Subexponential groups in 4–manifold topology

Abstract

We present a new, more elementary proof of the Freedman–Teichner result that the geometric classification techniques (surgery, s–cobordism, and pseudoisotopy) hold for topological 4–manifolds with groups of subexponential growth. In an appendix Freedman and Teichner give a correction to their original proof, and reformulate the growth estimates in terms of coarse geometry.