The space of nonpositively curved metrics of a negatively curved manifold (Q2339790)

Let \(M^n\) be a closed smooth manifold of dimension \(n\). We denote by \(\mathcal{M}\) the space of all smooth Riemannian metrics on \(M\) and we consider \(\mathcal{M}\) with the smooth topology. Also, we denote by \(\mathcal{M}^{\mathrm{sec}<0}\) the subspace formed by all negatively curved Riemannian metrics on \(M\). In ibid. 86, No. 2, 273--301 (2010; Zbl 1221.58009)] the authors proved that \(\mathcal{M}^{\mathrm{sec}<0}\) always has infinitely many path-components, provided \(n\geq 10\) and it is non-empty. Let \(\mathcal{M}^{\mathrm{sec}\leq 0}\) be the subspace of \(\mathcal{M}\) formed by all non-positively curved Riemannian metrics on \(M\). In this paper the authors generalize to \(\mathcal{M}^{\mathrm{sec}\leq 0}\) the results concerning to the space \(\mathcal{M}^{\mathrm{sec}< 0}\), provided \(\pi_1M\) is (word) hyperbolic. Let \(M^n\) be a closed smooth manifold with hyperbolic fundamental group \(\pi_1 M\). Assume \(\mathcal{M}^{\mathrm{sec}\leq 0}\) is non-empty. Then:{\parindent=6mm \begin{itemize} \item[(i)] the space \(\mathcal{M}^{\mathrm{sec}\leq 0}\) has infinitely many components, provided \(n\geq 10\).\item [(ii)] The group \(\pi_1(\mathcal{M}^{\mathrm{sec}\leq 0})\) is not trivial when \(n\geq 12\). In fact it contains the infinite sum \((\mathbb{Z}_2)^\infty\) as a subgroup.\item [(iii)] The groups \(\pi_{2p-4}(\mathcal{M}^{\mathrm{sec}\leq 0})\) are non-trivial for every prime number \(p>2\), and such that \(p<\frac{n+5}{6}\). \end{itemize}} In fact, these groups contain the infinite sum \((\mathbb{Z}_p)^\infty\) as a subgroup.