A Fourier-Mukai approach to the \(K\)-theory of compact Lie groups (Q475265)

The aim of this paper is to provide a simple conceptual proof of the following celebrated result of \textit{L. Hodgkin} [Topology 6, 1--36 (1967; Zbl 0186.57103)]: the topological \(K\)-theory of a compact Lie group whose fundamental group is torsion free is isomorphic to the exterior algebra over \(\mathbb{Z}\) on \(n\) odd generators, where \(n\) is the rank of \(G\). The original proof of this result boils down in two different parts: the first one is the proof of the torsion-freeness of \(K^*(G)\), and the second part is a detailed analysis of the multiplicative structure of \(K^*(G)\). Before the present paper, alternative proofs of Hodgkin's theorem have already been provided combining the papers [\textit{M. F. Atiyah}, Topology 4, 95--99 (1965; Zbl 0136.21001)] for the torsion freeness and [\textit{S. Araki}, Ann. Math. (2) 85, 508--525 (1967; Zbl 0171.43903)] for the multiplicative structure. Here, the authors give a simpler proof, using the Fourier-Mukai transform as well as duality for torus bundles.