(Bounded) continuous cohomology and Gromov's proportionality principle (Q625501)

Let \(X\) be a topological space, let \(S_i(X)\) be the singular \(i\)-simplices, and let \(C(X)\) be the complex of chains on \(X\) with coefficients in \(\mathbb R\). Give \(S_i(X)\) the compact-open topology; the complex \(C^*(X)\) of singular cochains on \(X\) then has the subcomplexes \(C_c^*(X)\), \(C_b^*(X)\), and \(C_{b,c}^*(X)\) of continuous, bounded, and bounded continuous cochains, respectively. The (co)homology of these complexes gives \(H_c^*(X)\), \(H_b^*(X)\), and \(H_{b,c}^*(X)\). On all of the chain groups, we can define the seminorm \(\| \varphi \| = \sup\{|\varphi(s)|\, |\, s\in S_i(X)\}\), which takes values in \([0,\infty]\). This seminorm induces a seminorm on cohomology, by setting \(\| \varphi \| = \inf\{\| \psi \| \, | \, [\psi] = \varphi\}\). Note that there are natural maps induced by the inclusions \(i^*:H_c^*(X) \to H^*(X)\), \(i_b^*:H_{b,c}^*(X) \to H_b^*(X)\), \(c^*:H_b^*(X)\to H^*(X)\), and \(c_c^*:H_{b,c}^*(X) \to H_c^*(X)\). The main purpose of this paper is to establish a series of isomorphisms and isometries relating the four cohomology groups above. In particular, Theorem~1.1: if \(X\) has the homotopy type of a metrizable and locally contractible topological space, then \(i^*:H_c^*(X) \to H^*(X)\) is an isomorphism. Theorem~1.2: If \(X\) is path connected and has the homotopy type of a contractible \(CW\)-complex, then the map \(i_b^*\) is surjective and norm-decreasing and \(i_b^*\) admits a right inverse which is an isometric embedding. A corollary (Corollary~1.3) is that under the hypotheses of Theorem~1.3, the map \(i^*\) is an isometric isomorphism. With stronger hypotheses, the paper obtains more control over the inclusions, with Theorem~1.4: if \(X\) is path connected and paracompact with contractible universal covering, then \(i^*\) and \(i_b^*\) are isometric isomorphisms, and their inverses can be described by explicit formulae. Even if \(X\) isn't aspherical, the proof still goes through in dimension \(1\), proving Theorem~1.5: if \(X\) is paracompact, locally path connected, and semilocally simply connected, then \(i^1:H_c^1(X) \to H^1(X)\) is an isomorphism whose inverse can be described by explicit formulae. The proof of Theorem~1.1 is accomplished by proving that both continuous and regular cohomology are isomorphic to their sheafified versions, and the sheafified versions are in turn isomorphic (via the necessary maps). The rest of the theorems are proved using that result, together with techniques utilizing the relationship of the bounded cohomology of a space with the bounded cohomology of the group of deck translations of its universal cover. The author next provides some counterexamples; that is, spaces not satisfying the hypotheses of the theorems whose continuous cohomology is \textit{not} equal to their singular cohomology. In the final sections of the paper, the author adapts all the methods above to the case of \textit{smooth} (and bounded and/or continuous) cochains, which enables an independent exposition (including new justification of some details) of Gromov's proportionality principle; that is, that if Riemannian manifolds \(X\) and \(Y\) have a common Riemannian covering (not necessarily finite), then \(\| X \|/\text{Vol}(X) = \| Y \|/\text{Vol}(Y)\), where \(\| X \|\) denotes the \(L^1\) norm of the fundamental class of \(X\). The paper is well written, clear, and provides much, if not all, of the required background material. The subject matter should appeal to a wide range of interests, especially given its application to the proportionality principle; in particular, anyone interested in bounded cohomology or geometric group theory.