Author Nansen Petrosyan Title Jumps in cohomology and free group actions Abstract A discrete group G has periodic cohomology over R if there is an element in a cohomology group, cup product with which induces an isomorphism in cohomology after a certain dimension. Adem and Smith showed if R = Z, then this condition is equivalent to the existence of a finite dimensional free-G-CW-complex homotopy equivalent to a sphere. It has been conjectured by Olympia Talelli, that if G is also torsion-free then it must have finite cohomological dimension. In this paper we use the implied condition of jump cohomology over R to prove the conjecture for HF-groups and solvable groups. We also find necessary conditions for free and proper group actions on finite dimensional complexes homotopy equivalent to closed, orientable manifolds. Status Journal of Pure and Applied Algebra 210 (2007), 695-703