An Introduction to K-theory and Cyclic Cohomology (Q4389732)

The work is a very concise introduction to the essentials of \(K\)-theory and cyclic cohomology. The author -- in a great shortening -- refers to considerably longer and more precise (in details) handbooks by \textit{A. Connes} [``Entire cyclic cohomology of Banach algebras and characters of \(\theta\)-summable Fredholm modules'', \(K\)-Theory 1, No. 6, 519-548 (1988; Zbl 0657.46049)], \textit{J.-L. Loday} [``Cyclic homology'', Grundlehren Math. Wiss. 301 (1992; Zbl 0780.18009)], \textit{J. Rosenberg} [``Algebraic \(K\)-theory and its applications'', Grad. Texts Math. 147 (1994; Zbl 0801.19001)] and \textit{N. E. Wegge-Olsen} [``\(K\)-theory and \(C^*\)-algebras: a friendly approach'', Oxford Science Publications, Oxford University Press (1993; Zbl 0780.46038)], as well as some of his original papers. Before treating the matter of this work, the reviewer remarks: It is difficult to classify this work to a concrete sort of mathematical output; the work fulfils neither the criteria for a handbook (it is too concise) nor for a kind of encyclopedia (it is incomplete even in the definition sphere). The author does not develop the possible applications mentioned in the first chapter, called ``Applications'', either. To sum up, this work is rather a concise survey for specialists. The titles of the separate chapters are: (1) Introduction, (2) The \(K\)-functor in various situations, (3) Cyclic homology, (4) Chern characters, (5) Excision in cyclic homology and algebraic \(K\)-theory, (6) Further examples, (7) Entire cyclic cohomology of Banach algebras. In chapter 2 the author sketchily introduces Grothendieck's \(K\)-functor directing the readers for more details to \textit{M. F. Atiyah} and \textit{D. W. Anderson} [``\(K\)-theory'', Benjamin, New York-Amsterdam (1967; Zbl 0159.53302)], and to \textit{M. Karoubi} [``\(K\)-theory, an introduction'', Grundlehren Math. Wiss. 226 (1978; Zbl 0382.55002)] (also in the matter of auxiliary definitions). In the next section of this chapter, the author speaks of higher \(K\)-groups and mentions the Bott periodicity theorem, saying ``the proof is outside the scope of this book''. Having in mind some applications of \(K\)-theory to noncommutative geometry, the author spends more time on algebraic \(K\)-theory [recommends the books by \textit{J. Rosenberg} (mentioned above), and \textit{E. Lluis-Puebla}, \textit{J. L. Loday}, \textit{H. Gillet}, \textit{C. Soulé} and \textit{V. Snaith}, ``Higher algebraic \(K\)-theory: an overview'', Lect. Notes Math. 1491 (1992; Zbl 0746.19001)]. The inserted theorems (Whitehead lemma, Milnor's patching theorem) are given with legible proofs. On the other hand, the section ``\(K\)-theory of \(C^*\)-algebras'' is treated only by slogans with no comments (the author does not mention the great role of these functors in the investigations of homotopic properties of characteristic classes). Chapter 3 is devoted to the theory of cyclic homology and its relation to \(K\)-theory. The author starts from the sources -- noncommutative differential forms for a unital algebra and the Hochschild homology, referring to \textit{W. Arveson} [``The harmonic analysis of automorphism groups'', in: Operator algebras and applications, Proc. Symp. Pure Math. 38, Part I, 199-269 (1982; Zbl 0506.46047)], \textit{M. Karoubi} [``Homologie cyclique et \(K\)-théorie'', Astérisque 149 (1987; Zbl 0648.18008)], and \textit{J. Cuntz} and \textit{D. Quillen} [``Algebra extensions and singularity'', J. Am. Math. Soc. 8, No. 2, 251-289 (1995; Zbl 0838.19001)]. The Karoubi operator is defined and the main properties and its meaning in constructing the cyclic homology are given. The author also introduces the Connes periodicity operator and the periodic cyclic homology, directing the reader for details to \textit{A. Connes} [``Noncommutative differential geometry'', Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 62, 41-144 (1985; Zbl 0592.46056)], \textit{C. Kassel} [``Homologie cyclique, caractère de Chern et lemme de perturbation'', J. Reine Angew. Math. 408, 159-180 (1990; Zbl 0691.18002)], \textit{J.-L. Loday} and \textit{D. Quillen} [``Cyclic homology and the Lie algebra homology of matrices'', Comment. Math. Helv. 59, 565-591 (1984; Zbl 0565.17006)], and so on. As an example, the author indicates only simple cases: \(A=\mathbb{C}\) and \(A=\mathbb{Q}[z,z^{-1}]\) -- the algebra of Laurent polynomials in one variable \(z\). In section 3.2 (Deformations of the algebra \(\Omega A)\) the author describes two deformations of \(A\): (1) \(RA\) -- important to study algebra extensions of J. Cuntz and D. Quillen (mentioned above), \textit{B. V. Fedosov} [``Analytic formulas for the index of an elliptic operator'', Trud. Moskov. Mat. Obshch. 30, 159-241 (1974; Zbl 0349.58006); English translation: Trans. Moscow Math. Soc. 30, 159-240 (1974)], (2) \(QA\) -- Cuntz algebra (the algebra of quantized differential forms over \(A)\) in \textit{J. Cuntz} [``Quantized differential forms in non-commutative topology and geometry'', Contemp. Math. 145, 65-78 (1993; Zbl 0791.19004)]. The author tries to explain very briefly the relation of the Cuntz algebra to \(HH\)-theory. In section 3.3 ``Cochains and characters'' the author develops the basic features of the theory of cochains on an algebra in both \(\mathbb{Z}\) and \(\mathbb{Z}_2\) graded cases, following \textit{D. Quillen} [``Algebra cochains and cyclic cohomology'', Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 68, 139-174 (1988; Zbl 0689.57026)], and \textit{J. Cuntz} and \textit{D. Quillen} [``Operators on noncommutative differential forms and cyclic homology'', in: Geometry, topology and physics for Raoul Bott, Conf. Proc. Lect. Notes Geom. Topol. 4, 77-111 (1995; Zbl 0865.18009)]. The cyclic cochain complex of cochains which are invariant under the action of a cyclic group is introduced and some interesting examples for \(C^\infty\)-functions on a compact oriented manifold \(M\), \(k\)-dimensional currents on \(M\), the Dirac operator \(D\) and the \(p\)-summable Fredholm module are given. Finally (3.4 ``Supertraces''), the author considers cochains being supertraces, giving their properties from \textit{J. Cuntz} and \textit{D. Quillen} [Operators \(\dots\), op. cit.], and indicates their significance in the entire cyclic cohomology of Banach algebras. Chapter 4 is devoted to one of the key properties of cyclic cohomology. The author sketches the constructions of the Chern character in topological \(K\)-theory and, next, following Quillen's exposition [Algebra \(\dots\), op. cit.], discusses the rudiments of the algebraic version of the Chern-Weil theory of characteristic classes. In the further sections, higher traces [\textit{A. Connes}, Noncommutative \(\dots\), op. cit.], Connes classes and Toeplitz operations are introduced. Finally, the index map associated to an odd higher trace is presented [for details, the author refers to \textit{D. Quillen}, ``Cyclic cohomology and algebra extensions'', \(K\)-Theory 3, No. 3, 205-246 (1989; Zbl 0696.16021)]. Chapter 5 brings important results in cyclic homology and algebraic \(K\)-theory: (a) the Loday-Quillen theorem establishing an isomorphism between the primitive part of the Lie algebra homology \(H_\bullet(gl(A))\) and the cyclic homology \(HC_{\bullet-1}(A)\), (b) \textit{M. Wodzicki} [Ann. Math., II. Ser. 129, 591-639 (1989; Zbl 0689.16013)] giving the Suslin-Wodzicki theorems on excision in cyclic homology and in rational algebraic \(K\)-theory, respectively. In Chapters 6 and 7, some theorems or proofs, originally given by the author [\textit{J. Brodzki}, ``Semi-direct products, derivations and reduced cyclic cohomology'', J. Reine Angew. Math. 436, 177-195 (1993; Zbl 0759.16004); ``Simplicial normalization in the entire cyclic cohomology of Banach algebras'', \(K\)-Theory 9, No. 4, 353-377 (1995; Zbl 0828.46062); ``Binomial identities in the Cuntz algebra of complex numbers'', Expo. Math. 12, 463-471 (1994; Zbl 0832.46063); ``Cyclic cohomology, supertraces and index theory'', Expo. Math. 15, 1-24 (1997; Zbl 0884.19003); \textit{J. Brodzki}, \textit{A. Connes}, and \textit{D. Ellwood}, ``Polarized modules and Fredholm modules'', Mat. Fiz. Anal. Geom. 2, No. 1, 15-24 (1995; Zbl 0842.46031)], are inserted. As, for example, theorem 6.8 saying that the derivations of an algebra \(A\) act trivially on the periodic cyclic homology of \(A\). Another one concerns reduced cyclic cohomology classes. The author also describes and proves his own simplicial normalization theorem. In Chapter 7, he shows properties of the entire cyclic cohomology, such as homotopy invariance and the triviality of the action of derivations on the entire complex. To summarize, if this work were two times longer and complete at least in the area of definitions, it would be addressed to a considerably wider circle of readers.