Persistent equivariant cohomology

Abstract: This article has two goals. First, we hope to give an accessible introduction to persistent equivariant cohomology. Given a topological group $G$ acting on a filtered space, persistent Borel equivariant cohomology measures not only the shape of the filtration, but also attributes of the group action on the filtration, including in particular its fixed points. Second, we give an explicit description of the persistent equivariant cohomology of the circle action on the Vietoris-Rips metric thickenings of the circle, using the Serre spectral sequence and the Gysin homomorphism. Indeed, if $\frac{2\pi k}{2k+1} \le r < \frac{2\pi(k+1)}{2k+3}$, then $H^*_{S^1}(\mathrm{VR}^\mathrm{m}(S^1;r))\cong \mathbb{Z}[u]/(1\cdot3\cdot5\cdot\ldots \cdot (2k+1)\, u^{k+1})$ where $\mathrm{deg}(u)=2$.