Equivariant K-theory of real vector spaces and real vector bundles

Abstract

Let G be a finite group acting on a finite dimensional real vector space V. We denote by P(V) the projective space associated to V. In this paper we compute in a very explicit way the rank of the equivariant complex K-theory of V and P(V), using previous results by Atiyah and the author. The interest of this computation comes from explicit formulas given by the Baum-Connes-Slominska Chern character and the basic fact that the equivariant K-theory of V is free. We use these topological computations to prove algebraic results like computing the number of conjugacy classes of G which split in a central extension. Our main example is the case where V = R^n and G = the symmetric group of n letters acting on V by permutation of the coordinates. This example is related to the famous pentagonal identity of Euler and (ironically) the Euler-Poincare characteristic of the equivariant K-theory of V.