Combining analysis, geometry, and topology, this volume provides an introduction to current ideas involving the application of $K$-theory of operator algebras to index theory and geometry. In particular, the articles follow two main themes: the use of operator algebras to reflect properties of geometric objects and the application of index theory in settings where the relevant elliptic operators are invertible modulo a $C^*$-algebra other than that of the compact operators. The papers in this collection are the proceedings of the special sessions held at two AMS meetings: the Annual meeting in New Orleans in January 1986, and the Central Section meeting in April 1986. Jonathan Rosenberg's exposition supplies the best available introduction to Kasparov's $KK$-theory and its applications to representation theory and geometry. A striking application of these ideas is found in Thierry Fack's paper, which provides a complete and detailed proof of the Novikov Conjecture for fundamental groups of manifolds of non-positive curvature. Some of the papers involve Connes' foliation algebra and its $K$-theory, while others examine $C^*$-algebras associated to groups and group actions on spaces.

This volume contains the proceedings of the virtual conference on Cyclic Cohomology at 40: Achievements and Future Prospects, held from September 27–October 1, 2021 and hosted by the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada. Cyclic cohomology, since its discovery forty years ago in noncommutative differential geometry, has become a fundamental mathematical tool with applications in domains as diverse as analysis, algebraic K-theory, algebraic geometry, arithmetic geometry, solid state physics and quantum field theory. The reader will find survey articles providing a user-friendly introduction to applications of cyclic cohomology in such areas as higher categorical algebra, Hopf algebra symmetries, de Rham-Witt complex, quantum physics, etc., in which cyclic homology plays the role of a unifying theme. The researcher will find frontier research articles in which the cyclic theory provides a computational tool of great relevance. In particular, in analysis cyclic cohomology index formulas capture the higher invariants of manifolds, where the group symmetries are extended to Hopf algebra actions, and where Lie algebra cohomology is greatly extended to the cyclic cohomology of Hopf algebras which becomes the natural receptacle for characteristic classes. In algebraic topology the cyclotomic structure obtained using the cyclic subgroups of the circle action on topological Hochschild homology gives rise to remarkably significant arithmetic structures intimately related to crystalline cohomology through the de Rham-Witt complex, Fontaine's theory and the Fargues-Fontaine curve.

This is a collection of the works of Michael Atiyah, a well-established mathematician and winner of the Fields Medal. It is thematically divided into volumes; this one discusses index theory.

In algebraic topology some classical invariants - such as Betti numbers and Reidemeister torsion - are defined for compact spaces and finite group actions. They can be generalized using von Neumann algebras and their traces, and applied also to non-compact spaces and infinite groups. These new L2-invariants contain very interesting and novel information and can be applied to problems arising in topology, K-Theory, differential geometry, non-commutative geometry and spectral theory. The book, written in an accessible manner, presents a comprehensive introduction to this area of research, as well as its most recent results and developments.

This book treats the Atiyah-Singer index theorem using the heat equation, which gives a local formula for the index of any elliptic complex. Heat equation methods are also used to discuss Lefschetz fixed point formulas, the Gauss-Bonnet theorem for a manifold with smooth boundary, and the geometrical theorem for a manifold with smooth boundary. The author uses invariance theory to identify the integrand of the index theorem for classical elliptic complexes with the invariants of the heat equation.

Index theory studies the solutions to differential equations on geometric spaces, their relation to the underlying geometry and topology, and applications to physics. If the space of solutions is infinite dimensional, it becomes necessary to generalise the classical Fredholm index using tools from the K-theory of operator algebras. This leads to higher index theory, a rapidly developing subject with connections to noncommutative geometry, large-scale geometry, manifold topology and geometry, and operator algebras. Aimed at geometers, topologists and operator algebraists, this book takes a friendly and concrete approach to this exciting theory, focusing on the main conjectures in the area and their applications outside of it. A well-balanced combination of detailed introductory material (with exercises), cutting-edge developments and references to the wider literature make this a valuable guide to this active area for graduate students and experts alike.