An equivariant index for proper actions. I (Q340981)

Equivariant index theory has a long and succesful history, with several applications in representation theory and geometry. The goal of this large work is to develop and apply equivariant index theory for proper action by possibly noncompact groups, with possibly noncompact orbit spaces. To this end, the notion of \(G\)-\textit{Fredholm operator} is introduced as a main tool. For such type of operators an equivariant index is defined that generalises an index of transversally elliptic operators defined by \textit{G. Kasparov} [``Elliptic and transversally elliptic index theory from the viewpoint of \(KK\)-theory'', J. Noncommut. Geom. (to appear)] in the cocompact case, and an index of deformed Dirac operators for actions by compact groups developed by \textit{M. Braverman} [J. Geom. Phys. 98, 275--284 (2015; Zbl 1329.58021)]. The main result is that the present index completes the table of special cases of the index.