Bounded cohomology and \(\ell ^ 1-\hom o\log y\) of surfaces (Q1060458)

Generalizing a result of \textit{R. Brooks} and \textit{C. Series} [ibid. 23, 29-36 (1984; Zbl 0523.55011)], the author shows that the dimension of the second bounded cohomology group of a surface with non-amenable fundamental group is the cardinality of continuum. He shows this at least in two different ways. These simplify the proof of Brooks-Series. The one is a geometrical method using the perturbation of the hyperbolic metric of the surface and the other is a group homological method using the Euler class. In the course of the proof, he introduces the \(\ell^ 1\)- homology group of surfaces and obtains the same result on the dimension of the second \(\ell^ 1\)-homology group.