This text on analysis of Riemannian manifolds is a thorough introduction to topics covered in advanced research monographs on Atiyah-Singer index theory. The main theme is the study of heat flow associated to the Laplacians on differential forms. This provides a unified treatment of Hodge theory and the supersymmetric proof of the Chern-Gauss-Bonnet theorem. In particular, there is a careful treatment of the heat kernel for the Laplacian on functions. The Atiyah-Singer index theorem and its applications are developed (without complete proofs) via the heat equation method. Zeta functions for Laplacians and analytic torsion are also treated, and the recently uncovered relation between index theory and analytic torsion is laid out. The text is aimed at students who have had a first course in differentiable manifolds, and the Riemannian geometry used is developed from the beginning. There are over 100 exercises with hints.
- ISBN13 9780521468312
- Publish Date 9 January 1997 (first published 1 January 1997)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 31 August 2021
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Cambridge University Press
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 188
- Language English