A spectral sequence to compute L2-Betti numbers of groups and groupoids

We construct a spectral sequence for L2-type cohomology groups of discrete measured groupoids. Based on the spectral sequence, we prove the Hopf-Singer conjecture for aspherical manifolds with poly-surface fundamental groups. More generally, we obtain a permanence result for the Hopf-Singer conjecture under taking fiber bundles whose base space is an aspherical manifold with poly-surface fundamental group. As further sample applications of the spectral sequence, we obtain new vanishing theorems and explicit computations of L2-Betti numbers of groups and manifolds and obstructions to the existence of normal subrelations in measured equivalence relations.Comment: added remark 4.9 about applying spectral sequence in a non-ergodic situation; minor correction

On Turing dynamical systems and the Atiyah problem

Main theorems of the article concern the problem of M. Atiyah on possible values of l^2-Betti numbers. It is shown that all non-negative real numbers are l^2-Betti numbers, and that "many" (for example all non-negative algebraic) real numbers are l^2-Betti numbers of simply connected manifolds with respect to a free cocompact action. Also an explicit example is constructed which leads to a simply connected manifold with a transcendental l^2-Betti number with respect to an action of the threefold direct product of the lamplighter group Z/2 wr Z. The main new idea is embedding Turing machines into integral group rings. The main tool developed generalizes known techniques of spectral computations for certain random walk operators to arbitrary operators in groupoid rings of discrete measured groupoids.Comment: 35 pages; essentially identical to the published versio

Orbit Equivalence and Measured Group Theory

We give a survey of various recent developments in orbit equivalence and measured group theory. This subject aims at studying infinite countable groups through their measure preserving actions.Comment: 2010 Hyderabad ICM proceeding; Dans Proceedings of the International Congress of Mathematicians, Hyderabad, India - International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM), Hyderabad : India (2010