\(K\)-theoretic indices of Dirac type operators on complete manifolds and the Roe algebra (Q676161)

Let \(M\) be a complete open Riemannian spin manifold of bounded geometry. Let \(D\) be the Dirac operator on \(M\) acting on the Hilbert space \(L^2(S)\) of square integrable spinors over \(M\). Then \(D\) is, as geometric elliptic operator, invertible modulo locally traceable operators of finite propagation speed, i.e., invertible modulo elements of the Roe-algebra \(B_S\). Consequently, the index of \(D\) can be defined as element of the \(K\)-group of the norm closure \(\overline {B_S}\) of \(B_S\) inside \({\mathcal B} (L^2(S))\): \(\text{Ind }D\in K_0(\overline{\mathcal B}_S)\). The aim of the article is the construction of certain \(K\)-homology classes on the Roe algebra which are used, by pairing them with the index class \(\text{Ind} D\), to draw conclusions about the geometry of the underlying open manifold \(M\). More precisely, the content is as follows. \(\bullet\) It is known that the spectrum of the \(C^*\)-algebra of continuous functions on \(M\) which vanish and have vanishing variation at infinity defines a compactification \(\overline M\) of \(M\). \(\overline M-M\) is called the Higson corona of \(M\). \(\bullet\) The author calls a compactly supported vector bundle \(E\in K^0 (M,pt) \simeq K_0(C_0(M))\) special if it is the image of an element \(U\in K^1 (\overline M-M)\) under the boundary map of the \(K\)-theory exact sequence associated to the extension \[ 0\to C_0 (M)\to C(\overline M)\to C(\overline M-M) \to 0. \] The author shows that every special vector bundle gives rise to a \(K\)-homology class \(E'\in K^0 (\overline {B_S})\) over the Roe-algebra. The main theorem identifies then the pairing of these \(K\)-homology classes with the index class of \(D\) as \[ [\text{Ind} D] \otimes_{\overline {B_S}} [E']= [E] \otimes_{C_0(M)} [D] \] where \([E] \otimes_{C_0(M)} [D]\) is the ordinary index of the Dirac operator \(D\), twisted with the compactly supported vector bundle \(E\). This result turns out to be a convenient tool to investigate the nonvanishing of \(\text{Ind} D\). A typical application is the Theorem: If there exists a compact subset \(C\) of \(M\) such that one of the connected components for \(M-C\) is isometric to the cone \(\mathbb{R}_+ \times N\) with metric \(dr^2+ f(r)^2g^N\) where \(g^N\) is the metric on the compact, oriented manifold \(N\) and \(\lim_{r\to\infty} f(r)= \infty\), then there exists no metric in the strict quasi-isometry class on \(M\) whose scalar curvature is uniformly positive outside a compact set. Finally, the behaviour of \(\text{Ind} D \in K_0 (\overline {B_S})\) under the operation of taking the connected sum of the underlying manifolds is studied.