The local index formula in semifinite Von Neumann algebras I: Spectral flow

We generalise the local index formula of Connes and Moscovici to the case of spectral triples for a *-subalgebra A of a general semifinite von Neumann algebra. In this setting it gives a formula for spectral flow along a path joining an unbounded self-adjoint Breuer-Fredholm operator, affiliated to the von Neumann algebra, to a unitarily equivalent operator. Our proof is novel even in the setting of the original theorem and relies on the introduction of a function valued cocycle which is ‘almost’ a (b,B)-cocycle in the cyclic cohomology of A.     

The local index formula in semifinite von Neumann algebras II: The even case

We generalise the even local index formula of Connes and Moscovici to the case of spectral triples for a *-subalgebra A of a general semifinite von Neumann algebra. The proof is a variant of that for the odd case which appears in Part I. To allow for algebras with a non-trivial centre we have to establish a theory of unbounded Fredholm operators in a general semifinite von Neumann algebra and in particular prove a generalised McKean-Singer formula.     

Spectral flow and Dixmier traces

We obtain general theorems which enable the calculation of the Dixmier trace in terms of the asymptotics of the zeta function and of the heat operator in a general semi-finite von Neumann algebra. Our results have several applications. We deduce a formula for the Chern character of an odd -summable Breuer-Fredholm module in terms of a Hochschild 1-cycle. We explain how to derive a Wodzicki residue for pseudo-differential operators along the orbits of an ergodic action on a compact space X. Finally, we give a short proof of an index theorem of Lesch for generalised Toeplitz operators.     

Dirac operators and spectral triples for some fractal sets built on curves

We construct spectral triples and, in particular, Dirac operators, for the algebra of continuous functions on certain compact metric spaces. The triples are countable sums of triples where each summand is based on a curve in the space. Several fractals, like a finitely summable infinite tree and the Sierpinski gasket, fit naturally within our framework. In these cases, we show that our spectral triples do describe the geodesic distance and the Minkowski dimension as well as, more generally, the complex fractal dimensions of the space. Furthermore, in the case of the Sierpinski gasket, the associated Dixmier-type trace coincides with the normalized Hausdorff measure of dimension log3/log2.     

A note on spectral triples and quasidiagonality

Spectral triples (of compact type) are constructed on arbitrary separable quasidiagonal C^*$C^{*}$-algebras. On the other hand an example of a spectral triple on a non-quasidiagonal algebra is presented.     

Orbifold index cobordism invariance

We prove cobordism index invariance for pseudo-differential elliptic operators on closed orbifolds with K-theoretical methods.     

The Baum-Connes assembly map, delocalization and the Chern character

For a discrete group Γ, we explicitly describe the rational Baum-Connes assembly map in “homological degree ?2” and show that in this domain it factors through the algebraic K-theory of the complex group ring of Γ. We also state and prove a delocalization property for , namely expressing it rationally in terms of the Novikov assembly map. Finally, we give a handicrafted construction of the delocalized equivariant Chern character (in the analytic language) and prove that it coincides with the equivariant Chern character of Lück (Invent. Math. 149 (2002) 123-152) (defined in the topological framework).     

K-amenability for amalgamated free products of amenable discrete quantum groups

The basic notions and results of equivariant KK-theory concerning crossed products can be extended to the case of locally compact quantum groups. We recall these constructions and prove some useful properties of subgroups and amalgamated free products of discrete quantum groups. Using these properties and a quantum analogue of the Bass-Serre tree, we establish the K-amenability of amalgamated free products of amenable discrete quantum groups.     

The eta invariant and parity conditions

We give a formula for the η-invariant of odd-order operators on even-dimensional manifolds and even-order operators on odd-dimensional manifolds. Second-order operators with nontrivial η-invariants are found. This solves a problem posed by Gilkey.     

K-theory and exact sequences of partial translation algebras

In an earlier paper, the authors introduced partial translation algebras as a generalisation of group C^?${\mathrm{C}}^{?}$-algebras. Here we establish an extension of partial translation algebras, which may be viewed as an excision theorem in this context. We apply this general framework to compute the K-theory of partial translation algebras and group C^?${\mathrm{C}}^{?}$-algebras in the context of almost invariant subspaces of discrete groups. This generalises the work of Cuntz, Lance, Pimsner and Voiculescu. In particular we provide a new perspective on Pimsner's calculation of the K-theory for a graph product of groups.     

An extended Cheeger-Müller theorem for covering spaces

We generalize a theorem of Bismut-Zhang, which extends the Cheeger-Müller theorem on Ray-Singer torsion and Reidemeister torsion, to the case of infinite Galois covering spaces. Our result is stated in the framework of extended cohomology, and generalizes in this case a recent result of Braverman-Carey-Farber-Mathai. It does not use the determinant class condition and thus also (potentially) generalizes several results on L²-torsions due to Burghelea, Friedlander, Kappeler and McDonald. We combine the framework developed by Braverman-Carey-Farber-Mathai on the determinant of extended cohomology with the heat kernel method developed in the original paper of Bismut-Zhang to prove our result.     

Residue formulation of the Chern character on smooth manifolds

The Chern character of a complex vector bundle is most conveniently defined as the exponential of a curvature of a connection. It is well known that its cohomology class does not depend on the particular connection chosen. It has been shown by Quillen that a connection may be perturbed by an endomorphism of the vector bundle, such as a symbol of some elliptic differential operator. This point of view, as we intend to show, allows one to relate Chern character to a noncommutative sibling formulated by Connes and Moscovici.     

Order-unit quantum Gromov-Hausdorff distance

We introduce a new distance dist_oq between compact quantum metric spaces. We show that dist_oq is Lipschitz equivalent to Rieffel's distance dist_q, and give criteria for when a parameterized family of compact quantum metric spaces is continuous with respect to dist_oq. As applications, we show that the continuity of a parameterized family of quantum metric spaces induced by ergodic actions of a fixed compact group is determined by the multiplicities of the actions, generalizing Rieffel's work on noncommutative tori and integral coadjoint orbits of semisimple compact connected Lie groups; we also show that the θ-deformations of Connes and Landi are continuous in the parameter θ.     

Chern character for totally disconnected groups

In this paper we construct a bivariant Chern character for the equivariant KK-theory of a totally disconnected group with values in bivariant equivariant cohomology in the sense of Baum and Schneider. We prove in particular that the complexified left hand side of the Baum–Connes conjecture for a totally disconnected group is isomorphic to cosheaf homology. Moreover, it is shown that our transformation extends the Chern character defined by Baum and Schneider for profinite groups.     

A class of generalized positive linear maps on matrix algebras

We construct a class of positive linear maps on matrix algebras. We find conditions when these maps are atomic, decomposable and completely positive. We obtain a large class of atomic positive linear maps. As applications in quantum information theory, we discuss the structural physical approximation and optimality of entanglement witness associated with these maps.     

Geometry on the quantum Heisenberg manifold

A class of C∗-algebras called quantum Heisenberg manifolds were introduced by Rieffel in (Comm. Math. Phys. 122 (1989) 531) as strict deformation quantization of Heisenberg manifolds. Using the ergodic action of Heisenberg group we construct a family of spectral triples. It is shown that associated Kasparov modules are homotopic. We also show that they induce cohomologous elements in entire cyclic cohomology. The space of Connes-deRham forms have been explicitly calculated. Then we characterize torsionless/unitary connections and show that there does not exist a connection that is simultaneously torsionless and unitary. Explicit examples of connections are produced with negative scalar curvature. This part illustrates computations involving some of the concepts introduced in Frohlich et al. (Comm. Math. Phys. 203 (1999) 119), for which to the best of our knowledge no infinite-dimensional example is known other that the noncommutative torus.     

Approximation of quantum tori by finite quantum tori for the quantum Gromov-Hausdorff distance

We establish that, given a compact Abelian group G endowed with a continuous length function l and a sequence (H_n)_n∈N of closed subgroups of G converging to G for the Hausdorff distance induced by l, then is the quantum Gromov-Hausdorff limit of any sequence for the natural quantum metric structures and when the lifts of σ_n to converge pointwise to σ. This allows us in particular to approximate the quantum tori by finite-dimensional C^*-algebras for the quantum Gromov-Hausdorff distance. Moreover, we also establish that if the length function l is allowed to vary, we can collapse quantum metric spaces to various quotient quantum metric spaces.     

The index formula and the spectral shift function for relatively trace class perturbations

We compute the Fredholm index, index(DA), of the operator DA=(d/dt)+A on L²(R;H) associated with the operator path , where (Af)(t)=A(t)f(t) for a.e. t∈R, and appropriate f∈L²(R;H), via the spectral shift function ξ(⋅;A₊,A₋) associated with the pair (A₊,A₋) of asymptotic operators A_±=A(±∞) on the separable complex Hilbert space H in the case when A(t) is generally an unbounded (relatively trace class) perturbation of the unbounded self-adjoint operator A₋.We derive a formula (an extension of a formula due to Pushnitski) relating the spectral shift function ξ(⋅;A₊,A₋) for the pair (A₊,A₋), and the corresponding spectral shift function ξ(⋅;H₂,H₁) for the pair of operators in this relative trace class context,This formula is then used to identify the Fredholm index of DA with ξ(0;A₊,A₋). In addition, we prove that index(DA) coincides with the spectral flow of the family {A(t)}_t∈R and also relate it to the (Fredholm) perturbation determinant for the pair (A₊,A₋): with the choice of the branch of ln(detH(⋅)) on C₊ such thatWe also provide some applications in the context of supersymmetric quantum mechanics to zeta function and heat kernel regularized spectral asymmetries and the eta-invariant.     

The Baum-Connes conjecture via localisation of categories

We redefine the Baum-Connes assembly map using simplicial approximation in the equivariant Kasparov category. This new interpretation is ideal for studying functorial properties and gives analogues of the Baum-Connes assembly map for other equivariant homology theories. We extend many of the known techniques for proving the Baum-Connes conjecture to this more general setting.