On the calculation of UNil (Q2484381)

Let \(X\) be a closed \(n\)--dimensional manifold, expressed as a union of codimension 0 submanifolds \(X=X_1 \cup X_{-1}\), with \(X_0=X_1 \cap X_{-1}=\partial X_1 =\partial X_{-1}\subset X\) a codimension 1 submanifold, and \(\pi_1(X) =\pi_1(X_1) *_{\pi_1(X_0)} \pi_1(X_{-1})\). Given another closed \(n\)--dimensional manifold \(M\) and a simple homotopy equivalence \(f\colon M \to X\), the obstruction to deforming \(f\) by an \(h\)--cobordism of domains to a homotopy equivalence of the form \(f_1 \cup f_{-1} \colon M_{1}\cup M_{-1} \to X_1 \cup X_{-1}\), with \(f_{\pm 1}\colon (M_{\pm 1}, \partial M_{\pm 1}) \to (X_{\pm 1}, \partial X_{\pm 1})\) homotopy equivalences of manifolds with boundary such that \(f_1| =f_{-1}| \colon \partial M_1 =\partial M_{-1} \to \partial X_1 =\partial X_{-1}\), is an element \(s(f)\) belonging to the unitary nilpotent \(L\)--group \(UNil_{n+1}(R; \mathcal B_1, \mathcal B_{-1})\), where \(R=\mathbb Z[\pi_1(X_0)]\) and \(\mathcal B_{\pm 1}=\mathbb Z[\pi_1(X_{\pm 1})/\pi_1(X_0)]\). In the paper under review the authors provide a new description of \(UNil_n(R)=UNil_n(R;R,R)\) for any ring with involution \(R\), in terms of \(L\)--groups, which turns out to be useful for computation. Using the quadratic Poincaré cobordism formulation of the \(L\)--groups they prove the following decomposition \[ L_n(R[x])=L_n(R) \oplus UNil_n(R). \] Then they relate this result to the group of symmetric structures on the universal chain bundle (see \textit{M. Weiss}, Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. 51, 146--192, 193--230 (1985; Zbl 0617.57019)]) to produce almost complete calculations of \(UNil_*(\mathbb Z;\mathbb Z, \mathbb Z)\) and the Wall surgery obstruction groups \(L_*(\mathbb Z[D_{\infty}])\) of the infinite dihedral group \(D_{\infty}=\mathbb Z_2 * \mathbb Z_2\).