of all diffeomorphisms of $M$ on the total space $E$ is investigated. A nontrivial 1-st order differential invariant of this action is constructed. It is proved that the Nijenhuise tensor of an almost-complex structu…

The main results of this paper describes a formula for the Seiberg-Witten invariant of a 4-manifold which admits a nontrivial free S^1-action. We use this theorem to produce a nonsymplectic 4-manifold with a free circle action whose orbit space fibers over S^1. We also describe a 3-manifold which is not the orbit space…

The main result of this paper asserts that if a Seifert fibered 4-manifold has nonzero Seiberg-Witten invariant, the homotopy class of regular fibers has infinite order. This is a nontrivial obstruction to smooth circle actions; as applications, we show how to destroy smooth circle actions on a 4-manifold by knot surge…

Cohomogeneity-one actions on symmetric spaces of mixed type

Smooth and symplectic symmetries of an infinite family of distinct exotic $K3$ surfaces are studied, and comparison with the corresponding symmetries of the standard $K3$ is made. The action on the $K3$ lattice induced by a smooth finite group action is shown to be strongly restricted, and as a result, nonsmoothability…

A locally conformally Kähler (LCK) manifold is a complex manifold whose universal cover is Kähler with monodromy group acting on the universal cover by holomorphic homotheties. A Vaisman manifold $M$ is a compact non-Kähler LCK manifold admitting an action of a holomorphic conformal flow lifting to an action on a Kähle…

We study global gravitational anomalies in type IIB string theory with nontrivial middle cohomology. This requires the study of the action of diffeomorphisms on this group. Several results and constructions, including some recent vanishing results via elliptic genera, make it possible to consider this problem. Along th…

We give a new characterization of flat affine manifolds in terms of an action of the Lie algebra of classical infinitesimal affine transformations on the bundle of linear frames. We characterize flat affine symplectic Lie groups using symplectic étale affine representations and as a consequence of this, we show that a …

We prove a finiteness theorem for the class of complete finite volume Riemannian manifolds with pinched negative sectional curvature, fixed fundamental group, and of dimension $>2$. One of the key ingredients is that the fundamental group of such a manifold does not admit a small nontrivial action on an $R$-tree.

The problem of equivariant rigidity is the $Γ$-homeomorphism classification of $Γ$-actions on manifolds with compact quotient and with contractible fixed sets for all finite subgroups of $Γ$. In other words, this is the classification of cocompact $E_{fin}Γ$-manifolds. We use surgery theory, algebraic $K$-theory, and t…

Two examples of $\mathrm{Diff}^+S^1$-invariant closed two-forms obtained from forms on jet bundles, which does not admit equivariant moment maps are presented. The corresponding cohomological obstruction is computed and shown to coincide with a nontrivial Lie algebra cohomology class on $H^2(\mathfrak{X}(S^1))$.

We provide the first information on diffeotopy groups of exotic smoothings of R^4: For each of uncountably many smoothings, there are uncountably many isotopy classes of self-diffeomorphisms. We realize these by various explicit group actions. There are also actions at infinity by nonfinitely generated groups, for whic…

Study finite group actions on exotic aspherical space forms.

In this paper nontrivial Killing vector fields of constant length and corresponding flows on smooth complete Riemannian manifolds are investigated. It is proved that such a flow on symmetric space is free or induced by a free isometric action of the circle $S^1$. The properties of the set of all points with finite (inf…

Let $F$ be a leafwise hyperbolic taut foliation of a closed 3-manifold $M$ and let $L$ be the leaf space of the pullback of $F$ to the universal cover of $M$. We show that if $F$ has branching, then the natural action of $π_1(M)$ on $L$ is faithful. We also show that if $F$ has a finite branch locus $B$ whose stabilize…

The paper proves no exotic actions of diffeomorphism groups on 1-manifolds.

The goal of this article is to investigate nontrivial $m$-quasi-Einstein manifolds globally conformal to an $n$-dimensional Euclidean space. By considering such manifolds, whose conformal factors and potential functions are invariant under the action of an $(n-1)$-dimensional translation group, we provide a complete cl…

On a smooth closed oriented $4$-manifold $M$ with a smooth action of a finite group $G$ on a Spin$^c$ structure, $G$-monopole invariant is defined by "counting" $G$-invariant solutions of Seiberg-Witten equations for any $G$-invariant Riemannian metric on $M$. We compute $G$-monopole invariants on some $G$-manifolds. F…

Study on symmetries and equilibria in Poisson manifolds, with applications to rigid body dynamics.

Defines action on knot spaces using cacti and cubes.

In this paper, we investigate the action of pseudogroup of all point transformations on the natural bundle of equations $y'' = u^0(x,y) + u^1(x,y)y' + u^2(x,y)(y')^2 + u^3(x,y)(y')^3$. We calculate the 1-st nontrivial differential invariant of this action. It is a horizontal differential 2-form with values in some alge…

Characterizes braid group actions on R and mapping class group actions on S1.

Study zippers in hyperbolic 3-manifolds, proving fixed point dichotomy.

We introduce the notion of a local torus action modeled on the standard representation (for simplicity, we call it a local torus action). It is a generalization of a locally standard torus action and also an underlying structure of a locally toric Lagrangian fibration. For a local torus action, we define two invariants…

Let M be a hyperbolizable, nontrivial compression body without toroidal boundary components. In this paper, we characterize which discrete and faithful representations of the fundamental group of M into PSL(2,C) are separable-stable. The set of separable-stable representations forms a domain of discontinuity for the ac…

Study shows mapping class group actions on configuration spaces are trivial for specific stages.

We consider a manifold X obtained by a Kahler reduction of C^n, and we define its hyperkahler analogue M as a hyperkahler reduction of T^*C^n = H^n by the same group. In the case where the group is abelian and X is a smooth toric variety, M is a toric hyperkahler manifold, as defined by Bielawski-Dancer, and further st…

We show that the only finite nonabelian simple groups which admit a locally linear, homologically trivial action on a closed simply connected 4-manifold $M$ (or on a 4-manifold with trivial first homology) are the alternating groups $A_5$, $A_6$ and the linear fractional group PSL(2,7) (we note that for homologically n…

Let $\mathrm{SL}_{n}(\mathbb{Z})$ $(n\geq 3)$ be the special linear group and $M^{r}$ be a closed aspherical manifold. It is proved that when $r<n,$ a group action of $\mathrm{SL}_{n}(\mathbb{Z})$ on $M^{r}$ by homeomorphisms is trivial if and only if the induced group homomorphism $\mathrm{SL}_{n}(% \mathbb{Z})\righta…

A framework for reinforcement learning tackles CVRP with competitive results.

Let $M$ be a closed, connected, orientable topological four-manifold with $H_1(M)$ nontrivial and free abelian, $b_2(M)\ne 0, 2$, and $χ(M)\ne 0$. We show that if $G$ is a finite group of 2-rank $\le 1$ which admits a homologically trivial, locally linear, effective action on $M$, then $G$ must be cyclic. With addition…

Let $G$ be a nonabelian, simple group with a nontrivial conjugacy class $C \subseteq G$. Let $K$ be a diagram of an oriented knot in $S^3$, thought of as computational input. We show that for each such $G$ and $C$, the problem of counting homomorphisms $π_1(S^3\setminus K) \to G$ that send meridians of $K$ to $C$ is al…

Let $Γ$ be a finite index subgroup of the mapping class group $MCG(Σ)$ of a closed orientable surface $Σ$, possibly with punctures. We give a precise condition (in terms of the Nielsen-Thurston decomposition) when an element $g\inΓ$ has positive stable commutator length. In addition, we show that in these situations th…