We associate determinant lines to objects of the extended abelian category built out of a von Neumann category with a trace. Using this we suggest constructions of the combinatorial and the analytic L^2 torsions which, unlike the work of the previous authors, requires no additional assumptions; in particular we do not impose the determinant class condition. The resulting torsions are elements of the determinant line of the extended L^2 cohomology. Under the determinant class assumption the L^2 torsions of this paper specialize to the invariants studied in our previous work. Applying a recent theorem of D. Burghelea, L. Friedlander and T. Kappeler we obtain a Cheeger - Muller type theorem stating the equality between the combinatorial and the analytic L^2 torsions.
The gluing formula of the zeta-determinant of a Laplacian given by Burghelea, Friedlander and Kappeler contains an unknown constant. In this paper we compute this constant to complete the formula under the assumption of the product structure near boundary. As applications of this result,we prove the adiabatic decomposition theorems of the zeta-determinant of a Laplacian with respect to the Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions and of the analytic torsion with respect to the absolute and relative boundary conditions.
On an open manifold, the spaces of metrics or connections of bounded geometry, respectively, split into an uncountable number of components. We show that for a pair of metrics or connections, belonging to the same component, relative $ζ$-functions, determinants, torsion for pairs of generalized Dirac operators are well defined.
Using the higher analytic torsion form of Bismut and Lott we construct a characteristic class for smooth sphere bundles. We calculate this class in the case where the sphere bundle comes from a complex vector bundle. Related to these characteristic classes we define nontrivial continuous group cohomology classes of the diffeomorphism group of odd dimensional spheres.
The set of Clifford bundles of bounded geometry over open manifolds can be endowed with a metrizable uniform structure. For one fixed bundle $E$ we define the generalized component $\gencomp (E)$ as the set of Clifford bundles $E'$ which have finite distance to $E$. If $D$, $D'$ are the associated generalized Dirac operators, we prove for the pair $(D,D')$ relative index theorems, define relative $ζ$-- and $η$--functions, relative determinants and in the case of $D=Δ$ relative analytic torsion. To define relative $ζ$-- and $η$--functions, we assume additionally that the essential spectrum of $…
In this paper, we suggest a construction of determinant lines of finitely generated Hilbertian modules over finite von Neumann algebras. Nonzero elements of the determinant lines can be viewed as volume forms on the Hilbertian modules. Using this, we study both $L^2$ combinatorial and $L^2$ analytic torsion invariants associated to flat Hilbertian bundles over compact polyhedra and manifolds; we view them as volume forms on the reduced $L^2$ homology and cohomology. These torsion invariants specialize to the the classical Reidemeister-Franz torsion and the Ray-Singer torsion in the finite dime…
In this article, we study the twisting procedure of orbifold cohomology. We introduce local system and construct twisted orbifold cohomology. Then, we generalize Vafa-Witten's notion of discrete torsion to general orbifold and examine its relation to local system. Finally, some examples are computed.
We obtain explicit expressions for the determinants of the Laplacians on zero and one forms for an infinite class of three dimensional lens spaces $L(p,q)$. These expressions can be combined to obtain the Ray-Singer torsion of these lens spaces. As a consequence we obtain an infinite class of formulae for the Riemann zeta function $ζ(3)$. The value of these determinants (and the torsion) grows as the size of the fundamental group of the lens space increases and this is also computed. The triviality of the torsion for just the three lens spaces $L(6,1)$, $L(10,3)$ and $L(12,5)$ is also noted. (…
In this paper we introduce the concept of Deligne cohomology of an orbifold. We prove that the third Deligne cohomology group of a smooth étale groupoid classify gerbes with connection over the groupoid. We argue that the $B$-field and the discrete torsion in type II superstring theories are special kinds of gerbes with connection, and finally, for each one of them, using Deligne cohomology we construct a flat line bundle over the inertia groupoid, namely a Ruan inner local in the case of an orbifold.
For d=2n+1 a positive odd integer, we consider sequences of arithmetic subgroups of SO_0(d,1) and Spin(d,1) yielding corresponding hyperbolic manifolds of finite volume and show that, under appropriate and natural assumptions, the torsion of the associated cohomology groups grows exponentially.
For a closed symplectic manifold $(M,ω)$, a compatible almost complex structure $J$, a 1-periodic time dependent symplectic vector field $Z$ and a homotopy class of closed curves $γ$ we define a Floer complex based on 1-periodic trajectories of $Z$ in the homotopy class $γ$. We suppose that the closed 1-form $i_{Z_t}ω$ represents a cohomology class $β(Z):=β$, independent of $t$. We show how to associate to $(M,ω,γ,β)$ and to two pairs $(Z_i,J_i)$, $i=1,2$ with $β(Z_i)=β$ an invariant, the relative symplectic torsion, which is an element in the Whitehead group $Wh(Λ_0)$, of a Novikov ring $Λ_0$…
We construct a canonical element, called the refined analytic torsion, of the determinant line of the cohomology of a closed oriented odd-dimensional manifold M with coefficients in a flat complex vector bundle E. We compute the Ray-Singer norm of the refined analytic torsion. In particular, if there exists a flat Hermitian metric on E, we show that this norm is equal to 1. We prove a duality theorem, establishing a relationship between the refined analytic torsions corresponding to a flat connection and its dual.
For singular metrics, there is no Quillen metric formalism on cohomology determinant. In this paper, we develop an admissible theory, with which the arithmetic Deligne-Riemann-Roch isometry can be established for singular metrics. As an application, we first study Weil-Petersson metrics and Takhtajan-Zograf metrics on moduli spaces of punctured Riemann surfaces, and then give a more geometric interpretation of our determinant metrics in terms of Selberg zeta functions. We end this paper by proposing an arithmetic factorization for Weil-Petersson metrics, cuspidal metrics and Selberg zeta funct…
We consider a closed odd-dimensional oriented manifold $M$ together with an acyclic flat hermitean vector bundle $\cF$. We form the trivial fibre bundle with fibre $M$ over the manifold of all Riemannian metrics on $M$. It has a natural flat connection and a vertical Riemannian metric. The higher analytic torsion form of Bismut/Lott associated to the situation is invariant with respect to the connected component of the identity of the diffeomorphism group of $M$. Using that the space of Riemannian metrics is contractible we define continuous cohomology classes of the diffeomorphism group and i…
We introduce and study a canonical quadratic form, called the torsion quadratic form, of the determinant line of a flat vector bundle over a closed oriented odd-dimensional manifold. This quadratic form caries less information than the refined analytic torsion, introduced in our previous work, but is easier to construct and closer related to the combinatorial Farber-Turaev torsion. In fact, the torsion quadratic form can be viewed as an analytic analogue of the Poincare-Reidemeister scalar product, introduced by Farber and Turaev. Moreover, it is also closely related to the complex analytic to…
We study a cohomology theory $H^{\bullet}_φ$, called the $\mathcal L_B$-cohomology, on compact torsion-free $\mathrm{G}_2$-manifolds. We show that $H^k_φ \cong H^k_{\mathrm{dR}}$ for $k \neq 3, 4$, but that $H^k_φ$ is infinite-dimensional for $k = 3,4$. Nevertheless there is a canonical injection $H^k_{\mathrm{dR}} \to H^k_φ$. The $\mathcal L_B$-cohomology also satisfies a Poincaré duality induced by the Hodge star. The establishment of these results requires a delicate analysis of the interplay between the exterior derivative $\mathrm{d}$ and the derivation $\mathcal L_B$, and uses both Hodge…
For a closed manifold equipped with a Riemannian metric, a triangulation, a representation of its fundamental group on an Hilbert module of finite type (over of finite von Neumann algebra), and a Hermitian structure on the flat bundle associated to the representation, one defines a numerical invariant, the relative torsion. The relative torsion is a positive real number and unlike the analytic torsion or the Reidemeister torsion, which are defined only when the pair manifold- representation is of determinant class, is always defined. When the pair is of determinant class the relative torsionis…
We study an analogue of the analytic torsion for elliptic complexes that are graded by $\mathbb{Z}_2$, orignally constructed by Mathai and Wu. Motivated by topological T-duality, Bouwknegt an Mathai study the complex of forms on an odd-dimensional manifold equipped with with the twisted differential $d_H = d+H$, where $H$ is a closed odd-dimensional form. We show that the Ray-Singer metric on this twisted determinant is equal to the untwisted Ray-Singer metric when the determinant lines are identified using a canonical isomorphism. We also study another analytical invariant of the twisted diff…
Given a holomorphic Hilbertian bundle on a compact complex manifold, we introduce the notion of holomorphic $L^2$ torsion, which lies in the determinant line of the twisted $L^2$ Dolbeault cohomology and represents a volume element there. Here we utilise the theory of determinant lines of Hilbertian modules over finite von Neumann algebras as developed in an earlier paper by the authors. This specialises to the Ray-Singer-Quillen holomorphic torsion in the finite dimensional case. We compute a metric variation formula for the holomorphic $L^2$ torsion, which shows that it is not in general ind…
Starting with topological field theories we investigate the Ray-Singer analytic torsion in three dimensions. For the lens Spaces L(p;q) an explicit analytic continuation of the appropriate zeta functions is contructed and implemented. Among the results obtained are closed formulae for the individual determinants involved, the large $p$ behaviour of the determinants and the torsion, as well as an infinite set of distinct formulae for zeta(3): the ordinary Riemann zeta function evaluated at s=3. The torsion turns out to be trivial for the cases L(6,1), L((10,3) and L(12,5) and is, in general, gr…
For an odd-dimensional oriented hyperbolic manifold with cusps and strongly acyclic coefficient systems we define the Reidemeister torsion of the Borel-Serre compactification of the manifold using bases of cohomology classes defined via Eisenstein series by the method of Harder. In the main result of this paper we relate this combinatorial torsion to the regularized analytic torsion. Together with results on the asymptotic behaviour of the regularized analytic torsion, established previously, this should have applications to study the growth of torsion in the cohomology of arithmetic groups. O…
In this paper, we provide a concrete interpretation of equivariant Reidemeister torsion and demonstrate that Bismut-Zhang's equivariant Cheeger-Müller theorem simplifies considerably when applied to locally symmetric spaces. In a companion paper, this allows us to extend recent results on torsion cohomology growth and torsion cohomology comparison for arithmetic locally symmetric spaces an equivariant setting.
In this paper we discuss the refined analytic torsion on an odd dimensional compact oriented Riemannian manifold with boundary under some assumption. For this purpose we introduce two boundary conditions which are complementary to each other and well-posed for the odd signature operator $\mathcal{B}$ in the sense of Seeley. We then show that the zeta-determinants of $\mathcal{B}^2$ and eta-invariants of $\mathcal{B}$ subject to these boundary conditions are well defined by using the method of the asymptotic expansions of the traces of the heat kernels. We use these facts to define the refined …
The n-dimensional hypergeometric integrals associated with a hypersphere arrangement are formulated by the pairing of n-dimensional twisted cohomology and its dual. Under the condition of general position there are stated some results which concern an explicit representation of the standard form by a special (NBC) basis of the twisted cohomology, the variational formula of the corresponding integral in terms of special invariant 1-forms written by Cayley-Menger minor determinants. Gauss-Manin connection is also formulated and is explicitly presented in two simplest cases.
On an odd-dimensional oriented hyperbolic manifold of finite volume with strongly acyclic coefficient systems, we derive a formula relating analytic torsion with the Reidemeister torsion of the Borel-Serre compactification of the manifold. In a companion paper, this formula is used to derive exponential growth of torsion in cohomology of arithmetic groups.
It is shown that for any piecewise-linear closed orientable manifold of odd dimension there exists an invariantly defined metric on the determinant line of cohomology with coefficients in an arbitrary flat bundle E over the manifold (E is not required to be unimodular). The construction of this metric (called Poincare - Reidemeister metric) is purely combinatorial; it combines the standard Reidemeister type construction with Poincare duality. The main result of the paper states that the Poincare-Reidemeister metric computes combinatorially the Ray-Singer metric. It is shown also that the Ray-S…
Given a choice of metric on the Riemann surface, the regularized determinant of Laplacian (analytic torsion) is defined via the complex power of elliptic operators: $$ \det(Δ)=\exp(-ζ'(0)) $$ In this paper we gave an asymptotic effective estimate of analytic torsion under Arakelov metric. In particular, after taking the logarithm it is asymptotically upper bounded by $g$ for $g>1$. The construction of a cohomology theory for arithmetic surfaces in Arakelov theory has long been an open problem. In particular, it is not known if $h^{1}(X,L)\ge 0$. We view this as an indirect piece of evidence th…
