Homotopy Quotients and Equivariant Cohomology

Abstract

This chapter investigates two candidates for equivariant cohomology and explains why it settles on the Borel construction, also called Cartan's mixing construction. Let G be a topological group and M a left G-space. The Borel construction mixes the weakly contractible total space of a principal bundle with the G-space M to produce a homotopy quotient of M. Equivariant cohomology is the cohomology of the homotopy quotient. More generally, given a G-space M, Cartan's mixing construction turns a principal bundle with fiber G into a fiber bundle with fiber M. Cartan's mixing construction fits into the Cartan's mixing diagram, a powerful tool for dealing with equivariant cohomology.