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

TL;DR

This paper establishes a formula linking the Fredholm index of a differential operator with the spectral shift function for unbounded perturbations, and demonstrates its relation to spectral flow and applications in quantum mechanics.

Contribution

It extends Pushnitski's formula to unbounded, relatively trace class perturbations and connects the index with spectral flow and perturbation determinants.

Findings

Derived a formula relating spectral shift functions for unbounded perturbations.

Proved the index equals the spectral shift function at zero.

Connected the index with spectral flow and perturbation determinants.

Abstract

We compute the Fredholm index, ${\rm ind}(D_A)$, of the operator $D_A = (d/dt) + A$ on $L^2(\mathbb{R};\mathcal{H})$ associated with the operator path $\{A(t)\}_{t=-\infty}^{\infty}$, where $(A f)(t) = A(t) f(t)$ for a.e. $t\in\mathbb{R}$, and appropriate $f \in L^2(\mathbb{R};\mathcal{H})$, via the spectral shift function $\xi(\, \cdot \,;A_+,A_-)$ associated with the pair $(A_+, A_-)$ of asymptotic operators $A_{\pm}=A(\pm\infty)$ on the separable complex Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}$ 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 $\xi(\, \cdot \,;A_+,A_-)$ for the pair $(A_+, A_-)$, and the corresponding spectral shift function $\xi(\, \cdot \,;H_2,H_1)$ for the pair of operators $(H_2,H_1)=(D_A {D_A}^*, {D_A}^* D_A)$ in this relative trace class context. This formula is then used to identify the Fredholm index of $D_A$ with $\xi(0;A_+,A_-)$. In addition, we prove that ${\rm ind}(D_A)$ coincides with the spectral flow SpFlow$(\{A(t)\}_{t=-\infty}^\infty)$ of the family $\{A(t)\}_{t\in\mathbb{R}}$ and also relate it to the (Fredholm) perturbation determinant for the pair $(A_+, A_-)$. We also provide some applications in the context of supersymmetric quantum mechanics to zeta function and heat kernel regularized spectral asymmetries and the eta-invariant.