\(L ^{2}\)-Betti numbers of plane algebraic curves (Q1045742)

Let \(D\) be a reduced curve in the complex affine plane \(\mathbb{C}^2\) and consider the complement \(X(D)=\mathbb{C}^2 \setminus \nu D\), with \(\nu D\) a regular neighborhood of \(D\) inside \(\mathbb{C}^2\). Let \(\widetilde{ X(D)}\) be the infinite cyclic cover of \(X(D)\) associated to the kernel of the natural group homomorphism \(\pi_1(X(D)) \to Z\). The main results of this paper give information on the \(L^2\)-Betti numbers of \(X(D)\) and \(\widetilde { X(D)}\) twisted by group homomorphisms of the fundamental group of \({ X(D)}\) and respectively \(\widetilde{ X(D)}\) to a countable group \(\Gamma\), under the assumption that \(D\) is transversal to the line at infinity.