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.