Skip to main content

Questions tagged [differential-operators]

Elliptic, parabolic and hyperbolic operators. Laplace, Laplace-Beltrami, Schrödinger, Dirac. Exterior derivative and Lie derivative operators.

218 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
13 votes
0 answers
816 views

How hard is it to make a differential operator Hermitian?

Let $M$ be a closed finite-dimensional smooth manifold (over $\mathbb R$). Let $C^\infty(M) = C^\infty(M,\mathbb C)$ be the algebra of smooth complex-valued functions on $M$, with the natural complex ...
Theo Johnson-Freyd's user avatar
12 votes
0 answers
153 views

Holomorphic natural bundles and operators

I am wondering up to what extent the classical theory of (smooth) natural bundles and natural operations extends to the holomorphic setting. After a quick thought, I've gone through the standard ...
Quidam_t's user avatar
  • 121
11 votes
0 answers
614 views

Is the formal neighborhood of the diagonal a generalization of the Jet bundle?

Let $f: X \to S$ be a morphism of locally ringed spaces and $\triangle: X \to X \times_S X$ the corresponding diagonal morphism with kernel sheaf $\mathcal{I} = \ker \triangle^{\flat}$. Definition: ...
Cory's user avatar
  • 111
10 votes
0 answers
409 views

Between Being a Connection and Being an Elliptic Operator

Let $E$ be a smooth complex vector bundle over a smooth compact manifold $M$ and let $H$ be the $Z_{2}$-graded (with the $Z_{2}$-grading given by even/odd forms) Hilbert space of $L_{2}$ (with respect ...
S.Z.'s user avatar
  • 505
9 votes
0 answers
364 views

Geometric motivation behind the Fredholm module definition

If $A$ is an involutive algebra over the complex numbers $\mathbb{C}$, then a Fredholm module over $A$ consists of an involutive representation of $A$ on a Hilbert space $H$, together with a self-...
Max Schattman's user avatar
8 votes
0 answers
219 views

Differential birational equivalence

Suppose the base field algebraically closed and of zero characteristic. There are two fascinating questions in the intersection of ring theory and algebraic geometry (for which an excellent discussion ...
jg1896's user avatar
  • 3,318
8 votes
0 answers
483 views

Measuring the non-commutativity of the codifferential and pullbacks

$\newcommand{\id}{\operatorname{Id}}$ $\newcommand{\TM}{\operatorname{TM}}$ $\newcommand{\Hom}{\operatorname{Hom}}$ $\newcommand{\M}{\mathcal{M}}$ $\newcommand{\R}{\mathbb{R}}$ $\newcommand{\N}{\...
Asaf Shachar's user avatar
  • 6,741
8 votes
0 answers
588 views

Can we use sheaf cohomology to say anything interesting for vector bundles with non-flat connections?

Given a vector bundle $E \to M$ with connection $\nabla$, we get a twisted de Rham sequence using the exterior covariant derivative: $$0 \to \mathcal{E} \xrightarrow{d^\nabla} \Omega^1_M \otimes \...
ಠ_ಠ's user avatar
  • 6,025
8 votes
0 answers
356 views

Noncommutative geometry and line length

I would like to understand, in some formal sense, the relation between the Dirac operator and the line length introduced by Connes in noncommutative geometry. If $D$ is the Dirac operator, he sets $ds ...
Jon's user avatar
  • 1,687
8 votes
0 answers
112 views

Euler number of the complex of basic forms

Let $G$ be a compact Lie group and $\pi:P \to M$ a principal $G$-bundle. I would like to understand the geometry of $M$ through $P$ with the $G$-action. I am trying to understand the Hopf bundle ($G=...
yths's user avatar
  • 181
8 votes
0 answers
390 views

Why should the Laplacian in $\mathbb{C}^n$ act on a specific line bundle over the quadric $x^2=0$ in $\mathbb{P}^{n-1}$?

I recently encountered the following nice fact, and I'm wondering if it's part of a more general story. Let $x\in \mathbb{C}^n$ satisfy $$x^2:=\sum_i x_i^2 = 0,$$ and consider functions $f(x)$ ...
David S-D's user avatar
  • 373
7 votes
0 answers
250 views

$D(\mathcal{O}(n))$ via generators and relations

Let $V$ be a complex vector space. Consider the algebra $D(\mathbb{P}(V),\mathcal{O}(n)))$ of global differential operators from line bundle $\mathcal{O}(n)$ to itself, here $n \in \mathbb{Z}_{\...
Vas's user avatar
  • 143
7 votes
0 answers
823 views

On Grothendieck's abstract definition of differential operators

I have heard that there is the following abstract definition due to Grothendieck of differential operators on a module $M$ over a commutative associative unital algebra $A$ over a field of ...
asv's user avatar
  • 21.8k
7 votes
0 answers
253 views

Applications of the Atiyah-Patodi-Singer eta-function $\eta(s)$

The eta function of a differential operator was used by Atiyah, Patodi and Singer to derive their famous index theorem, and is given by $$ \eta(s)=\sum_{\lambda\neq 0}(\mathrm{sign}\lambda)|\lambda|^...
FractalScout's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
217 views

Correspondence between Verma module morphisms and invariant differential operators - is it exact?

For a (complex, connected, simply connected, simple) Lie group $G$, a parabolic subgroup $P \subseteq G$, and a $\mathfrak g$-integral $\mathfrak p$-dominant weight $\lambda$, we can construct ...
Rafael Mrden's user avatar
  • 1,368
7 votes
0 answers
124 views

in search of intepretations and connections for $k$-central binomials

Fix a positive integer $k$. Then, the sequences $$c(n,k)=\frac{k^n}{n!}\prod_{m=1}^{n-1}(1+km)=[x^n]\left(\frac1{1-k^2x}\right)^{1/k}$$ are referred to as "$k$-central binomial coefficients",...
T. Amdeberhan's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
371 views

Spectra of Dirac operators

1. Suppose that $M$ is a spin manifold. The spin structure of $M$ is not uniquely defined: in other words, $M$ may have many nonequivalent spin structures. For each choice of spin structure there is ...
seksi_tosia_69's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
291 views

Differentially closed fields

Let F be a field. Recall that an additive map $d: F\rightarrow F$ is said to be a derivation if $d(ab)=ad(b)+d(a)b$. Now let $F$ be a ring and let $d$ be a derivation of $F$. Examples I have in mind ...
Dr. Evil's user avatar
  • 2,751
7 votes
0 answers
188 views

$\eta$ invariants of Pin+ manifolds $\mathbb{RP}^{8k}$

In general, I am curious about the 'quantization' of $\eta$-invariants on Pin+ manifold, i.e., what is the 'minimal unit' of $\eta$-invariants on a manifold with certain choice of Pin+ structure. ...
Yingfei Gu's user avatar
6 votes
0 answers
113 views

Schwartz kernel of spectral projection of Laplacian and integrated density of states

I'm reposting here a question I asked on MSE which did not receive an answer. I am considering the Dirichlet Laplacian $\Delta$ on some smooth domain $U$. For now assume that $U$ is bounded, and later ...
GSofer's user avatar
  • 251
6 votes
0 answers
124 views

An application of Leray-Schauder degree theory for Nirenberg problem on the 2-sphere

I'm studying the article "The scalar curvature equation on 2- and 3-spheres" by Chang, Gursky and Yang and I'm particulary interested in the 2-sphere case. They prove that if $K:S^2\...
Diego95's user avatar
  • 521
6 votes
0 answers
2k views

On the definition of Gysin homomorphism

According to Lawson-Michelsohn's book (p239), the Gysin homomorphism for a continuous map between (compact) manifolds $f:Y\to X$ is defined by setting $$ f_!=PD_X^{-1}\circ f_*\circ PD_Y $$ where $PD$ ...
Hang's user avatar
  • 2,789
6 votes
0 answers
375 views

Is there an analog of the Levi–Civita connection for schemes?

Is there an analog of the Levi–Civita connection for schemes? There exists algebraic de Rham theory, $n$-forms on vector bundles (algebraically), and familiar constructions from differential geometry....
Plank's user avatar
  • 327
6 votes
0 answers
116 views

Topological constraints for existing of certain differential operators on manifolds

At the beginning a word of warning: this would be rather vague question: vague as it is, I'm not requiring a precise answer, rather some intuitive explanation. In the flat case $M=\mathbb{R}^n$ ...
truebaran's user avatar
  • 9,330
6 votes
0 answers
141 views

Analytic continuation of $\mathfrak{so}(n)$ algebras to real $n$?

In a 1988 paper "The Lie algebras $\mathfrak{gl}(\lambda)$ and cohomologies of Lie algebras of differential operators", Feigin defined the analytic continuation of $\mathfrak{sl}(n)$ algebras (over $\...
Slava Rychkov's user avatar
6 votes
0 answers
306 views

How to prove that the Laplace oparator of the Heisenberg group is sub-elliptic?

The Heisenberg group $H^3$ is the set $\mathbb C\times \mathbb R$ endowed with the group law $$ (z,t)\cdot(w,s) =\left (z+w, \,t+s+\tfrac{1}{2}\Im m(z \bar{w})\right). $$ For $z=x+ i y \in \mathbb C$ ...
Z. Alfata's user avatar
  • 650
5 votes
0 answers
227 views

Relations between two Schwartz kernels in dimensions $n$ and $n+1$

Let $(M,g)$ be an $n$-dimensional pseudo-Riemannian manifold and $\Box_g$ be the Laplace-Beltrami operator on $M$. Consider $z \in \mathbb{C}$ such that $\mathrm{ Im}(z)>0$, and we define $P_0 := \...
zarathustra's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
203 views

Differential equation involving Casimir operator on $\operatorname{SL}(2,\mathbb{R})$

Throughout this post, we let $G$ denote the Lie group $\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{R})$. For $t,\theta \in \mathbb{R}$ we define the following elements of $G$: \begin{align*} A(t) &= \begin{bmatrix}e^t &...
burtonpeterj's user avatar
  • 1,769
5 votes
0 answers
878 views

A fourth-order linear PDE

I am interested in the following type of $4$-th order linear PDE with $2$ variables (i.e., $x$ and $t$): $$x^3 f_{xxxt}+ f =0$$ Does anyone know if this type of PDE already appeared in the literature? ...
Math2024's user avatar
  • 141
5 votes
0 answers
280 views

Was an index theorem for manifold with local boundary condition proven?

I would like to ask a question on the bibliography of the index theorems on manifold with boundary. Before my bibliographical research my understanding of the field was that for manifold with boundary,...
Isacu's user avatar
  • 51
5 votes
0 answers
201 views

Center of Grothendieck differential operators in positive characteristic

Let $k$ be a field of characteristic $p$. Consider the algebra $A:=\mathcal{D}(k[x])^{S_2}$ consisting of Grothendieck differential operators invariant under the $S_2$ action $x\mapsto -x$. The ...
Nikolay Grantcharov's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
191 views

Index of the Fredholm operator

I have two vector bundles $E_1$, $E_2$ over $M$ and an embedding of the smooth sections $\lambda : \Gamma(M, E_1) \rightarrow \Gamma(M, E_1 \oplus E_2)$. I consider a Fredholm differential operator $...
Aleksandr Alekseev's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
218 views

A differential operator analogy of certain fact in real analysis of smooth functions

Let $E\to M$ be a smooth vector bundle over a smooth manifold $M$. Let $D$ be a differential operator defined on the space $\Gamma(E)$ of smooth sections of $E$. We fix a section $s\in \Gamma(E)$. ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
273 views

Is there any geometrical/homological intuition behind symmetrized gradient?

The gradient/differential/exterior differential/divergence/curl are all strictly related first order differential operators. As far as I understood, they are the base of (co)homological theories in ...
Romeo's user avatar
  • 980
5 votes
0 answers
140 views

Family of Hodge decomposition

It is known that a metric $g$ gives a Hodge decomposition: $$ \Omega^*(M)=\mathcal H^*(M)\oplus d\Omega^*(M) \oplus \delta_g \Omega^*(M) $$ Note that the usual differential restricts to an isomorphism ...
Hang's user avatar
  • 2,789
5 votes
0 answers
143 views

Extension of elliptic complex to an exact sequence

This questions concerns elliptic complexes and is closely related to Green's operator of elliptic differential operator. Let $T_f:\Gamma(E)\rightarrow\Gamma(F)$ be an elliptic partial ...
Tobias Diez's user avatar
  • 5,824
5 votes
0 answers
321 views

Weyl algebra acting on a polynomial ring

Let $\mathbb K$ be a characteristic-$0$ field, $R=\mathbb K[x_1,\ldots, x_n]$ be a polynomial ring, and $W=\mathbb K[x_1,\ldots,x_n,\partial_1,\ldots \partial_n]$ be the Weyl algebra. As usual $W$ ...
Yang Zhang's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
322 views

Differential operators acting on the Schwartz space

I asked a similar question on math stack exchange but didn't get an answer so I will try to ask it here. Any help/suggestion is most than welcome! Let $D$ be a linear differential operator with ...
Pea's user avatar
  • 81
5 votes
0 answers
279 views

The Spectrum of certain differential operators

We fix a Hilbert space isomorphism $\phi:H^{1}\to H^{2}$. Here by $H^{s},\;s=1,2,\;$ we mean the sobolev space on $\mathbb{R}^{2}$ or $S^{2}$. We consider the following polynomial vector field on ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
270 views

Differential operators that preserve real-rootedness

Is there some description of polynomial differential operators, $\mathcal{D}=\sum f_i(x) D_x^i$ such that, if $h$ is a polynomial all of whose roots are in $[0,1]$, then so are all the roots of $\...
David E Speyer's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
273 views

root system generalizations of Sekiguchi-Debiard (aka Laplace-Beltrami) operators

For the root system $A_n$, taking the limit $q = t^\alpha$ and $t \to 1$, and letting $Y = (t-1) X -1$ one obtains from the Macdonald operator the so-called Sekiguchi-Debiard operator: $$D_\alpha(X) =...
John Jiang's user avatar
  • 4,466
5 votes
0 answers
501 views

Monodromy of differential equations

Let $D$ an ordinary differential equation (let's assume $D$ only has regular singularities). Suppose $D$ = $D_0$$\partial$, where $\partial$ is $q\frac{d}{dq}$ My question is: Does there exist any ...
Vader's user avatar
  • 51
5 votes
0 answers
547 views

Why should we consider D-module on flag variety of Lie algebra?

Why don't we stay at D-module on base affine space but go to study flag variety of Lie algebra? I remembered there are nice papers of Bernstein-Gelfand-Gelfand and Gelfand-Kirillov discussing the ...
user3722's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
114 views

Mean-value type property for eigenfunctions of Casimir operator on $\operatorname{SL}(2,\mathbb{R})$

The purpose of this post is to ask for the community's opinion on a conjecture about a certain mean-value property for functions on $\operatorname{SL}(2,\mathbb{R})$. This conjecture appears at the ...
burtonpeterj's user avatar
  • 1,769
4 votes
1 answer
311 views

Conormal distributions and the wave front set

Let $X$ be a smooth closed manifold and $Y$ a regular submanifold. For all conormal distributions at $Y$ on $X$, their wave front set is contained in the conormal bundle of $Y$. Is the reciprocal true?...
Jesús A. Álvarez López's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
146 views

Range of divergence operator on the space of traceless symmetric $(0,2)$ tensors; conformal vector fields on an arbitrary metric on $S^2$

Let $\gamma$ be a metric on $S^2$. I am trying to solve the following PDE on a $(0,2)$ symmetric traceless tensor $A$: $$div_{\gamma} A = \omega$$ where $\omega$ is a 1-form. It is known that there ...
Laithy's user avatar
  • 969
4 votes
0 answers
242 views

Equivalent definitions of differential operator

This puzzles me from some time and is in parts connected to the questions Symmetrized derivatives version and Symmetrized derivatives version II. For me the linear DO between vector bundles $E$ and $...
J.E.M.S's user avatar
  • 437
4 votes
0 answers
215 views

Exterior derivative on loop space

Notations: Let $X$ be a manifold, and denote by $LX := C^\infty(S^1,X)$ its loop space. For a loop $\gamma \in LX$ we can think at the tangent space of $LX$ at the point $\gamma$ as the space of ...
Mattia Coloma's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
169 views

Inverse Laplacian and convolution in Albeverio's “Solvable Models in quantum mechanics”

I asked this question on math.stackexchange.com two weeks ago but got no answers so far and I got no clues from literature, so maybe someone here knows a reference. I hope it is ok to ask this ...
MrMatzetoni's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
410 views

Spectral Gap of Elliptic Operator

Under what conditions on $a(x)$ and domain $D$, the spectral gap of the elliptic operator $ \nabla \cdot(a(x)\cdot \nabla)$ defined on $D$, can be controlled? The boundary condition is that the ...
Elliott's user avatar
  • 325

1
2 3 4 5