Yang-Mills theory over surfaces and the Atiyah-Segal theorem

In this paper we explain how Morse theory for the Yang-Mills functional can be used to prove an analogue, for surface groups, of the Atiyah-Segal theorem. Classically, the Atiyah-Segal theorem relates the representation ring R(Gamma) of a compact Lie group $Gamma$ to the complex K-theory of the classifying space $BGamma$. For infinite discrete groups, it is necessary to take into account deformations of representations, and with this in mind we replace the representation ring by Carlssons deformation $K$--theory spectrum $K (Gamma)$ (the homotopy-theoretical analogue of $R(Gamma)$). Our main theorem provides an isomorphism in homotopy $K_*(pi_1 Sigma)isom K^{-*}(Sigma)$ for all compact, aspherical surfaces $Sigma$ and all $*>0$. Combining this result with work of Tyler Lawson, we obtain homotopy theoretical information about the stable moduli space of flat unitary connections over surfaces.