Irrational \(l^2\) invariants arising from the lamplighter group (Q2630775)

Let \(\mathbb Z [\Gamma]\) be the integral group ring of the countable finitely generated group \( \Gamma\) and let \(T\) be a matrix with entries in \(\mathbb Z [\Gamma]\). A real number \(r\) is said to be an \(l^2\)-Betti number arising from \(\Gamma\) and \(T\) if the von Neuman dimension of the kernel of \(T\) is equal to \(r\). The author considers the Atiyah conjecture for \(\Gamma\): what are the \(l^2\)-Betti numbers arising from \(\Gamma\)? In Theorem 2, he proves that if \(p\) is a natural number greater than 1 and \(\mathbb Z_p \wr \mathbb Z\) is the lamplighter group, then there is a matrix \(T\) with entries in \(\mathbb Z [\mathbb Z_p \wr \mathbb Z]\) such that the \(l^2\)-Betti number arising from \(\mathbb Z_p \wr \mathbb Z\) and \(T\) is a transcendental number. Besides, he finds this number. In Theorem 7, the author proves, that there is a family \(T(b)\in \mathbb R [\mathbb Z_2 \wr \mathbb Z]\), \(b\in (1,\infty)\), such that \(T(b)\in \mathbb Q [\mathbb Z_2 \wr \mathbb Z]\) and \(\alpha (T(b)) =1/(2\log_2(b))\) holds for \(b\in \mathbb Q\), where \(\alpha (T(b))\) is the Novikov-Shubin invariant of \(T(b)\). Theorem 7 is an example with irracional Novikov-Shubin invariants. In fact, it improves the conjecture of \textit{J. Lott} and \textit{W. Lück} [Invent. Math. 120, No. 1, 15--60 (1995; Zbl 0876.57050)]. The author proves, that every positive real number is equal to the Novikov-Shubin invariant of some element of \(\mathbb R [\mathbb Z_2 \wr \mathbb Z]\).