Callias-type operators associated to spectral triples (Q6111632)

The Callias index theorem and its even dimensional analogue give formulas for the index of Dirac operators on non-compact manifolds which are perturbed by self-adjoint potentials that act on sections of a finite-dimensional vector bundle and are invertible at infinity. There are many possible generalizations, for example, one can allow infinite-dimensional vector bundles as in the Robbin-Salamon theorem [\textit{J.~Robbin} and \textit{D.~Salamon}, Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 27, No.~1, 1--33 (1995; Zbl 0859.58025)] or Hilbert-module bundles of finite type [\textit{M.~Braverman} and \textit{S.~Cecchini}, J. Geom. Anal. 28, No.~1, 546--586 (2018; Zbl 1390.19009); \textit{S.~Cecchini}, J. Topol. Anal. 12, No.~4, 897--939 (2020; Zbl 1451.19019)]. In the present paper, the authors generalize in a different direction, namely, the underlying manifold is replaced by a semifinite spectral triple and the perturbing potentials are elements of a certain multiplier algebra. In this generalized setting, the authors are still able to express the index of a Callias-type operator in terms of an index pairing derived from the spectral triple. The precise statement is given in Section~3 (Theorem~8) and proved in Section~4, for the case of unbounded potentials in Section~6 (Theorem~31). Section~5 states and proves an even analogue for pairings of an even spectral triple with a potential having a further symmetry (Theorem~17). Section~6 then also covers the unbounded even case (Theorem~37). Section~7 outlines how their Callias index arises as an unbounded representative of a \(KK\)-group. Section~8 presents classical and new examples. Finally, it is noteworthy that, following [\textit{J.~Kaad} and \textit{M.~Lesch}, Adv. Math. 248, 495--530 (2013; Zbl 1294.19001); \textit{K.~van den Dungen}, J. Spectr. Theory 9, No.~4, 1459--1506 (2019; Zbl 1439.19008)], the authors interpret their index pairing as a non-commutative analogue of spectral flow.