Quantitative partitioned index theorem and noncompact band-width

Abstract

Gromov's band-width conjecture gives a precise upper bound for the width of a compact Riemannian band with positive scalar curvature lower bound, assuming that the cross-section of the band admits no positive scalar curvature metrics. Versions of this were proved by Cecchini and by Zeidler. In this paper, we develop a quantitative version of partitioned manifold index theory, which applies to noncompact hypersurfaces. Using this, we prove a version of Gromov's band-width estimate for possibly noncompact Riemannian bands.