Hypoelliptic Laplacian, analytical twist and Cheeger-Müller theorem (Q255874)

In this paper the author proves directly a formula linking two metrics on the determinant line of the cohomology of a compact manifold twisted by a flat vector bundle: the Milnor metric, and the hypoelliptic Ray-Singer metric introduced by Bismut and Zhang. A third metric, the (elliptic) Ray-Singer metric, was linked with the Milnor metric by the work of \textit{J.-M. Bismut} and \textit{W. Zhang} [An extension of a theorem by Cheeger and Müller. With an appendix by François Laudenbach. Paris: Société Mathématique de France (1992; Zbl 0781.58039)]. In the special case when the metric on the flat bundle is itself flat, one recovers as a special case the Cheeger-Müller theorem on the equality between the analytic and Reidemeister metrics. The elliptic Ray-Singer metric was also previously shown to equal the hypoelliptic Ray-Singer metric by \textit{J.-M. Bismut} and \textit{G. Lebeau} [The hypoelliptic Laplacian and Ray-Singer metrics. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press (2008; Zbl 1156.58001)]. The current paper proves directly the formula linking the Milnor metric and the hypoelliptic Ray-Singer metric, without using the work of Bismut and Lebeau. This very consistent paper represents the author's PhD thesis under the direction of Jean-Michel Bismut. It is outstandingly well written, and it will likely become a standard reference in the theory of the hypoelliptic laplacian.