Cohomological Methods in Transformation Groups

The reader with a relatively modest background in algebraic topology can penetrate rather deeply into the subject.

This is an account of the theory of certain types of compact transformation groups, namely those that are susceptible to study using ordinary cohomology theory and rational homotopy theory, which in practice means the torus groups and elementary abelian p-groups. The efforts of many mathematicians have combined to bring a depth of understanding to this area. However to make it reasonably accessible to a wide audience, the authors have streamlined the presentation, referring the reader to the literature for purely technical results and working in a simplified setting where possible. In this way the reader with a relatively modest background in algebraic topology and homology theory can penetrate rather deeply into the subject, whilst the book at the same time makes a useful reference for the more specialised reader.

Preface; 1. Equivalent cohomology of G-CW-complexes and the Borel construction; 2. Summary of some aspects of rational homotopy theory; 3. Localisation; 4. General results on torus and p-torus actions; 5. Actions on Poincaré duality spaces; Appendices; References; Indexes.

To make the book accessible the authors have streamlined the presentation, referring the reader to the literature for purely technical results and working in a simplified setting where possible. In this way the new reader can penetrate rather deeply into the subject, whilst the book at the same time makes a useful reference for the more specialised reader.