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

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 $ξ(\, \cdot \,;A_+,A_-)$ 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 $ξ(\, \cdot \,;A_+,A_-)$ for the pair $(A_+, A_-)$, and the corresponding spectral shift function $ξ(\, \cdot \,;H_2,H_1)$ 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 $ξ(0;A_+,A_-)$. 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.

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