On a class of groups satisfying Bass' conjecture (Q1127743)

Let \(\mathbb{Z} G\) be the integral group ring of a group \(G\). The notion of Hattori-Stallings rank \(r_p\) for a finitely generated projective \(\mathbb{Z} G\)-module \(P\) can be found in [\textit{K. S. Brown}, Cohomology of groups, Springer (1982; Zbl 0584.20036)]. A conjecture of Bass asserts that for any group \(G\) and any finitely generated projective \(\mathbb{Z} G\)-module \(P\) we have \(r_p(g)=0\) for all \(g\in G\setminus\{1\}\). In this paper, the author uses the Connes-Karoubi character and defines a large class of groups \({\mathfrak C}(Q)\) which contains all Abelian groups and is closed under subgroups, free products and finite direct products. Then he proves that the conjecture of Bass is satisfied by all groups which are residually in \({\mathfrak C}(Q)\). He also gives an application of this method to the idempotent conjecture that the complex group algebra \(\mathbb{C} G\) of every torsionfree group \(G\) has no idempotents other than \(0\) and \(1\). Namely, the author proves that the idempotent conjecture is satisfied by the groups which are residually in the class consisting of the torsionfree groups in \({\mathfrak C}(Q)\).