English

Equivariant embedding theorems and topological index maps

K-Theory and Homology 2012-06-29 v1 Geometric Topology

Abstract

The construction of topological index maps for equivariant families of Dirac operators requires factoring a general smooth map through maps of a very simple type: zero sections of vector bundles, open embeddings, and vector bundle projections. Roughly speaking, a normally non-singular map is a map together with such a factorisation. These factorisations are models for the topological index map. Under some assumptions concerning the existence of equivariant vector bundles, any smooth map admits a normal factorisation, and two such factorisations are unique up to a certain notion of equivalence. To prove this, we generalise the Mostow Embedding Theorem to spaces equipped with proper groupoid actions. We also discuss orientations of normally non-singular maps with respect to a cohomology theory and show that oriented normally non-singular maps induce wrong-way maps on the chosen cohomology theory. For K-oriented normally non-singular maps, we also get a functor to Kasparov's equivariant KK-theory. We interpret this functor as a topological index map.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0908.1465,
  title  = {Equivariant embedding theorems and topological index maps},
  author = {Ralf Meyer and Heath Emerson},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0908.1465},
  year   = {2012}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-21T13:34:18.992Z