Let $\Lambda$ be a finite dimensional algebra and $G$ be a finite group whose elements act on $\Lambda$ as algebra automorphisms. Under the assumption that $\Lambda$ has a complete set $E$ of primitive orthogonal idempotents, closed under the action of a Sylow $p$-subgroup $S \leqslant G$, we show that the skew group algebra $\Lambda G$ and $\Lambda$ have the same finitistic dimension and the same strong global dimension if the action of $S$ on $E$ is free. Using a homological characterization of piecewise hereditary algebras proved by Happel and Zacharia, we deduce that $\Lambda G$ is piecewise hereditary if and only if $S$ acts freely on $E$ and $\Lambda$ is piecewise hereditary as well.

We show that if X is a cocompact G-CW-complex such that each isotropy subgroup Gσ is L(2)-good over an arbitrary commutative ring k, then X satisfies some fixed-point formula which is an L(2)-analogue of Brown’s formula in 1982. Using this result we present a fixed point formula for a cocompact proper G-CW-complex which relates the equivariant L(2)-Euler characteristic of a fixed point CW-complex Xs and the Euler characteristic of X/G. As corollaries, we prove Atiyah’s theorem in 1976, Akita’s formula in 1999 and a result of Chatterji-Mislin in 2009. We also show that if X is a free G-CW-complex such that C∗(X) is chain homotopy equivalent to a chain complex of finitely generated projective Zπ1(X)-modules of finite length and X satisfies some fixed-point formula over Q or C which is an L(2)-analogue of Brown’s formula, then χ(X/G)=χ(2)(X). As an application, we prove that the weak Bass conjecture holds for any finitely presented group G satisfying the following condition: for any finitely dominated CW-complex Y with π1(Y )=G, Y satisfies some fixed-point formula over Q or C which is an L(2)-analogue of Brown’s formula.

We give two homological proofs of the Noetherianity of the category FI, a fundamental result discovered by Church, Ellenberg, Farb, and Nagpal.

In this paper, we prove that every invertible 2-local or local automorphism of a simple generalized Witt algebra over any field of characteristic 0 is an automorphism. Furthermore, every 2-local or local automorphism of Witt algebras W_n is an automorphism for all n∈N. But some simple generalized Witt algebras indeed have 2-local (and local) automorphisms that are not automorphisms.

In this paper we consider several homological dimensions of crossed products $A _{\alpha} ^{\sigma} G$, where $A$ is a left Noetherian ring and $G$ is a finite group. We revisit the induction and restriction functors in derived categories, generalizing a few classical results for separable extensions. The global dimension and finitistic dimension of $A ^{\sigma} _{\alpha} G$ are classified: global dimension of $A ^{\sigma} _{\alpha} G$ is either infinity or equal to that of $A$, and finitistic dimension of $A ^{\sigma} _{\alpha} G$ coincides with that of $A$. A criterion for skew group rings to have finite global dimensions is deduced. Under the hypothesis that $A$ is a semiprimary algebra containing a complete set of primitive orthogonal idempotents closed under the action of a Sylow $p$-subgroup $S \leqslant G$, we show that $A$ and $A _{\alpha} ^{\sigma} G$ share the same homological dimensions under extra assumptions.