Paper detail

Bivariant K-theory via correspondences

We use correspondences to define a purely topological equivariant bivariant K-theory for spaces with a proper groupoid action. Our notion of correspondence differs slightly from that of Connes and Skandalis. We replace smooth K-oriented maps by a class of K-oriented normal maps, which are maps together with a certain factorisation. Our construction does not use any special features of equivariant K-theory. To highlight this, we construct bivariant extensions for arbitrary equivariant multiplicative cohomology theories. We formulate necessary and sufficient conditions for certain duality isomorphisms in the geometric bivariant K-theory and verify these conditions in some cases, including smooth manifolds with a smooth cocompact action of a Lie group. One of these duality isomorphisms reduces bivariant K-theory to K-theory with support conditions. Since similar duality isomorphisms exist in Kasparov theory, both bivariant K-theories agree if there is such a duality isomorphism.