Finite groups acting symplectically on $T^2\times S^2$

Abstract

For any symplectic form $ω$ on $T^2\times S^2$ we construct infinitely many nonisomorphic finite groups which admit effective smooth actions on $T^2\times S^2$ that are trivial in cohomology but which do not admit any effective symplectic action on $(T^2\times S^2,ω)$. We also prove that for any $ω$ there is another symplectic form $ω'$ on $T^2\times S^2$ and a finite group acting symplectically and effectively on $(T^2\times S^2,ω')$ which does not admit any effective symplectic action on $(T^2\times S^2,ω)$. A basic ingredient in our arguments is the study of the Jordan property of the symplectomorphism groups of $T^2\times S^2$. A group $G$ is Jordan if there exists a constant $C$ such that any finite subgroup $Γ$ of $G$ contains an abelian subgroup whose index in $Γ$ is at most $C$. Csikós, Pyber and Szabó proved recently that the diffeomorphism group of $T^2\times S^2$ is not Jordan. We prove that, in contrast, for any symplectic form $ω$ on $T^2\times S^2$ the group of symplectomorphisms $Symp(T^2\times S^2,ω)$ is Jordan. We also give upper and lower bounds for the optimal value of the constant $C$ in Jordan's property for $Symp(T^2\times S^2,ω)$ depending on the cohomology class represented by $ω$. Our bounds are sharp for a large class of symplectic forms on $T^2\times S^2$.