Equivariant index formulas for orbifolds (Q1919639)

The author proves a \(G\)-equivariant index formula on compact orbifolds. An orbifold is understood as the quotient space \(P/H\) of a smooth manifold \(P\) by the action of a compact Lie group \(H\) which is infinitesimally free. Let \({\mathcal E}^\pm\to P\) be two \((G\times H)\)-equivariant vector bundles on \(P\) and \(\Delta:\Gamma({\mathcal E}^+)\to \Gamma({\mathcal E}^-)\) a \((G\times H)\)-invariant differential operator. If \(\Delta\) is \((G\times H)\)-transversally elliptic, the equivariant index is a trace-class virtual \(G\)-representation \(Q(\Delta)=(\text{ker }\Delta)^H-(\text{ker }\Delta^*)^H\). The author gives in Theorem 2 a formula for the character of \(Q(\Delta)\) in terms of the equivariant cohomology of the tangent bundle \(T^*(P/H)\), generalizing the cohomological index formula for the equivariant index of \(G\)-transversally elliptic operators on compact manifolds given in [\textit{N. Berline} and \textit{M. Vergne}, The equivariant Chern character and index of \(G\)-invariant operators, Lect. Notes Math. 1565, 157-202 (1993; Zbl 0793.58032)]. The proof uses Atiyah's methods [\textit{M. F. Atiyah}, Elliptic operators and compact groups, Lect. Notes Math. 401 (1974; Zbl 0297.58009)] to compute the equivariant index of \(H\)-transversally elliptic operators and Fourier inversion on compact groups. The results are applied to the quantization of symplectic manifolds and give an integral formula for the character of the quantized orbifold representation, constructed from the Dirac operator on a symplectic manifold with \((G\times H)\)-Hamiltonian action and a Kostant-Souriau line bundle.