Modular invariance and characteristic numbers (Q1903331)

An elliptic genus is a homomorphism from the oriented (Spin-) cobordism ring to some ring of classical modular forms. By evaluation of modular forms at the cusps (or other points) one recovers well-known genera like the \(L\)- or \(\widehat A\)-genus or twisted versions of them. Deep and hidden integrality and divisibility properties of the characteristic numbers associated to such genera can sometimes be obtained from well-known properties of modular forms. The paper under review establishes such a result. Strong divisibility theorems at the prime 2 for twisted \(\widehat A\)-genera of spin manifolds and associated Rokhlin invariants are obtained by the use of Jacobi theta-functions and their functional equations along the lines described above.