Residues of the eta function for an operator of Dirac type with local boundary conditions (Q1813066)

Let \(M\) be a compact manifold with smooth boundary and let \(P\) be a first order operator of Dirac type with suitable local boundary conditions. Let \(f\) be an auxiliary smooth test function. There is an asymptotic expansion: \[ \hbox{Tr}_{L^ 2}(fPe^{-tP^ 2})\approx \sum^ \infty_{n=0}a_ n(f,P)t^{(n-m)/2} \] as \(t\to 0^ +\). The \(a_ n(f,P)\) are locally computable. We give formulas for these invariants for \(n=0,1,2,3\). The test function \(f\) is a convenient device for studying the distributional behavior of the kernel function of \(Pe^{-tP^ 2}\); the extra information which is not contained in the asymptotics of \(\hbox{Tr}_{L^ 2}(Pe^{-tP^ 2})\) appears in the form of additional boundary terms involving normal derivatives of \(f\). The Mellin transform relates information about these asymptotics to corresponding information about the asymptotics of the eta function.