On the center-valued Atiyah conjecture for \(L^2\)-Betti numbers (Q526156)

Let \(G\) be a discrete group, \(\mathcal N(G)\) its von Neumann algebra, and let \(\mathcal Z(A)\) denote the center of an algebra \(A\). The authors formulate the center-valued Atiyah conjecture, which states that the \(\mathcal Z(\mathcal N(G))\)-valued \(L^2\)-Betti numbers of finite free \(G\)-\(CW\)-complexes are contained in the discrete subgroup of \(\mathcal Z(\mathbb C[G])\) generated by the center-valued traces of all projections in \(\mathbb C[H]\), where \(H\) runs through the finite subgroups of \(G\). This is a refinement of the classical Atiyah conjecture, which states that the classical \(L^2\)-Betti numbers are contained in \(\frac{1}{lcm(G)}\mathbb Z\), where \(lcm(G)\) is the least common multiple of orders of finite subgroups of \(G\). This center-valued refinement of the classical Atiyah conjecture is clearly stronger than the latter. The authors prove the center-valued Atiyah conjecture for all groups in the Linnell class \(\mathfrak C\) and for many groups which are residual in \(\mathfrak C\).