The equivariant family index theorem in odd dimensions (Q2354174)

The authors consider families of Dirac operators on fibre bundles of compact, odd dimensional spin manifolds over compact base manifolds. To define an index in the odd dimensional case, one uses a \(\mathbb{Z}_2\)-grading on the spaces of sections of the spinor bundles over the fibres, induced by an orientation-reversing, isometric, fibre-wise involution of the total space of the fibre bundle. This leads to a cohomological formula for the Chern character of the index bundle in the cohomology of the base space. This implies an obstruction to Riemannian metrics on the fibres of nonnegative scalar curvature, which are postive somewhere. The index formula is generalised to a noncommutative geometric setting, and to an equivariant setting, where a compact group acts fibre-wise. The latter result implies a version for odd-dimensional families of \textit{M. F. Atiyah} and \textit{F. Hirzebruch}'s vanishing result [in: Essays Topol. Relat. Top., Mem. dedies a Georges de Rham 18--28 (1970; Zbl 0193.52401)] for equivariant indices of spin Dirac operators. The arguments are based on heat-kernel methods, and theory of pseudo-differential operators.