Projective Dirac operators, twisted \(K\)-theory, and local index formula (Q2450779)

Let \(M\) be a closed, oriented Riemannian manifold, neither assumed to be \(spin\) nor \(spin^c\). The main result of this interesting article is the construction of a noncommutative spectral triple which satisfies Poincaré duality in the twisted \(K\)-theory of \(M\) with local coefficients in the third integral Stiefel-Whitney class. The characterization ``projective'' given by the author for this spectral triple is justified by the fact that it is consistent with the work of \textit{V. Mathai} et al. [J. Differ. Geom. 74, No. 2, 265--292 (2006; Zbl 1115.58021)]. The algebra of this projective spectral triple is an Azumaya algebra, and as such it is ungraded. Nevertheless, it is shown that the projective spectral triple spectral triple is Morita equivalent Kasparov's original, \(\mathbb Z_2\)-graded spectral triple [\textit{G. G. Kasparov}, Invent. Math. 91, No. 1, 147--201 (1988; Zbl 0647.46053), Definition-Lemma 4.2]. According to the author, the purpose of this paper is to provide a local formula for the Connes-Chern character of this projective spectral triple, identifying it with the Poincaré dual of the \(\hat{A}\)-genus of \(M\). For this purpose, an alternative Connes-Kostant-Hochschild-Rosenberg map is found when the Azumaya algebra is torsion. Using this map, the purpose of the paper is achieved in the case that \(M\) is even-dimensional.