The hypoelliptic Laplacian, analytic torsion and Cheeger-Müller theorem (Q2438581)

The hypoelliptic Laplacians on a compact Riemannian manifold are deformations of the classical Hodge Laplacian depending on a real parameter \(b>0\). \textit{J.-M. Bismut} and \textit{G. Lebeau} [The hypoelliptic Laplacian and Ray-Singer metrics. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press (2008; Zbl 1156.58001)] have defined an analytic torsion associated to these operators, and related it to the classical Ray-Singer analytic torsion. In this note, the author announces the proof of an analogue to the Cheeger-Müller theorem for the hypoelliptic analytic torsion. More precisely, he gives a formula for the quotient of this analytic torsion by the so-called Milnor torsion which is defined using Morse theory and can be computed using cell structures (cf. \textit{J. W. Milnor} [Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 72, 358--426 (1966; Zbl 0147.23104)]).