The Gromoll filtration, \(KO\)-characteristic classes and metrics of positive scalar curvature (Q351716)

Let \(X\) be a closed \(m\)-dimensional spin manifold which admits a metric of positive scalar curvature and let \(\mathcal{R}^{+} (X)\) denote the space of all such metrics. The main result of the paper (Corollary 1.2) says that \[ \pi_{8j + 1 -m} (\mathcal{R}^{+}(X)) \neq 0 \] for any \(j \in \mathbb Z\) such that \(8j-m \geq 0\) and \(m \geq 7\). Hitchin has previously found non-trivial elements in \(\pi_{n-1} (\mathcal{R}^{+} (X))\) for \(n = 1,2\) and Hanke, Steimle and Schick have found non-trivial elements also in \(\pi_{n-1} \mathcal{R}^{+} (X)\) for \(n \geq 2\). In contrast with these results the main theorem of the present paper finds non-trivial elements for a given \(X\) in infinitely many dimensions. The proof is by constructing non-trivial elements using a method of Hitchin as follows. Let \(\mathrm{Diff} (X)\) denote the space of diffeomorphisms of \(X\) and let \(\mathrm{Diff} (D^m,\partial)\) denote the space of diffeomorphisms of the disk \(D^m\) which are the identity near the boundary \(\partial D^m\). Fixing \(D^m \subset X\) defines an inclusion \[ i : \mathrm{Diff} (D^m,\partial) \rightarrow \mathrm{Diff} (X). \] Furthermore \(\mathrm{Diff} (X)\) acts on \(\mathcal{R}^{+} (X)\) by the pull-back of metrics and fixing some \(g \in \mathcal{R}^{+} (X)\) defines a map \[ T : \mathrm{Diff} (X) \rightarrow \mathcal{R}^{+} (X). \] The desired elements are obtained as images under the composition \(T_\ast \circ i_\ast\) from certain non-trivial elements which the authors find in the groups \[ \pi_{8j + 1 -m} (\mathrm{Diff} (D^m,\partial)). \] For the proof the authors use the above mentioned method of Hitchin which employs the so-called~\(\alpha\)-invariant. The group \(\Gamma^{m+1} = \pi_{0} (\mathrm{Diff} (D^{m},\partial))\) is isomorphic to the group of \((m+1)\)-dimensional homotopy spheres. The \(\alpha\) invariant is a map \[ \alpha : \Gamma^{m+1} \rightarrow KO_{m+1} \] obtained by considering a homotopy sphere as a closed spin manifold and taking the \(KO\)-valued index of its real Dirac operator. For any \(0 < i \leq j\) there are geometrically defined homomorphisms \[ \lambda_{i,j}^{n} : \pi_{j} (\mathrm{Diff} (D^{n-j},\partial)) \rightarrow \pi_{j-i} (\mathrm{Diff} (D^{n-j+i},\partial)). \] Hitchin defined a homomorphism \[ A_{n-1} : \pi_{n-1} (\mathcal{R}^{+} (X)) \rightarrow KO_{m+n} \] and showed that (abbreviating \(\lambda = \lambda_{i,i}^{m+n}\)): \[ A_{n-1} \circ T_{\ast} \circ i_{\ast} = \alpha \circ \lambda. \] For any \(n \geq 2\) the Gromoll filtration is the filtration \[ 0 = \Gamma^{n+1}_{n-2} \subset \cdots \subset \Gamma^{n+1}_{i} \subset \Gamma^{n+1}_{i+1} \subset \cdots \subset \Gamma^{n+1} \] by subgroups \[ \Gamma^{n+1}_{i+1} = \lambda (\pi_{i} (\mathrm{Diff} (D^{n-i},\partial)). \] The second main result of the paper (Theorem 1.1) says that for any \(j \geq 1\) there is an element \[ f_j \in \pi_{8j-6} (\mathrm{Diff} (D^7,\partial)) \] such that \(\alpha (\lambda (f_j)) \neq 0\) and hence for any \(0 \leq i \leq 8j-6\) we have \[ 0 \neq \lambda_{i,8j-6}^{8j+1} (f_j) \in \pi_{8j-6-i} (\mathrm{Diff} (D^{7+i},\partial)). \] The new non-trivial elements in \(\pi_{8j + 1 -m} (\mathcal{R}^{+}(X))\) are the images for \(7+i = m\). The proof of Theorem 1.1 uses an identification of the \(\alpha\)-invariant with the homotopy theoretic \(d\)-invariant of Adams, smoothing theory, Toda brackets and a certain product formula for the \(\alpha\)-invariant.