On family rigidity theorems. I (Q1567172)

The main result of this paper is a family rigidity theorem for family Dirac operators on smooth bundles acted on fibrewise by the group \(S^l\), which generalizes the famous rigidity theorem of Witten. In order to formulate the results of the paper let us consider the following situation. Let \(\pi:M\to B\) be a smooth bundle over a compact closed manifold \(M\) with compact closed fibre \(X\). Let \(TX=TM/ \pi^*TB\) be the vertical tangent bundle to \(M\), \(V\) an auxiliary complex bundle over \(M\), and assume that \(TX\) is Spin. Then, for a fixed Spin-structure on \(TX\) there is a family Dirac operator \(D^X\) twisted by the bundle \(V\). Now, assume that \(D^X\) is equivariant with respect to a fibrewise action on \(M\) of a compact Lie group \(G\) (in particular we assume the action of \(G\) on \(M\) covers the trivial action on \(B)\). Then there is an index bundle \(\text{Ind}(D^X)\in K_G(B)\), and thanks to the triviality of the \(G\)-action on \(B\) we have a decomposition \[ \text{Ind}(D^X)={\underset W\in \widehat {G} \oplus}\Hom_G \bigl(W,\text{Ind} (D^X)\bigr)\otimes W, \] where \(\widehat G\) is the set of irreducible representations of \(G\). Moreover the equivariant Chern character \(\text{ch}_g(\text{Ind} (D^X))\) is well defined as a function of \(g\in G\) with values in \(H^*(B;C)\). The operator \(D^X\) is called rigid on the equivariant \(K\)-theory level if \(\text{Ind}(D^X) \in K(B)\), and it is called rigid on the equivariant Chern character level provided that \(\text{ch}_g \text{Ind}(D^X)\) is independent of \(g\). First the authors express ch\(_g\text{Ind} (D^X)\) in terms of the fixed-point data of \(g\), namely in terms of characteristic classes of the vector bundles involved in the definition of \(D^X\) restricted to \(M^g\), the fixed point bundle of \(g\), and the normal bundle to \(M^g\) in \(M\). The relevant formula, which involves integration along fibres of \(M^g\), is proved by the heat-kernel method, and makes use of a Bismut connection, like in his well known heat-kernel proof of the index theorem. Next the authors confine themselves to the action of \(G=S^1\subset C\), and Dirac operators \(D^X\otimes \Theta\) twisted by a Spin-bundle \(V\) with \(p_1(V)_{S^1}= p_1(TX)_{S^1}\), (where \(p_1(V)_{S^1}\in H^*_{S^1} (M;Z)=H^* (M\times_{S^1}ES^1)\) is the first equivariant Pontryagin class of \(V)\) and some elements \(\Theta\) of \(K(M)[[q^{1/2}]]\). In this case \(\text{ch}_g(\text{Ind} (D^X\otimes \Theta))\in K(B)[[q^{1/2}] ]\), and writing \(g=e^{2\pi it}\) for a generator \(g\) of \(S^1\) (i.e. \(t\in [0,1] \setminus Q)\) and letting \(q\) vary over the complex half plane \(H=\{\operatorname {Im}\tau>0\}\), the authors express \(\text{ch}_g (\text{Ind}(D^X \otimes\Theta))\) as a function \(F_D\) of \(t\) and \(\tau\) with values in \(H^*(B;C)\). The function \(F_D\), expressed in terms of the classical Jacobi theta functions, extends to a meromorphic function on \(C\times H\), and the proof of the rigidity of \(D^X\otimes \Theta\) is reduced to the proof that \(F_D\) is independent of \(t\). Thus we arrive at a purely analytical problem, which the authors solve by proving that \(F_D\) is holomorphic and doubly periodic. In the final paragraph of the paper the authors generalize their rigidity theorem to twisting bundles \(V\) with non-zero anomaly to rigidity \(p_1(V)_{S^1}- p_1(TX)_{S^1}\) equal to an integral multiple \(n\) of the generator \(c\) of \(H^*(BS^1)= Z[[x]]\) lifted to \(M\times_{S^1}ES^1\), and prove that if \(n<0\) or \(V=0\) the equivariant Chern character of the index bundle vanishes. For related results, see the author's earlier paper in C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. I Math. 330, 301-305 (2000; Zbl 0951.55008).