Homotopy groups of the moduli space of metrics of positive scalar curvature

Abstract

We show by explicit examples that in many degrees in a stable range the homotopy groups of the moduli spaces of Riemannian metrics of positive scalar curvature on closed smooth manifolds can be non-trivial. This is achieved by further developing and then applying a family version of the surgery construction of Gromov-Lawson to certain nonlinear smooth sphere bundles constructed by Hatcher.