Rational ellipticity of $G$-manifolds from their quotients

Abstract

We prove that if a compact, simply connected Riemannian $G$-manifold $M$ has orbit space $M/G$ isometric to some other quotient $N/H$ with $N$ having zero topological entropy, then $M$ is rationally elliptic. This result, which generalizes most conditions on rational ellipticity, is a particular case of a more general result involving manifold submetries.

New exposition and corrections after report. Version to appear in Compos. Math