A new proof of the local regularity of the eta invariant of a Dirac operator (Q2496762)

The eta function of a self-adjoint elliptic operator \(P\) on a closed manifold is a meromorphic function with simple poles, defined for \(\Re(s)\gg 0\) by \[ \eta(P,s)=\sum_{\lambda\in\operatorname{Spec}P} | \lambda| ^{-s}\text{sign}(\lambda). \] The regularity of this function at \(s=0\) is important for instance for proving that the regularized value at \(s=0\) (the so-called eta invariant) does not change under constant rescaling of \(P\). This regularity was proved for general pseudodifferential operators by \textit{M.~F.~Atiyah, V.~K.~Patodi} and \textit{I.~M.~Singer} [Math. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 79, 71--99 (1976; Zbl 0325.58015)] and by \textit{P.~Gilkey} [Adv.\ Math.\ 40, 290--307 (1981; Zbl 0469.58015)]. The eta invariant is not ``local'' even for differential operators, but its residue at \(s=0\) can be computed as the integral on the manifold of a local expression (in the full symbol of the operator), either via small-time heat kernel asymptotics or as a Wodzicki residue. Although this residue eta density does not vanish identically in general, it was proved to vanish for twisted spin Dirac operators by \textit{J.~M.~Bismut} and \textit{D.~Freed} [Commun. Math. Phys. 107, 103--163 (1986; Zbl 0657.58038)] by adapting Bismut's proof of the local index theorem. In fact, Bismut and Freed prove more. In odd dimensions, if \(h_t(x,x)\) denotes the Schwarz kernel of the operator \(Pe^{-tP^2}\) and \(P\) is the spin Dirac operator, they showed that \(\text{tr}(h_t(x,x))\) is uniformly of order \(t^{1/2}\) as \(t\to 0\). This estimate implies that the eta function is regular for \(\Re(s)>-2\). The present paper re-proves the result of Bismut and Freed using the Volterra calculus of pseudodifferential operators. It is shown that the heat operator admits a parametrix in the Volterra calculus. The proof is based on a Getzler rescaling inside this calculus.