We give a new equivariant cohomological characterization of the equivariant Euler characteristic of aG-simplicial set as defined by Brown. This implies in particular that the equivariant Euler characteristic is aG-homotopy invariant.

This paper presents a translation of a theorem of Cartan into an equivariant setting. This work is largely based on the study of the homotopical algebra in the sense of Quillen of the category of simplicial objects over the category of rationalO_g-vector spaces. The application is a solution to the equivariant commutative cochain problem. This solution is slightly better than the solution obtained earlier by Triantafillou in that the transformation groupG need not be finite.

This article is an elaboration of a talk given at an international conference on Operator Theory, Quantum Probability, and Noncommutative Geometry held during December 20–23, 2004, at the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata. The lecture was meant for a general audience, and also prospective research students, the idea of the quantum cohomology based on the Gromov-Witten invariants. Of course there are many important aspects that are not discussed here.