Special generic maps and \(L^ 2\)-Betti numbers (Q1355882)

This paper deals with a kind of smooth maps between smooth manifolds having particularly pleasant singularities: the special generic maps which were introduced in 1974 by \textit{O. Burlet} and \textit{G. de Rham} [Enseign. Math., II. Sér. 20, 275-292 (1974; Zbl 0299.58005)]. The author shows that if some \(q\)-th \(L^2\)-Betti number of a closed connected \(n\)-manifold \(M\) is non-zero and \(q\leq n/2\), then \(M\) does not admit special generic maps into open \(p\)-manifolds with \(p\leq q\). It is also proven that for a given special generic map, \(f:M^n\to N^p\), some inequalities hold relating the \((p-1)\)-st \(L^2\)-Betti number of \(M\) and the orders of the fundamental groups of the connected components of the singular set of \(f\), where \(M\) is closed connected with infinite fundamental group, \(N\) is open and \(p<n\). A number of interesting applications are derived from the above results.