arXiv research

Survey of Baum-Connes conjecture history and methods.

We introduce a new variant of the coarse Baum-Connes conjecture designed to tackle coarsely disconnected metric spaces called the boundary coarse Baum-Connes conjecture. We prove this conjecture for many coarsely disconnected spaces that are known to be counterexamples to the coarse Baum-Connes conjecture. In particula…

We present an alternative approach to the result of Guentner, Higson, and Weinberger concerning the Baum-Connes conjecture for finitely generated subgroups of SL(2,C). Using finite-dimensional methods, we show that the Baum-Connes assembly map for such groups is an isomorphism.

Survey on metrics and assembly maps in positive scalar curvature.

Strong bolicity helps prove Baum-Connes conjecture for certain hyperbolic groups.

We study in this paper the maximal version of the coarse Baum-Connes assembly map for families of expanding graphs arising from residually finite groups. Unlike for the usual Roe algebra, we show that this assembly map is closely related to the (maximal) Baum-Connes assembly map for the group and is an isomorphism for …

We study the possibility of applying a finite-dimensionality argument in order to address parts of the Baum-Connes conjecture for finitely generated linear groups. This gives an alternative approach to the results of Guentner, Higson, and Weinberger concerning the Baum-Connes conjecture for linear groups. For any finit…

We associate a non-commutative $C^*$-algebra with any locally finite simplicial complex. We determine the $K$-theory of these algebras and show that they can be used to obtain a conceptual explanation for the Baum-Connes conjecture.

Defines and computes geometric pairings for discrete groups using Baum-Connes assembly map.

Using the unbounded picture of analytical K-homology, we associate a well-defined K-homology class to an unbounded symmetric operator satisfying certain mild technical conditions. We also establish an ``addition formula'' for the Dirac operator on the circle and for the Dolbeault operator on closed surfaces. Two proofs…

We introduce a notion of fibred coarse embedding into Hilbert space for metric spaces, which is a generalization of Gromov's notion of coarse embedding into Hilbert space. It turns out that a large class of expander graphs admit such an embedding. We show that the maximal coarse Baum-Connes conjecture holds for metric …

New groups act on cube complexes without compact cubulation.

Extends coarse index theory to locally compact groups for Callias operators.

Proves an index theorem for foliations using spectral triples.

Extra large Artin groups are simple and have unique geodesics.

These notes cover the contents of three survey lectures held at the ICTP Trieste Summer school on High dimensional manifold theory 2001. They introduce techniques coming from the theory of operator algebras. We will focus on the basic definitions and properties, and on their relevance to the geometry and topology of ma…

Let G be a finitely generated discrete group. In this paper we establish vanishing results for rho-invariants associated to (i) the spin-Dirac operator of a spin manifold with positive scalar curvature (ii) the signature operator of the disjoint union of a pair of homotopy equivalent oriented manifolds with fundamental…

We compute $K$-homology for hyperbolic reflection groups, showing torsion-freeness.

In this paper, the second of a series of two, we continue the study of higher index theory for expanders. We prove that if a sequence of graphs has girth tending to infinity, then the maximal coarse Baum-Connes assembly map is an isomorphism for the associated metric space $X$. As discussed in the first paper in this s…

Study non-vanishing $\ell^2$-Betti numbers for specific groups.

In this paper, the first of a series of two, we continue the study of higher index theory for expanders. We prove that if a sequence of graphs is an expander and the girth of the graphs tends to infinity, then the coarse Baum-Connes assembly map is injective, but not surjective, for the associated metric space $X$. Exp…

The study sets new bounds on positive scalar curvature using group homology.

We prove the inequality $$ \dim_{mc}\Wi M\le n-2$$ for the macroscopic dimension of the universal covers $\Wi M$ of almost spin $n$-manifolds $M$ with positive scalar curvature whose fundamental group $π_1(M)$ is a virtual duality group that satisfies the coarse Baum-Connes conjecture.

These notes are based on a lecture course given by the first author in the Sedano Winter School on K-theory held in Sedano, Spain, on January 22-27th of 2007. They aim at introducing K-theory of C^*-algebras, equivariant K-homology and KK-theory in the context of the Baum-Connes conjecture.

Study on positive scalar curvature metrics with fundamental group constraints.

Using methods from coarse topology we show that fundamental classes of closed enlargeable manifolds map non-trivially both to the rational homology of their fundamental groups and to the K-theory of the corresponding reduced C*-algebras. Our proofs do not depend on the Baum--Connes conjecture and provide independent co…

Between the category of exact metric spaces with bounded geometry (about which much is known) and the larger category of arbitrary exact metric spaces (about which little is known) lies the intermediate category of asymptotically exact metric spaces. We show that the coarse Baum-Connes assembly map is naturally split s…

In this short note we introduce higher graph manifolds and use a version of the barycenter technique to characterize when they undergo volume collapse. In the case when the pure pieces are hyperbolic, we compute the exact value of the minimal volume. We verify the coarse Baum--Connes conjecture for these manifolds and …

Paper bounds the rank of positive scalar curvature metrics on manifolds.

We construct the geometric Baum-Connes assembly map for twisted Lie groupoids, that means for Lie groupoids together with a given groupoid equivariant $PU(H)-$principle bundle. The construction is based on the use of geometric deformation groupoids, these objects allow in particular to give a geometric construction of …

Let G be a discrete group and let X be a G-finite, proper G-CW-complex. We prove that Kasparov's equivariant K-homology groups KK^G(C_0(X),\C) are isomorphic to the geometric equivariant K-homology groups of X that are obtained by making the geometric K-homology theory of Baum and Douglas equivariant in the natural way…

We prove that every finitely generated group with recursive aspherical presentation embeds into a group with finite aspherical presentation. This and several known facts about groups and manifolds imply that there exists a 4-dimensional closed aspherical manifold $M$ such that the fundamental group $π_1(M)$ coarsely co…

In an earlier paper, we established a natural connection between the Baum-Connes conjecture and noncommutative Bloch theory, viz. the spectral theory of projectively periodic elliptic operators on covering spaces. We elaborate on this connection here and provide significant evidence for a fundamental conjecture in nonc…

The main thrust of present note is a volume formula for hyperbolic surface bundle with the fundamental group G. The novelty consists in a purely algebraic approach to the above problem. Initially, we concentrate on the Baum-Connes morphism m(G): K(BG)--> K(C*G) for our class of manifolds, and then classify m(G) in term…

For n>3 we study spaces obtained from finite volume complete real hyperbolic n-manifolds by removing a compact totally geodesic submanifold of codimension two. We prove that their fundamental groups are relative hyperbolic, co-Hopf, biautomatic, residually hyperbolic, not Kähler, not isomorphic to lattices in virtually…

The standard (Berezin-Toeplitz) geometric quantization of a compact Kaehler manifold is restricted by integrality conditions. These restrictions can be circumvented by passing to the universal covering space, provided that the lift of the symplectic form is exact. I relate this construction to the Baum-Connes assembly …

The paper studies algebraic and topological K-theory of Hilbert modular groups.

For a normal covering over a closed oriented topological manifold we give a proof of the L2-signature theorem with twisted coefficients, using Lipschitz structures and the Lipschitz signature operator introduced by Teleman. We also prove that the L-theory isomorphism conjecture as well as the C^*_max-version of the Bau…

Study approximates delocalized eta invariants of covering spaces.

We generalize Roe's Index Theorem for operators of Dirac type on open manifolds to elliptic pseudodifferential operators. To this end we introduce a class of pseudodifferential operators on manifolds of bounded geometry which is more general than similar classes defined by other authors. We revisit Spakula's uniform K-…

In this article, we introduce the notion of a functor on coarse spaces being coarsely excisive- a coarse analogue of the notion of a functor on topological spaces being excisive. Further, taking cones, a coarsely excisive functor yields a topologically excisive functor, and for coarse topological spaces there is an ass…

We study spaces obtained from a complete finite volume complex hyperbolic n-manifold M by removing a compact totally geodesic complex (n-1)-submanifold. The main result is that the fundamental group of M-S is relatively hyperbolic, relative to fundamental groups of the ends of M-S, and M-S admits a complete finite volu…

Let M be a closed enlargeable spin manifold. We show non-triviality of the universal index obstruction in the K-theory of the maximal $C^*$-algebra of the fundamental group of M. Our proof is independent from the injectivity of the Baum-Connes assembly map for the fundamental group of M and relies on the construction o…

We prove the existence of a map of spectra $τ_A \colon kA \to lA$ between connective topological K-theory and connective algebraic L-theory of a complex $C^*$-algebra A which is natural in A and compatible with multiplicative structures. We determine its effect on homotopy groups and as a consequence obtain a natural e…

In the first part of this series, we defined an equivariant index without assuming the group acting or the orbit space of the action to be compact. This allowed us to generalise an index of deformed Dirac operators, defined for compact groups by Braverman. In this paper, we investigate properties and applications of th…

We prove a general relative higher index theorem for complete manifolds with positive scalar curvature towards infinity. We apply this theorem to study Riemannian metrics of positive scalar curvature on manifolds. For every two metrics of positive scalar curvature on a closed manifold and a Galois cover of the manifold…

The Burghelea conjecture is proven for many groups, but not all, with counter-examples provided.

We study primary and secondary invariants of leafwise Dirac operators on foliated bundles. Given such an operator, we begin by considering the associated regular self-adjoint operator $D_m$ on the maximal Connes-Skandalis Hilbert module and explain how the functional calculus of $D_m$ encodes both the leafwise calculus…