On the index of nonlocal elliptic operators corresponding to a nonisometric diffeomorphism

We consider nonlocal elliptic operators corresponding to diffeomorphisms of smooth closed manifolds. The index of such operators is calculated. More precisely, it was shown that the index of the operator is equal to that of an elliptic boundary-value problem on the cylinder whose base is the original manifold. As an example, we study nonlocal operators on the two-dimensional Riemannian manifold corresponding to the tangential Euler operator.     

The index of elliptic operators on manifolds with conical points

For general elliptic pseudodifferential operators on manifolds with singular points, we prove an algebraic index formula. In this formula the symbolic contributions from the interior and from the singular points are explicitly singled out. For two-dimensional manifolds, the interior contribution is reduced to the Atiyah-Singer integral over the cosphere bundle while two additional terms arise. The first of the two is one half of the "eta" invariant associated to the conormal symbol of the operator at singular points. The second term is also completely determined by the conormal symbol. The example of the Cauchy-Riemann operator on the complex plane shows that all the three terms may be nonzero. Moreover, we introduce a natural symmetry condition for a pseudodifferential operator on a manifold with cylindrical ends ensuring that the operator admits a doubling across the boundary. For such operators we prove an explicit index formula containing, apart from the Atiyah-Singer integral, a finite number of residues of the logarithmic derivative of the conormal symbol.     

Cobordism invariance of the index of Callias-type operators

We introduce a notion of cobordism of Callias-type operators overcomplete Riemannian manifolds and prove that the index is preserved by such a cobordism. As an application, we prove a gluing formula for Callias-type index. In particular, a usual index of an elliptic operator on a compact manifold can be computed as a sum of indexes of Callias-type operators on two noncompact but topologically simpler manifolds. As another application, we give a new proof of the relative index theorem for Callias-type operators, which also leads to a new proof of the Callias index theorem.     

New proof of the cobordism invariance of the index

We give a simple proof of the cobordism invariance of the index of an elliptic operator. The proof is based on a study of a Witten-type deformation of an extension of the operator to a complete Riemannian manifold. One of the advantages of our approach is that it allows us to treat directly general elliptic operators which are not of Dirac type.

     

Self-duality operators on odd dimensional manifolds

In this paper we construct a new elliptic operator associated to any nowhere zero vector field on an odd-dimensional manifold and study its index theory. It turns out this operator has several geometric applications to conformal vector fields, self-dual vector fields, locally free -actions and transversal hypersurfaces of these vector fields in an odd-dimensional manifold. In particular, we reveal a non-stable phenomena about the existence of conformal vector fields and self-dual vector fields in odd dimensions above 3. This is in sharp contrast to the stable phenomena about the existence of nowhere zero vector fields in odd dimensions. Besides these applications, the index formula of this new operator also gives the formulas for the dimensions of self-duality cohomology groups and for the virtual dimensions of the moduli spaces of anti-self-dual connections on 5-cobordisms, which are introduced in author's previous papers.

     

Existence and instability of spike layer solutions to singular perturbation problems

An abstract framework is given to establish the existence and compute the Morse index of spike layer solutions of singularly perturbed semilinear elliptic equations. A nonlinear Lyapunov-Schmidt scheme is used to reduce the problem to one on a normally hyperbolic manifold, and the related linearized problem is also analyzed using this reduction. As an application, we show the existence of a multi-peak spike layer solution with peaks on the boundary of the domain, and we also obtain precise estimates of the small eigenvalues of the operator obtained by linearizing at a spike layer solution.     

Geometric quantization for proper moment maps: the Vergne conjecture

We establish an analytic interpretation for the index of certain transversally elliptic symbols on non-compact manifolds. By using this interpretation, we establish a geometric quantization formula for a Hamiltonian action of a compact Lie group acting on a non-compact symplectic manifold with proper moment map. In particular, we present a solution to a conjecture of Michèle Vergne in her ICM 2006 plenary lecture.     

The spectral function of a Riemannian orbifold

Hörmander’s theorem on the asymptotics of the spectral function of an elliptic operator is extended to the setting of compact Riemannian orbifolds. In contrast to the manifold case, the asymptotics depend on the isotropy type of the point at which the spectral function is computed. It is shown that “on average” the eigenfunctions of the operator are larger at singular points than at manifold points, by a factor of the order of the isotropy type. A sketch of a more direct approach to the wave trace formula on orbifolds is also given, obtaining results already shown separately by M. Sandoval and Y. Kordyukov in the setting of Riemmannian foliations.     

Linear and quasilinear parabolic equations in Sobolev space

We consider linear parabolic equations of second order in a Sobolev space setting. We obtain existence and uniqueness results for such equations on a closed two-dimensional manifold, with minimal assumptions about the regularity of the coefficients of the elliptic operator. In particular, we derive a priori estimates relating the Sobolev regularity of the coefficients of the elliptic operator to that of the solution. The results obtained are used in conjunction with an iteration argument to yield existence results for quasilinear parabolic equations.     

A formula for the non-integer powers of the laplacian

We provide an elementary formula for the non-integer powers of the Laplace operator in the Euclidean spaces. Such formulas are helpful in establishing the elliptic nature of some pseudo-differential operators arising from the study of energies of knotted loops in space, and possibly of embedded submanifolds in a Riemannian manifold. Supported in part by an NSF grant.     

On the index of nonlocal elliptic operators for compact Lie groups

We consider a class of nonlocal operators associated with a compact Lie group G acting on a smooth manifold. A notion of symbol of such operators is introduced and an index formula for elliptic elements is obtained. The symbol in this situation is an element of a noncommutative algebra (crossed product by G) and to obtain an index formula, we define the Chern character for this algebra in the framework of noncommutative geometry.     

On the Index of Differential Operators on Manifolds with Conical Singularities

The paper contains the proof of the index formula for manifolds with conical points. For operators subject to an additional condition of spectral symmetry, the index is expressed as the sum of multiplicities of spectral points of the conormal symbol (indicial family) and the integral from the Atiyah–Singer form over the smooth part of the manifold. The obtained formula is illustrated by the example of the Euler operator on a two-dimensional manifold with conical singular point.     

Angular asymptotics of the spectra of operators,close to normal ones

For two classes of non-self-adjoint operators, close to normal ones, one establishes a formula for the asymptotic behavior of the eigenvalues situated in a fixed angle of the complex plane. One considers elliptic pseudodifferential operators, acting in the sections of a vector bundle over a manifold without boundary, the operators of elliptic boundary-value problems for pseudodifferential operators. The closeness of the operator to a normal one is defined by the smallness of the commutator of the operator and of its adjoint.Translated from Problemy Matematicheskogo Analiza, No. 10, pp. 180–195, 1986.     

η-INVARIANT AND CHERN-SIMONS CURRENT

The author presents an alternate proof of the Bismut-Zhang localization formula of ηinvariants, when the target manifold is a sphere, by using ideas of mod k index theory instead of the difficult analytic localization techniques of Bismut-Lebeau. As a consequence, it is shown that the R/Z part of the aualytically defined η invariant of Atiyah-Patodi-Singer for a Dirac operator on an odd dimensional closed spin manifold can be expressed purely geometrically through a stable Chern-Simons current on a higher dimensional sphere. As a preliminary application, the author discusses the relation with the Atiyah-Patodi-Singer R/Z index theorem for unitary flat vector bundles,and proves an R refinement in the case where the Dirac operator is replaced by the Signature operator.     

Functional determinants and geometry

Summary In this paper we study the zeta-function determinant in the context of elliptic boundary value problems. Our main technique is to relate the determinant of an operator, or a ratio of determinants, to the boundary values of the solutions of the operator. This has the advantage of restricting attention to the solutions of the operator, which do not depend on the boundary conditions and can often be written down explicitly, rather than the eigenvalues, which are usually difficult to work with. In addition, the problem is reduced to a calculation over the boundary of the manifold which is a closed manifold of dimension one less than the original manifold. This has special significance in the case that the manifold is a finite interval. In this case the boundary is a pair of points and the determinant of an ordinary differential operator is expressed in terms of the determinant of a finite matrix.The results are then applied to some geometric operators. In Sect. 4 we study the Jacobi operator acting along a geodesic segment and the covariant derivative operator acting along a loop. In Sect. 2 we calculate the determinant of the Laplacian acting on sections of a flat bundle over a flat torus. This can be related to an Eisenstein series and thus we have presented a new geometric method of summing such series. This sum is known as Kroneker's Second Limit formula. We then consider operators on a product manifoldM×S ¹.     

η-INVARIANT AND CHERN-SIMONS CURRENT

The author presents an alternate proof of the Bismut-Zhang localization formula of ηinvariants, when the target manifold is a sphere, by using ideas of mod k index theory instead of the difficult analytic localization techniques of Bismut-Lebeau. As a consequence, it is shown that the R/Z part of the analytically defined ηinvariant of Atiyah-Patodi-Singer for a Dirac operator on an odd dimensional closed spin manifold can be expressed purely geometrically through a stable Chern-Simons current on a higher dimensional sphere. As a preliminary application, the author discusses the relation with the Atiyah-Patodi-Singer R/Z index theorem for unitary flat vector bundles, and proves an R refinement in the case where the Dirac operator is replaced by the Signature operator.     

Nonstrictly hyperbolic systems of conservation laws of the conjugate type

We consider an inverse boundary problem for a general second order self-adjoint elliptic differential operator on a compact differential manifold with boundary. The inverse problem is that of the reconstruction of the manifold and operator via all but finite number of eigenvalues and traces on the boundary of the corresponding eigenfunctions of the operator. We prove that the data determine the manifold and the operator to within the group of the generalized gauge transformations. The proof is based upon a procedure of the reconstruction of a canonical object in the orbit of the group. This object, the canonical Schrödinger operator, is uniquely determined via its incomplete boundary spectral data.     

The index of the pseudo-Riemannian Dirac operator as a transversally elliptic operator

Let (M,r) be a closed, space- and time-orientable, pseudo-Riemannian spin manifold and-let G be a compact group of orientation-preserving isometries on (M,r). If there are no isotropic directions transversal to the orbits of G, then the Dirac operator on (M,r) is transversally elliptic. In this paper we calculate its index.     

Elliptic quasicomplexes in Boutet de Monvel algebra

We consider quasicomplexes of Boutet de Monvel operators in Sobolev spaces on a smooth compact manifold with boundary. To each quasicomplex we associate two complexes of symbols. One complex is defined on the cotangent bundle of the manifold and the other on that of the boundary. The quasicomplex is elliptic if these symbol complexes are exact away from the zero sections. We prove that elliptic quasicomplexes are Fredholm. As a consequence of this result we deduce that a compatibility complex for an overdetermined elliptic boundary problem operator is also Fredholm. Moreover, we introduce the Euler characteristic for elliptic quasicomplexes of Boutet de Monvel operators.     

Resolvents of cone pseudodifferential operators,asymptotic expansions and applications

We study the structure and asymptotic behavior of the resolvent of elliptic cone pseudodifferential operators acting on weighted Sobolev spaces over a compact manifold with boundary. We obtain an asymptotic expansion of the resolvent as the spectral parameter tends to infinity, and use it to derive corresponding heat trace and zeta function expansions as well as an analytic index formula.