Transverse index and periodic orbits (Q1976292)

The author establishes index formulas for operators invariant under and elliptic in directions transverse to a locally free isometric action of \(\mathbb{R}\) on a compact manifold. He assumes that the action's periodic orbits are isolated and nondegenerate, that the periods form a discrete subset of \(\mathbb{R}\), and that only finitely many orbits share a given period. In this setting the index of a transversely elliptic operator is a distribution on \(\mathbb{R}\). For that part of the index supported away from zero, the index is a linear combination of delta functions supported at periods, with coefficients related to quantities appearing in Lefschetz fixed-point formulas. Under additional assumptions the author identifies the contribution to the index that is supported at zero. For a transverse de Rham operator this contribution is a delta function with coefficient given by the integral of an explicitly defined form over the manifold. If the \(\mathbb{R}\) action's normal bundle is integrable, a transversely elliptic operator of Dirac type defines a leafwise elliptic operator for the codimension-one foliation asssociated with this integrable bundle. Again the contribution to the index at zero is a delta function, this time with coefficient the Connes index of the leafwise operator. For a general transversely elliptic operator of Dirac type, the contribution at zero can involve derivatives of delta functions. For a tranverse spin Dirac operator the author identifies the coefficient of the highest degree derivative. This paper includes detailed proofs, based on heat equation methods, and detailed discussions of examples.