An etale approach to the Novikov conjecture

Abstract

We show that the rational Novikov conjecture for a group $\hat{I}“$ of finite homological type follows from the mod 2 acyclicity of the Higson compactifcation of an E$\hat{I}“$. We then show that for groups of finite asymptotic dimension the Higson compactification is mod p acyclic for all p, and deduce the integral Novikov conjecture for these groups.

Preprint of Max-Planck Institut fur Mathematik