Levinson's theorem for two-dimensional scattering systems: it was a surprise, it is now topological!

We prove a general Levinson's theorem for Schr\"odinger operators in two dimensions with threshold obstructions at zero energy. Our results confirm and simplify earlier seminal results of Boll\'e, Gesztesy et al., while providing an explicit topological interpretation. We also derive explicit formulas for the wave operators, and so show that they are elements of a $C^*$-algebra introduced by Cordes. As a consequence of our approach, we provide an evaluation of the spectral shift function at zero in the presence of $p$-resonances.