scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1169063
Since Gilkey's Publish or Perish lectures on the index theorem and the heat equation from 1974 [\textit{P. B. Gilkey}, `The index theorem and the heat equation' (Math. Lect. Ser. 4, Publish or Perish, Boston/MA) (1974; Zbl 0287.58006)] there appeared many representations of the Laplace-heat equation topic and it is a nontrivial task to add something new or else or better. Nevertheless, it seems to the reviewer that this representation has its own value. The main feature is that it is quite informally written and very readable, even for the beginner. It contains the following chapters: 1. The Laplacian on a Riemannian manifold. 2. Elements of differential geometry. 3. The construction of the heat kernel. 4. The heat equation approach to the Atiyah-Singer index theorem. 5. Zeta functions for the Laplacian on forms. In a final separate section, the author adds still the notes of 3 lectures, given 1992 at the Kanazanea University at a more advanced level. The 3 chapters deal with zeta functions in Riemannian geometry, the Witten Laplacian and the Euler characteristic of negatively curved manifolds and, finally, with the Witten Laplacian and functional determinants. As a summary, the whole material is very well known to the specialists but the presentation is recommendable for anybody who wishes to be informed or to learn about it.
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