No label defined (Q4264673)

Let \(E^0, E^1,\dots,E^n\) be vector bundles over a compact and connected manifold. Let also \(D_t^j:{\mathcal E}(E^j)\mapsto{\mathcal E}(E^{j+1})\) be differential operators, of a fixed order, depending upon a parameter \(t\in{\mathbf R}^k\), satisfying a natural smoothness condition, with \text{Im}\((D_t^j)\subset\)\ \text{Ker}\((D_t^{j+1})\) for all \(j\), and such that the corresponding complex \(D_t\) is elliptic. The main result of the paper asserts that (a) if \(q>p+1\) and \(\dim H^p(D_t),\dim H^q(D_t)\) do not depend on \(t\) then the sum \(\Sigma_{p<j<q}(-1)^j\dim H^j(D_t)\) does not depend on \(t\), and (b) the numbers \(\dim H^j(D_t)\) are upper semi-continuous functions of \(t\). The result is applied to prove that if \(B_t\mapsto V_t, t\in M\) (\(M\) a connected manifold) is a \({\mathcal C}^{\infty}\) family of holomorphic vector bundles, one has (a') if \(q>p+1\) and \(\dim H^p(V_t,\Omega(B_t)), \dim H^q(V_t,\Omega(B_t))\) do not depend on \(t\) then the sum \(\Sigma_{p<j<q}(-1)^j(V_t,\Omega(B_t))\) does not depend on \(t\), and (b') \(\dim H^p(V_t,\Omega(B_t))\leq \dim H^p(V_{t_0},\Omega(B_{t_0}))\) in a neighbourhood of each \(t_0\in M\). This extends some classical results due to \textit{K. Kodaira} and \textit{D. C. Spencer} [Ann. Math., II. Ser. 67, 328-401 (1958; Zbl 0128.16901) and ibid. 71, 43-76 (1960; Zbl 0128.16902)], who showed, in particular, that the Euler-Poincaré characteristic \(\Sigma_j(-1)^j\dim H^j(V_t,\Omega(B_t))\) does not depend on \(t\). It is worth mentioning that these results have been obtained with functional analysis methods, related to Fredholm complexes of Banach spaces.