Homotopy invariance of foliation Betti numbers (Q1176636)

Given two compact foliated manifolds with invariant transverse measures and a left-wise homotopy equivalence, the authors construct a von Neumann algebra containing the von Neumann algebras of the individual foliations. They show that there is an involution of this algebra which intertwines the corresponding projections which give rise to the Betti numbers of the two foliations. If the homotopy equivalence is measure preserving, then there is a trace on the algebra which restricts to the traces on the von Neumann algebras of the foliations under consideration, and the corresponding Betti numbers are the same.