We prove the Singer conjecture for extended graph manifolds and pure complex-hyperbolic higher graph manifolds with residually finite fundamental groups. In real dimension three, where a result of Hempel ensures that the fundamental group is always residually finite, we then provide a Price type inequality proof of a well-known result of Lott and Lueck. Finally, we give several classes of higher graph manifolds which do indeed have residually finite fundamental groups.
We study the index of the APS boundary value problem for a strongly Callias-type operator D on a complete Riemannian manifold $M$. We show that this index is equal to an index on a simpler manifold whose boundary is a disjoint union of two complete manifolds $N_0$ and $N_1$. If the dimension of $M$ is odd we show that the latter index depends only on the restrictions $A_0$ and $A_1$ of $D$ to $N_0$ and $N_1$ and thus is an invariant of the boundary. We use this invariant to define the relative eta-invariant $eta(A_1,A_0)$. We show that even though in our situation the eta-invariants of $A_1$ and $A_0$ are not defined, the relative eta-invariant behaves as if it was the difference $eta(A_1)-eta(A_0)$.
The $pi_2$-diffeomorphism finiteness result (cite{FR1,2}, cite{PT}) asserts that the diffeomorphic types of compact $n$-manifolds $M$ with vanishing first and second homotopy groups can be bounded above in terms of $n$, and upper bounds on the absolute value of sectional curvature and diameter of $M$. In this paper, we will generalize this $pi_2$-diffeomorphism finiteness by removing the condition that $pi_1(M)=0$ and asserting the diffeomorphism finiteness on the Riemannian universal cover of $M$.
We study the Cauchy data spaces of the strongly Callias-type operators using maximal domain on manifolds with non-compact boundary, with the aim of understanding the Atiyah-Patodi-Singer index and elliptic boundary value problems.
We classify those compact 3-manifolds with incompressible toral boundary whose fundamental groups are residually free. For example, if such a manifold $M$ is prime and orientable and the fundamental group of $M$ is non-trivial then $M cong Sigmatimes S^1$, where $Sigma$ is a surface.
We give a procedure for reverse engineering a closed, simply connected, Riemannian manifold with bounded local geometry from a sparse chain complex over $mathbb{Z}$. Applying this procedure to chain complexes obtained by lifting recently developed quantum codes, which correspond to chain complexes over $mathbb{Z}_2$, we construct the first examples of power law $mathbb{Z}_2$ systolic freedom. As a result that may be of independent interest in graph theory, we give an efficient randomized algorithm to construct a weakly fundamental cycle basis for a graph, such that each edge appears only polylogarithmically times in the basis. We use this result to trivialize the fundamental group of the manifold we construct.