Fractional analytic index

DOI10.4310/JDG/1175266205MaRDI QIDQ2434079zbMATH OpenOpenAlexWikidataFDO

Authors Varghese Mathai, Richard Melrose, I. M. Singer

Publication date 31 October 2006

Published in Journal of Differential Geometry (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0402329

zbMATH Keywords

analytic indexDixmier-Douady invariantprojective elliptic operator

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Spin and Spin({}^c) geometry (53C27) Index theory and related fixed-point theorems on manifolds (58J20)

Abstract: For a finite rank projective bundle over a compact manifold, so associated to a torsion, Dixmier-Douady, 3-class, w, on the manifold, we define the ring of differential operators `acting on sections of the projective bundle' in a formal sense. In particular, any oriented even-dimensional manifold carries a projective spin Dirac operator in this sense. More generally the corresponding space of pseudodifferential operators is defined, with supports sufficiently close to the diagonal, i.e. the identity relation. For such elliptic operators we define the numerical index in an essentially analytic way, as the trace of the commutator of the operator and a parametrix and show that this is homotopy invariant. Using the heat kernel method for the twisted, projective spin Dirac operator, we show that this index is given by the usual formula, now in terms of the twisted Chern character of the symbol, which in this case defines an element of K-theory twisted by w; hence the index is a rational number but in general it is not an integer.

Review text

The index of an elliptic operator over a compact manifold is an integer. Even if a manifold has no \(\text{spin}_\mathbb C\) structure, there is a projective bundle associated to the Clifford algebra of the cotangent bundle which is an Azumaya bundle. Such a projective bundle may not satisfy the cocycle condition. This defines the Dixmier-Douady (:= DD), 3-dimensional torsion, invariant \(W_3\) on the manifold. The authors define the ring of pseudodifferential operators acting on sections of the projective bundle in a formal sense. For such operators they define the analytic index, as the trace of the commutator of the operator and a parametrix, and show that this is a homotopy invariant. Using the heat kernel method for the projective spin Dirac operator twisted by \(W_3\), they show that the analytic index is the same as the usual topological index, in terms of the twisted Chern character of the symbol, which defines an element of \(K\)-theory twisted by the DD-invariant \(W_3\). This index is a rational number but in general it is not an integer. The authors introduce several operators whose indices are not integers, but rationals.

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Cited in

(15)

• T-duality, and the K-theoretic partition function of type IIA superstring theory
• Star products and local line bundles.
• Analytic Pontryagin duality
• Projective elliptic genera and elliptic pseudodifferential genera
• Quantization: Deformation and/or functor?
• Projective Dirac operators, twisted K-theory, and local index formula
• Noncommutative residue for Heisenberg manifolds. Applications in CR and contact geometry
• Equivariant and fractional index of projective elliptic operators
• The index of leafwise \(G\)-transversally elliptic operators on foliations
• Index character associated with the projective Dirac operator
• Index of projective elliptic operators
• Applying geometric K-cycles to fractional indices
• The super Virasoro minimal string from 3d supergravity
• (Second) Quantised resolvents and regularised traces
• The local and global parts of the basic zeta coefficient for operators on manifolds with boundary

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