Group cohomology and control of p-fusion

Abstract

We show that if an inclusion of finite groups H < G of index prime to p induces a homeomorphism of mod p cohomology varieties, or equivalently an F-isomorphism in mod p cohomology, then H controls p-fusion in G, if p is odd. This generalizes classical results of Quillen who proved this when H is a Sylow p-subgroup, and furthermore implies a hitherto difficult result of Mislin about cohomology isomorphisms. For p=2 we give analogous results, at the cost of replacing mod p cohomology with higher chromatic cohomology theories. The results are consequences of a general algebraic theorem we prove, that says that isomorphisms between p-fusion systems over the same finite p-group are detected on elementary abelian p-groups if p odd and abelian 2-groups of exponent at most 4 if p=2.

15 pages; v3: title and exposition shortened, and a short section on Lannes' T-functor removed, following comments by referees. Final version, to appear in Invent. Math