Higher rho invariants and the moduli space of positive scalar curvature metrics

Abstract

Given a closed smooth manifold M which carries a positive scalar curvature metric, one can associate an abelian group P(M) to the space of positive scalar curvature metrics on this manifold. The group of all diffeomorphisms of the manifold naturally acts on P(M). The moduli group of positive scalar curvature metrics is defined to be the quotient abelian group of this action, i.e. the coinvariant of the action. The moduli group measures the size of the moduli space of positive scalar curvature metrics on M. In this paper, we use the higher rho invariant and the finite part of the K-theory of the group C*-algebra of the fundamental group of M to give a lower bound of the rank of the moduli group.