A geometric interpretation of the \(\chi_y\) genus on hyper-Kähler manifolds (Q1583874)

Any hyper-Kähler manifold \(M\) has a closed \((2,0)\)-form, which defines a holomorphic symplectic structure. It gives rise to an action of the group \(SL(2)\) on the cohomology \(H^{\ast}(M)\) if the manifold is compact. Let \(U \in SL(2)\) be an element which has eigenvalues \((y,1/y)\) in the standard representation. The main result of this short note is the following formula, which relates the super trace of \(U\) acting on the cohomology of \(M\) to Hirzebruch's \(\chi_y\) genus: \(\text{STr} U = \frac{\chi_y}{y^n}\). (The \(\chi_y\) genus interpolates between the Euler characteristic (\(y=-1\)), the Todd genus (\(y=0\)) and the signature (\(y=1\)).) The motivation for the above formula comes from the Rozansky-Witten invariant, which gives \(\text{STr} U\) when evaluated on a mapping torus \(T_U\). A similar formula involving a generalization of \(\chi_y\) is conjectured for the higher genus case.