QuantumK-theory

We construct a cocycle on an infinite dimensional generalization of ap-summable Fredholm module. Our framework is related to Connes' cyclic cohomology and is motivated by our work on index theory on infinite dimensional manifolds. Thep-summability condition is characteristic of dimensionO(p). We replace this assumption by the requirement that there exists an underlying heat kernel which is trace class. Then we use the heat kernel to regularize states in dimension-independent fashion. Our cocycle may be interpreted as an infinite dimensional Chern character.Supported in part by the National Foundation under Grant DMS/PHY 86-45122