Bounds on the first Betti number - an approach via Schatten norm estimates on semigroup differences

We derive new estimates for the first Betti number of compact Riemannian manifolds. Our approach relies on the Birman-Schwinger principle and Schatten norm estimates for semigroup differences. In contrast to previous works we do not require any a priori ultracontractivity estimates and we provide bounds which explicitly depend on suitable integral norms of the Ricci tensor.