Characteristic classes in algebraic K-theory (Q1819332)

The note is devoted to an algebraic generalization of the A. Connes' construction (for projective modules over \(C^*\)-algebras) and the Chern's construction (for vector fiber bundles) of characteristic Chern classes. After introducing some formal algebraization of differential geometry notions such as structural smooth function algebra by an associative algebra A with unity over complex numbers, vertical functions by a central subalgebra Z, vector fields by a Lie algebra D of derivatives in A, trace map by a homomorphism of modules, finitely generated projective A-modules by image of multiplication by idempotents..., the authors generalize the usual connection as \(\nabla:E\to Hom(D,E)\) and the connection curvature as \(\theta \in End_ A(E)\otimes_{{\mathbb{C}}}\Lambda^ 2(D^*)\), \(D^*=Hom_{{\mathbb{C}}}(D,{\mathbb{C}})\); \(\theta (d_ 1,d_ 2)=[\nabla_{d_ 1},\nabla_{d_ 2}]-\nabla_{[d_ 1,d_ 2]}\in End_ A(E)\) and finally define the k-form \(\sigma_ k(\nabla,E)=\tau (\theta \wedge...\wedge \theta).\) The main result asserts that the forms \(\sigma_ k(\nabla,E)\) are closed and their cohomology classes \(c_ k(E)\) referred as Chern classes define the stable equivalence classes of modules E uniquely.