Determinant bundles, boundaries, and surgery (Q556188)

Over a smooth manifold \(B\) consider the complex of sheaves of differential forms, truncated at length \(k-1\), with the following slight modification: replace the sheaf of \(0\)-forms by the sheaf of smooth functions with values in \(U(1)\), equipped with the differential \(\frac{d\log}{2\pi i}\). Form the Čech double complex and consider its total \((k-1)\)st cohomology group. This is called the \(k\)th Deligne cohomology group of \(B\), and turns out to describe, in different dimensions, isomorphism classes of geometric objects starting with \(U(1)\)-valued functions, Hermitean line bundles with connection, and gerbes. This theory is contained in a paper by \textit{U. Bunke} [to appear in Mem. Am. Math. Soc., see Index theory, eta forms, and Deligne cohomology'', preprint, arxiv.org/abs/math.DG/0201112]. The paper under review applies this theory to the determinant line bundle and to the adiabatic limit of the surgery formula of \textit{J. Park} and \textit{K. P. Wojciechowski} [J. Geom. Phys. 55, No.~3, 241--266 (2005; Zbl 1078.58018)]. In the final sections the authors introduce the concept of sections of gerbes, starting from the generalization ot the determinant line bundle to families with boundary.