Hyperbolic metric spaces and the exotic cohomology Novikov conjecture (Q1176113)

Let \(M\) be a complete, locally compact path metric space. In the papers ``Exotic cohomology and index theory'' [Bull. Am. Math. Soc., New. Ser. 23, 447-453 (1990; Zbl 0719.58036)] and ``Exotic cohomology and index theory on complete Riemannian manifolds'' [Preprint (1990)], the author defined exotic cohomology groups \(HX^*(M)\) which (using his own words) depend only on the large-scale structure of \(M\). On the other hand, \textit{N. Higson} [``On the relative \(K\)-homology theory of Baum and Douglas'', Preprint (1989)] defined a compactification \(\overline M\) of \(M\) with \(\nu M=\overline {M}-M\) being called universal corona of \(M\). (\(\nu M\) is not metrizable). We shall call corona of \(M\) any metrizable quotient space \(N\) of the universal corona \(\nu M\). For each corona \(N\) there is a transgression map \(T_ N: H^{*- 1}(N;\mathbb{R})\to HX^*(M)\). The (strong) version of the exotic cohomology Novikov conjecture can be formulated as follows: For any \(\phi\in HX^*(M)\) there exists a corona \(N\) and a class \(\beta\in H^{*-1}(N;\mathbb{R})\) such that \(T_ N(\beta)=\phi\). Under the assumption that \(M\) is hyperbolic in the sense of Gromov the author proves first a weaker version of the conjecture, and then gives rather detailed indications how to prove the strong version. The author also remarks that combining this result with the methods of his preprint cited above, the following theorem can be proved: Let \(M\) be a complete Riemannian manifold which is hyperbolic as a metric space and uniformly contractible. Then \(M\) does not have uniformly positive scalar curvature.