Approximating \(L^2\)-invariants and homology growth (Q2375766)

Let \(\overline{X}\) be a \(G\)-covering space over a finite connected \textit{CW}-complex \(X\), where \(G\) is a group together with a decreasing nested sequence \(\{G_i \}\) of finite index normal subgroups \(G_i \subset G\) such that their intersection is the identity. Under certain assumptions on \(\overline{X}\), the author proves (Theorem 1.1) that if we put \(X_i=G_i \backslash\overline{X}\), then for all \(n \geq 0\) \[ \begin{aligned} &\lim_i\frac{b_n(X_i; K)}{[G : G_i]}=0, \quad \lim_i\frac{\text{d}(H_n(X_i))}{[G : G_i]}=0, \quad \lim_i\frac{\text{In}(|\text{tors}(H_n(X_i))|)}{[G : G_i]}=0,\\ &\lim_i\frac{\rho^{(2)}(X_i; \mathcal{N}(\{1\}))}{[G : G_i]}=0, \quad \lim_i\frac{\rho^{\mathbb{Z}}(X_i)}{[G : G_i]}=0, \quad b_n^{(2)}(\overline{X}; \mathcal{N}(G))=0\\ &\text{and} \quad \rho^{(2)}(\overline{X}; \mathcal{N}(G))=0 \end{aligned} \] where \(d\) denotes the minimal number of generators, \(b_n\) the \(n\)th Betti number with coefficients in the field \(K\), \(\text{tors}\) the torsion subgroup of homology, \(\rho^{(2)}\) the \(L^2\)-torsion and \(\rho^{\mathbb{Z}}\) the integral torsion; also \(\mathcal{N} (\pi)\) denotes the von Neumann algebra of the group \(\pi\). All other results of this paper are proved as consequences of this theorem. Consider here in particular the case where \(\overline{X}\) is the universal cover \(\widetilde{X}\) of an aspherical closed manifold \(X\) with \(G=\pi_1(X)\). Then as a corollary of this theorem we know (Corollary 1.13) that the result of the theorem holds for this \(X\) if we assume that \(G\) contains a non-trivial elementary amenable normal subgroup or \(X\) carries a non-trivial \(S^1\)-action. The proof of the theorem is intricate and long (31 of 42 total pages are devoted to it and its preliminaries). Moreover, there are two new conjectures (Conjectures 1.11 and 1.12) presented on approximation of the \(L^2\)-invariants and growth of the torsion subgroup of homology respectively. According to the author, these are motivated by the works of \textit{N. Bergeron} and \textit{A. Venkatesh} [J. Inst. Math. Jussieu 12, No. 2, 391--447 (2013; Zbl 1266.22013)] and the author [\(L^2\)-invariants: Theory and applications to geometry and \(K\)-theory. Berlin: Springer-Verlag (2002; Zbl 1009.55001)], and, in turn, they provide a motivation for this paper. It is also remarked that the corollary presented above covers a special case of these two conjectures.