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Spectral Flows and Their Topological Invariants

Authors: SÉRGIO DE ANDRADE, PAULO;

Spectral Flows and Their Topological Invariants

Abstract

This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of spectral flow for families of self-adjoint Fredholm operators and its profound connection to topological invariants. We begin by establishing the mathematical formalism of Fredholm operators on Hilbert spaces, defining the Fredholm index and its stability properties. The core of the paper introduces the concept of spectral flow, heuristically understood as the net number of eigenvalues crossing zero for a continuous path of self-adjoint operators. We formalize this notion and demonstrate its key properties, including homotopy invariance and its behavior under concatenation of paths. A central result explored is the relationship between the spectral flow and the Fredholm index of an associated operator, a cornerstone of modern index theory established by Atiyah, Patodi, and Singer. The discussion extends to the role of spectral flow in calculating topological invariants, such as the Chern character, in the context of differential geometry and quantum field theory. We explore how spectral flow serves as a bridge between the analytic properties of operators on a manifold and the underlying topological structure of the space, providing a powerful tool for classifying and understanding complex systems in both mathematics and physics.

Keywords

Topological Invariants, Spectral Flow, Fredholm Operators, Index Theory, Chern Character, Self-Adjoint Operators, Atiyah-Patodi-Singer Theorem

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
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