A smooth variation of Baas-Sullivan theory and positive scalar curvature (Q358834)

Let \(X\) be a manifold and \(G=\mathrm{Spin}\) or \(\mathrm{SO}\). The bordism groups of spin or oriented manifolds in \(X\) are denoted by \(\Omega_*^G(X)\). An element \([M,f]\in \Omega^G_n(X)\) is a bordism class of continuous maps \(f:M\to X\) where \(M\) is a smooth closed spin or oriented manifold of dimension \(n\). Denote \(^+\Omega^G_n(X) =\{[M,f]\in \Omega^G_n(X) \mid M \text{ admits a pscm (positive scalar curvature metric)}\}\). The author obtains a self-contained proof of a certain statement of \textit{S. Stolz} [Topology 33, No. 1, 159--180 (1994; Zbl 0807.55005)] completed by R. Jung in an uncompleted Ph.D. thesis. Consider the well-known map \(U:\Omega_n^{\mathrm{SO}}(X)\to H_n(X,\mathbb{Z})\) which sends \([M,f]\) to the image of the fundamental class \([M]\in H_n(M,\mathbb{Z})\) under the induced map of \(f\) in homology. The corresponding map in the spin case is the Atiyah-Bott-Schapiro orientation \(A:\Omega_n^{\mathrm{Spin}}(X)\to ko_n(X)\). Let \(M\) be a smooth connected closed manifold of dimension \(n\geq 5\) with fundamental group \(\pi\). Denote by \(B\pi\) the classifying space of \(\pi\) and \(f:M\to B\pi\) the universal covering of \(M\). The author proves in Theorem 1.3. that ker \(A \subset ^+\Omega_*^{\mathrm{Spin}}(B\pi)\) and ker \(U\subset ^+\Omega_*^{\mathrm{SO}}(B\pi)\). This result is used to prove: Theorem 1.2. (1) If \(M\) admits a spin structure, it carries a pscm if and only if \(A([M,f])\in ko^+_n (B\pi)\). (2) If \(M\) is orientable and totally non-spin, it carries a pscm if and only if \(U([M,f])\in H^+_n({B\pi})\).