Applying the index theorem to non-smooth operators (Q2400290)

In the theory of partial differential equations and in particular in index theory it is most common to consider only partial differential operators P with smooth coefficients, or, more generally, smooth pseudo-differential operators, which still map smooth sections to smooth sections. However, sometimes the assumption of smooth coefficients is not justified, e.g. in the theory of geodesic curves on some natural spaces of mappings. In this note, the author gives a simple way to extend index-theoretical statements from partial differential operators with smooth coefficients to operators with coefficients of finite Sobolev order.