Refined analytic torsion: comparison theorems and examples (Q938814)

Braverman and Kappeler introduced a refinement of the Ray-Singer analytic torsion associated to a flat vector bundle over a closed odd-dimensional manifold. The author improves the Braverman-Kappeler theorem comparing the refined analytic torsion with the Farber-Turaev refinement of the combinatorial torsion. Using this result, he establishes the Burghelea-Haller conjecture modulo sign comparing their complex analytic torsion with the Farber-Turaev torsion in the case when the flat connection can be deformed in the space of flat connections to a Hermitian connection. The paper also computes the refined analytic torsion of lens spaces and answers questions posed by Braverman and Kappeler.