A general approach to index theorems for holomorphic maps and foliations (Q1018081)

The paper is a survey presenting the recent results [cf. \textit{M. Abate, F. Bracci} and \textit{F. Tovena}, Ann. Math. (2) 159, No.~2, 819--864 (2004; Zbl 1056.37025), Indiana Univ. Math. J. 57, No.~7, 2999--3048 (2008; Zbl 1179.32010)] of the author and her collaborators in the historical context. The author recalls the most important results on the index in the holomorphic context, i.e., relating certain complex numbers associated to singularities to the integral of the suitable Chern class, starting with the Camacho-Sad theorem [cf. \textit{C. Camacho} and \textit{P. Sad}, Ann. Math. (2) 115, 579--595 (1982; Zbl 0503.32007)]. She gives an overview of the results and techniques used to improve and generalize this fundamental result. In this way, she explains the importance and novelty of the techniques used to obtain the results in the above mentioned papers where a single method is used to prove the index theorem for foliations and holomorphic maps. In [Zbl 1179.32010], they proposed a general procedure for index-type theorems. Let \(M\) be a smooth complex manifold and \(S\) a compact irreducible subvariety of non-zero dimension. Let \(\Sigma\) be the singular locus of the data, a map or a foliation, considered along \(S\). The starting point is the construction of a splitting of a suitable short exact sequence of vector bundles on \(S-\Sigma\). Then the splitting is used to obtain a partial holomorphic connection on the normal bundle on \(S-\Sigma\). This partial connection provides a vanishing theorem for some cohomology classes, and finally, from the vanishing theorem the index theorems are derived. This procedure permits to recover many well-known index theorems generalizing the Camacho-Sad theorem. Also, the explicitness of the proof helps to clarify the geometrical conditions imposed on the considered objects.