A regulator for smooth manifolds and an index theorem (Q1731729)

Summary: For a smooth manifold \(X\) and an integer \(d \dim(X)\) we construct and investigate a natural map \[ \sigma_{d}: K_{d}(C^{\infty}(X))\rightarrow \mathbf {ku} \; \mathbb C/\mathbb Z^{-d-1}(X). \] Here \(K_{d}(C^{\infty}(X))\) is the algebraic \(K\)-theory group of the algebra of complex valued smooth functions on \(X\), and \(\mathbf {ku} \;\mathbb C/\mathbb Z^{*}\) is the generalized cohomology theory called connective complex \(K\)-theory with coefficients in \(\mathbb C/\mathbb Z\). If the manifold \(X\) is closed of odd dimension \(d-1\) and equipped with a Dirac operator, then we state and partially prove the conjecture stating that the following two maps \[ K_{d}(C^{\infty}(X))\rightarrow \mathbb C/\mathbb Z \] coincide: { } 1. Pair the result of \(\sigma_{d}\) with the \(K\)-homology class of the Dirac operator.{ } 2. Compose the Connes-Karoubi multiplicative character with the classifying map of the \(d\)-summable Fredholm module of the Dirac operator.