Finite decomposition complexity and the integral Novikov conjecture for higher algebraic \(K\)-theory (Q741785)

The notion of \textit{decomposition complexity} of a metric space was introduced by \textit{E. Guentner}, \textit{R. Tessera} and \textit{G. Yu} in [Invent. Math. 189, No. 2, 315--357 (2012; Zbl 1257.57028)]. Roughly speaking, this measures the the difficulty of decomposing a metric space into uniformly bounded pieces that are suitable separated. This, on the other hand, naturally generalizes the notion of asymptotic dimension of a space. The authors explore this notion in the context of geometric modules and their continuously controlled \(K\)-theory of spaces. The main applications are the following theorems: Theorem 1. Let \(\Gamma\) be a group with finite decomposition complexity. Assume that there exists a universal principal \(\Gamma\)-bundle \(E\Gamma\to B\Gamma\) with \(B\Gamma\) a finite \(CW\) complex. Then, the \(K\)-theoretic assembly \[ H_*(B\Gamma ;\mathbb{K}(R))\to K_*(R[\Gamma]) \] is an isomorphism for all \(*\in\mathbb{Z}\) and any ring \(R\). In the above, the homology groups have coefficients in the non-connective \(K\)-theory spectrum \(\mathbb{K}\) of \(R\). The second important result is the following vanishing result for continuously controlled \(K\) theory: Theorem 2. Let \(X\) be a metric space with bounded geometry and finite decomposition complexity, then \[ \mathrm{colim}_s K^c_*(P_sX)=0 \text{ for all } *\in\mathbb{Z}. \] In the above, \(P_sX\) denotes the Rips complex associated to \(X\) and the colimit is over an increasing unbounded sequence of real numbers \(s_0<s_1<s_2<\dots\).