arXiv research

This thesis studies positive scalar curvature metrics on G-proper spaces and pseudomanifolds.

In this paper, we study the space of metrics of positive scalar curvature using methods from coarse geometry. Given a closed spin manifold M with fundamental group G, Stephan Stolz introduced the positive scalar curvature exact sequence, in analogy to the surgery exact sequence in topology. It calculates a structure gr…

Proves Stolz conjecture for specific types of manifolds.

Proves a conjecture for a specific group using spectral sequences and homology.

Establishes a framework for stringor bundles, proving their canonical isomorphism to Stolz-Teichner's.

Study of equivariant scalar curvature groups for proper group actions.

Given a two-dimensional quantum field theory with (0,2) supersymmetry, one can construct a chiral (or vertex) algebra. The chiral algebra of a (0,2) supersymmetric sigma model is, perturbatively, the cohomology of a sheaf of chiral differential operators on a string Kähler manifold. However, it vanishes in some cases w…

The Kreck-Stolz s invariant is used to distinguish connected components of the moduli space of positive scalar curvature metrics. We use a formula of Kreck and Stolz to calculate the s invariant for metrics on S^n bundles with nonnegative sectional curvature. We then apply it to show that the moduli spaces of metrics w…

Let $Γ$ be a discrete group. Assuming rational injectivity of the Baum-Connes assembly map, we provide new lower bounds on the rank of the positive scalar curvature bordism group and the relative group in Stolz' positive scalar curvature sequence for $\mathrm{B} Γ$. The lower bounds are formulated in terms of the part …

The abstract discusses fiber sum formulas for 4-manifolds using topological modular forms.

Building on work of Stolz, we prove for integers $0 \le d \le 3$ and $k>232$ that the boundaries of $(k-1)$-connected, almost closed $(2k+d)$-manifolds also bound parallelizable manifolds. Away from finitely many dimensions, this settles longstanding questions of C.T.C. Wall, determines all Stein fillable homotopy sphe…

This paper numerically computes the topological and smooth invariants of Eschenburg spaces with small fourth cohomology group, following Kruggel's determination of the Kreck-Stolz invariants of Eschenburg spaces that satisfy condition C. The GNU GMP arbitrary-precision library is utilised.

Study shows infinitely many nonnegatively curved metric spaces on exotic 7-manifolds.

We generalise the Kreck-Stolz invariants s_2 and s_3 by defining a new invariant, the t-invariant, for quaternionic line bundles E over closed spin-manifolds M of dimension 4k-1 with H^3(M; \Q) = 0 such that c_2(E)\in H^4(M) is torsion. The t-invariant classifies closed smooth oriented 2-connected rational homology 7-s…

The paper proves complex geometry results for manifolds of the form X × R², answering a 1994 conjecture.

Constructs maps from field theories to complexified K-theory and elliptic cohomology.

We propose a dimensional reduction procedure in the Stolz--Teichner framework of supersymmetric Euclidean field theories (EFTs) that is well-suited in the presence of a finite gauge group or, more generally, for field theories over an orbifold. As an illustration, we give a geometric interpretation of the Chern charact…

New actions found on exotic spheres using group theory.

The Kreck-Stolz $s$-invariant is a classic path-component invariant for the space and moduli space of positive scalar curvature metrics. It is an absolute (as opposed to relative) invariant, but this strength comes at the expense of being defined only under restrictive topological conditions. The aim of this paper is t…

Study proves Witten genera vanish for certain manifolds, supporting a conjecture.

In this paper, we investigate existence of inequivalent smooth structures on closed smooth non-orientable 4-manifolds building upon results of Akbulut, Cappell-Shaneson, Fintushel-Stern, Gompf, and Stolz. We add to the number of known constructions and provide new examples of exotic manifolds that are obtained as an ap…

We show how a suitably twisted Spin-cobordism spectrum connects to the question of existence of metrics of positive scalar curvature on closed, smooth manifolds by building on fundamental work of Gromov, Lawson, Rosenberg, Stolz and others. We then investigate this parametrised spectrum, compute its $mod~2$-cohomology …

The importance of the fusion relation of loops was recognized in the context of spin structures on the loop space by Stolz and Teichner and further developed by Waldorf. On a spin manifold M the equivalence classes of `fusive' spin structures on the loop space LM, incorporating the fusion property, strong regularity an…

We extend our analysis in [arXiv:0801.4782] and show that the chiral algebras of (0,2) sigma models are totally trivialized by worldsheet instantons for all complete flag manifolds of compact semisimple Lie groups. Consequently, supersymmetry is spontaneously broken. Our results verify Stolz's idea that there are no ha…

We study here compact manifolds with positive scalar curvature metrics. We use the relative Yamabe invariant from math.DG/0008138 to define the conformal cobordism relation on the category of such manifolds. We prove that corresponding conformal cobordism groups $\Pos_n^{\conf}(γ)$ are isomorphic to the cobordism group…

The paper classifies bundles over complex projective plane.

As shown by Gromov-Lawson and Stolz the only obstruction to the existence of positive scalar curvature metrics on closed simply connected manifolds in dimensions at least five appears on spin manifolds and is given by the non-vanishing of the $α$-genus of Hitchin. When unobstructed we shall realize a positive scalar cu…

We explore two-dimensional sigma models with (0,2) supersymmetry through their chiral algebras. Perturbatively, the chiral algebras of (0,2) models have a rich infinite-dimensional structure described by the cohomology of a sheaf of chiral differential operators. Nonperturbatively, instantons can deform this structure …

We present a finite-dimensional and smooth formulation of string structures on spin bundles. It uses trivializations of the Chern-Simons 2-gerbe associated to this bundle. Our formulation is particularly suitable to deal with string connections: it enables us to prove that every string structure admits a string connect…

We provide a differential cocycle model for elliptic cohomology with complex coefficients and use analytic methods to construct a cocycle representative for the Witten class in this language. Our motivation stems from the conjectural connection between 2-dimensional field theories and elliptic cohomology originally due…

The study classifies spin$^c$ manifolds with positive generalized scalar curvature.

Spinor bundle constructed on loop space for string manifolds.

We generalize a result of the author about the classification of 1-connected 7-manifolds and demonstrate its use by two concrete applications, one to 2-connected 7-manifolds (a new proof -- and slightly different formulation -- of an up to now unpublished Theorem by Crowley and Nordstroem and one to simply connected 7-…

Ramond has observed that the massless multiplet of eleven-dimensional supergravity can be generated from the decomposition of certain representation of the exceptional Lie group F4 into those of its maximal compact subgroup Spin(9). The possibility of a topological origin for this observation is investigated by studyin…

The paper proves a stability conjecture for manifolds with zero Euler characteristic.

In this paper, we give a quantum interpretation of the Bismut-Chern character form (the loop space lifting of the Chern character form) as well as the Chern character form associated to a complex vector bundle with connection over a smooth manifold in the framework of supersymmetric quantum field theories developed by …

We examine several classes of manifolds which have the same cohomology ring as an Eschenburg space (a family of biquotients which is a main source of manifolds with positive curvature). One family are the 3-sphere bundles over CP^2. Another are the circle bundles over a base, which itself is one of the family of CP^1 b…

We study the question of existence of a Riemannian metric of positive scalar curvature metric on manifolds with the Sullivan-Baas singularities. The manifolds we consider are Spin and simply connected. We prove an analogue of the Gromov-Lawson Conjecture for such manifolds in the case of particular type of singularitie…

This paper classifies 13D manifolds based on Bazaikin spaces.

The authors examine topological properties of the 7-dimensional Eschenburg biquotients diag(z^k1,z^k2,z^k3)\SU(3)/diag(z^l1,z^l2,z^l3). A subfamily of these spaces carry a 3-Sasakian metric. The authors show that among this subfamily there exist many 3-Sasakian spaces which are homeomorphic but not diffeomorphic. In ad…

Constructs differential models for twisted Spin^c-bordism and its dual, defining a new anomaly map.

The equations of motion and the Bianchi identity of the C-field in M-theory are encoded in terms of the signature operator. We then reformulate the topological part of the action in M-theory using the signature, which leads to connections to the geometry of the underlying manifold, including positive scalar curvature. …

Let $M$ be an isoparametric hypersurface in the sphere $S^n$ with four distinct principal curvatures. Münzner showed that the four principal curvatures can have at most two distinct multiplicities $m_1, m_2$, and Stolz showed that the pair $(m_1,m_2)$ must either be $(2,2)$, $(4,5)$, or be equal to the multiplicities o…

Paper establishes equivalence between algebraic and functorial QFTs.

The paper explores index theory for Dirac operators to understand scalar curvature properties.

The paper computes inertia groups of certain high-dimensional manifolds.

Completes classification of high-dimensional manifolds up to exotic sums.

We consider the space of odd spinors on the circle, and a decomposition into spinors supported on either the top or on the bottom half of the circle. If an operator preserves this decomposition, and acts on the bottom half in the same way as a second operator acts on the top half, then the fusion of both operators is a…