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Suppose that $M$ has a proper Morse function $f\ge 0$ with all critical points of index at most $k$. Then homotopically $M$ can be made of low-dimensional cells: it has homotopical dimension at most $k$. But also $M$, relative to its boundary $f^{-1}(c)$ it M^{\ge c}$, can be made by attaching high-dimensional cells: . Thus the pair $(M,M^{\ge c})$ is $(dim(M)-k-1)$-connected. So for example if $k\le dim(M)-3$ and $M$ is simply connected then $M$ must also be "simply connected at infinity".

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Suppose that $M$ has a proper Morse function $f\ge 0$ with all critical points of index at most $k$. Then homotopically $M$ can be made of low-dimensional cells: it has homotopical dimension at most $k$. But also relative to its boundary $f^{-1}(c)$ it can be made by attaching high-dimensional cells: the pair $(M,M^{\ge c})$ is $(dim(M)-k-1)$-connected. So for example if $k\le dim(M)-3$ and $M$ is simply connected then $M$ must also be "simply connected at infinity".