Characterizing maximal compact subgroups
  We prove that for a compact subgroup $H$ of an almost connected locally compact Hausdorff group $G$, the following properties are mutually equivalent: (1) $H$ is a maximal compact subgroup of $G$, (2) $G/H$ is contractible, (3) $G/H$ is homeomorphic to a Euclidean space, (4) $G/H$ is an AE for paracompact spaces, (5) $G/H$ is a $G$-AE for paracompact proper $G$-spaces having a paracompact orbit space. 
Sergey A. Antonyan
math.GN math.GR math.GT