Assignments for topological group actions

A polynomial assignment for a continuous action of a compact torus $T$ on a topological space $X$ assigns to each $p\in X$ a polynomial function on the Lie algebra of the isotropy group at $p$ in such a way that a certain compatibility condition is satisfied. The space ${\mathcal{A}}_T(X)$ of all polynomial assignments has a natural structure of an algebra over the polynomial ring of ${\rm Lie}(T)$. It is an equivariant homotopy invariant, canonically related to the equivariant cohomology algebra. In this paper we prove various properties of ${\mathcal{A}}_T(X)$ such as Borel localization, a Chang-Skjelbred lemma, and a Goresky-Kottwitz-MacPherson presentation. In the special case of Hamiltonian torus actions on symplectic manifolds we prove a surjectivity criterion for the assignment equivariant Kirwan map corresponding to a circle in $T$. We then obtain a Tolman-Weitsman type presentation of the kernel of this map.