Nonnegative Ricci curvature, stability at infinity and finite generation of fundamental groups

We study the fundamental group of an open [math] –manifold [math] of nonnegative Ricci curvature. We show that if there is an integer [math] such that any tangent cone at infinity of the Riemannian universal cover of [math] is a metric cone whose maximal Euclidean factor has dimension [math] , then [math] is finitely generated. In particular, this confirms the Milnor conjecture for a manifold whose universal cover has Euclidean volume growth and a unique tangent cone at infinity.