Coarse homology theories (Q5934072)

Work of A. Connes and H. Moscovici on the Novikov conjecture motivated J. Roe to develop coarse geometry and coarse cohomology. Coarse geometry focuses on the large-scale structure of a space. An exposition of the significance of coarse geometry appears in [\textit{J. Roe}, Index theory, coarse geometry, and topology of manifolds, Reg. Conf. Ser. Math. 90 (1996; Zbl 0853.58003)]. The paper under review also draws on ideas introduced in [\textit{N. Higson, E. K. Pedersen}, and \textit{J. Roe}, \(K\)-Theory 11, No. 3, 209-239 (1997; Zbl 0879.19003)]. The author develops the theory of coarse spaces, coarse maps, and coarse homotopy. This permits him to give a general definition of a coarse homology theory. By a process known as coarsening, any locally finite homology theory defines a coarse homology theory on the category of coarse topological spaces. The author states axioms for coarse homology and shows that these axioms uniquely determine the coarse homology of any space coarsely homotopy-equivalent to a finite coarse CW-complex, a concept also defined in this paper. It is important to note that among the axioms is the analogue of the Eilenberg-Steenrod dimension axiom. Different formulations of this axiom give rise to different coarse homology theories. In what follows the coarse homology theory discussed is always the coarsening of \(K\) homology with coefficients in a \(C^*\)-algebra. The significance of the ideas discussed above is that the uniqueness result implies that, whenever the underlying space is coarsely homotopy-equivalent to a finite coarse CW-complex, then the coarse assembly map from coarsened \(K\) homology to \(C^*\)-algebraic \(K\) theory is an isomorphism. Applied to the bounded coarse structure on the metric space made by giving a finitely presented group the word-length metric, this result implies the Novikov conjecture for a class of groups for which the conjecture was previously known. In the context of continuously controlled coarse structures, the result implies the Novikov conjecture for a class of groups (and their subgroups) that the author believes includes groups for which the conjecture was not previously known. These groups are discrete groups having the following properties: the classifying space of the group can be represented as a finite complex; the corresponding universal space admits a coarse compactification to which the group action extends continuously; and the universal space, with continuously controlled coarse structure arising from the compactification, is coarsely homotopy-equivalent to a finite coarse CW-complex. Addendum: Author: There are two mistakes in the article. The first mistake is minor -- the definition of a coarsening cover is slightly too general for coarse homology theories to have the right properties. Fortunately, this problem is easily fixed, and we can still prove an existence theorem concerning coarsening covers. The second mistake is slightly more serious. The original definition of a generalised ray is -- as we show here -- actually too general to be useful. In this addendum we give a revised definition of a generalised ray that fixes this mistake; the basic philosophy of the earlier paper is still valid. However, we are forced to amend our definition of a coarse CW-complex to be compatible with the new definition of a generalised ray.