Graph manifolds as ends of negatively curved Riemannian manifolds (Q2211893)

The authors ask which aspherical manifolds can appear as ends of negatively curved Riemannian manifolds. It is well known that an \(n\)-dimensional torus appears as an end of an \((n+1)\)-dimensional hyperbolic manifold of finite volume. A graph manifold is an aspherical, closed 3-manifold whose JSJ decomposition (toral decomposition) along embedded incompressible tori/Klein bottles contains only Seifert fibered spaces. Let \(M\) be a graph manifold such that each piece has the geometry of \(\mathbb{H}^2\times\mathbb{R}\). Assume \(M\) has a geometrization, i.e., the gluing is isometric. The authors construct a complete Riemannian metric on \(\mathbb{R}\times M\) that is an eventually warped cusp metric with the sectional curvature \(K_M\) satisfying \(-1 \le K_M <0\). We say \(g\) is an eventually warped cusp metric if there is \(r_0>0\) such that on \([r_0, \infty)\times M\), the metric \(g\) is of the form \(dr^2 + e^{2r} g_{_M}\). Applying a result by \textit{P. Ontaneda} [Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 131, 1--72 (2020; Zbl 1442.53026)], the authors obtain as a corollary that such a graph manifold \(M\) appears as an end of a \(4\)-dimensional complete noncompact Riemannian manifold of finite volume with sectional curvature \(K\) satisfying \(-1 \le K <0\). Second it is known by \textit{B. Leeb} [Invent. Math. 122, No. 2, 277--289 (1995; Zbl 0840.53031)], and \textit{B. Leeb} and \textit{P. Scott} [Comment. Math. Helv. 75, No. 2, 201--215 (2000; Zbl 0979.53037)] that a graph manifold \(M\) whose pieces have the geometry of \(\mathbb{H}^2 \times\mathbb{R}\), has a geometrization if and only if it has a Riemannian metric of nonpositive sectional curvature. Hence the main theorem in this paper can be rephrased as follows: Let \(M\) be a closed graph manifold such that each piece has the geometry of \(\mathbb{H}^2\times\mathbb{R}\). Assume \(M\) has a Riemannian metric of nonpositive sectional curvature. Then the main results mentioned above hold. Finally, the authors also obtain a higher-dimensional version of the result. Let \(M\) be a higher-dimensional graph manifold of dimension \((n+m)\) and assume that \(M\) has a geometrization. They prove that \(M\) carries a metric of nonpositive curvature and that there is a complete Riemannian metric \(g\) on \(\mathbb{R}\times M\) that is an eventually warped cusp metric with the sectional curvature \(K\) satsifying \(-1\le K <0\).