An integral Riemann-Roch theorem for surface bundles (Q607345)

Let \(\pi: E\to B\) a locally trivial surface bundle with oriented closed fibers of genus \(g\). The author considers the real \(1\)-cohomology vector bundle \(\mathcal H\) with fiber \(H^1(E_b)\), with complex structure induced by the Hodge \(*\) operator. By the index formula, its Chern character in rational cohomology can be computed in terms of the push-forward to \(B\) of powers of the first Chern class of the vertical tangent bundle to \(\pi\). In [\textit{T. Akita}, Nagoya Math. J. 165, 1--22 (2002; Zbl 1041.55011)], it was shown for special values of the degree \(n\) that a certain multiple of this identity (obtained by multiplying with the denominator of \(B_n/2n\), where \(B_n\) is the \(n\)-th Bernoulli number) could hold in \(H^{4n-2}(B,\mathbb{Z})\), and it was conjectured that the same is true in every degree. The author disproves this conjecture in general, but he proves another similar identity for integral cohomology involving the Hodge bundle and the index bundle of a certain twisted \(\bar{\partial}\) fiberwise operator.