On the generalized Geroch conjecture for complete spin manifolds (Q2105902)

The authors prove the following statement: Theorem. Let \(W\) be a closed area enlargeable manifold and let \(M\) be an arbitrary spin manifold of the same dimension. Then the connected sum \(M \# W\) does not carry a complete positive scalar curvature metric. The novelty of this theorem is that \(M\) is allowed to be non-compact. In the case that \(M\) is closed, then this result is explicitly mentioned in [\textit{M. Gromov} and \textit{H. B. Lawson jun.}, Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 58, 83--196 (1983; Zbl 0538.53047)]. The authors derive this result essentially by showing directly that \(M \# W\) is area-enlargeable so that it cannot carry a positive scalar curvature metric. They also describe how this result imply the positive mass theorem for spin manifolds.