Subexponential group cohomology and the \(K\)-theory of Lafforgue's algebra \({\mathcal{A}_{\max}}(\pi)\) (Q864999)

Given a discrete group \(\pi\) and a Banach algebra \({\mathcal A}\) with an inclusion of the complex group ring \({\mathbb C}[\pi]\subset {\mathcal A}\) there is an assembly map from the topological \(K\)-homology group \(K_*(B\pi)\) to \(K_*({\mathcal A})\), the topological \(K\)-theory of the Banach algebra \({\mathcal A}\). In the paper under review the authors consider the assembly map for the Banach algebra \({\mathcal A}_{\max}(\pi)\), the maximal unconditional completion of \({\mathbb C}[\pi]\) in the sense of \textit{V. Lafforgue} [Invent. Math. 149, 1--95 (2002; Zbl 1084.19003)] for a finitely generated discrete group \(\pi\). As their main result they show that an element \(x= (x_n,x_{n-2},\dots)\in (H_*(B\pi) \otimes K_*({\mathbb C})) \otimes {\mathbb C} \cong K_*(B\pi) \otimes {\mathbb C}\) of homological degree \(n\) has nontrivial image in \(K_*({\mathcal A}_{\max}(\pi)) \otimes {\mathbb C}\) provided \(x\) pairs nontrivially with a group cocycle \(c\in C^n(B\pi,{\mathbb C})\) of subexponential growth, i.e., a group cocycle \(c\) with the property that for all \(\lambda >1\) there is a constant \(C_\lambda\) such that \(\| c(g_1,g_2,\dots,g_n)\| < C_\lambda (\lambda^{L(g_1)+L(g_2)+\cdots+L(g_n)})\) for all \([g_1,g_2,\dots,g_n]\) in \(C_n(B\pi)\), where \(L\) is the standard word-length function associated to a set of generators of \(\pi\). Thus, if all rational homology classes are detected in this way this result yields rational injectivity of the assembly map \(K_*(B\pi) \to K_*({\mathcal A}_{\max}(\pi))\). The proof of this new result heavily depends on Puschniggs work on local cyclic homology, in particular on the results established in \textit{M. Puschnigg} [Invent. Math. 149, 153--194 (2002; Zbl 1019.22002)]; Doc. Math., J. DMV 8, 143--245 (2003; Zbl 1038.46058)], respectively. The essential step performed in the present paper consists of proving that subexponential cocycles extend to continuous local homology cocycles on \({\mathcal A}_{\max}(\pi)\).