\(\mathbb Z_n\)-manifolds in 4-dimensional graph-manifolds (Q946580)

The classical Borel conjecture states that homotopy equivalent aspherical manifolds are homeomorphic. This paper shows that a class of smooth 4-manifolds that have fundamental groups of exponential growth verify the Borel conjecture. The class of manifolds can also be described a having a reduced graph-manifold structure, meaning that the manifold is a union of Seifert bundle blocks where none of the gluing maps is isotopic to a fibre preserving map of 2-torus bundles. The methods used are geometrical and inspired by those used in dimension three.