Questions tagged [differential-operators]
Elliptic, parabolic and hyperbolic operators. Laplace, Laplace-Beltrami, Schrödinger, Dirac. Exterior derivative and Lie derivative operators.
542 questions
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Intuitive explanation for the Atiyah-Singer index theorem
My question is related to the question Explanation for the Chern Character to this question about Todd classes, and to this question about the Atiyah-Singer index theorem.
I'm trying to learn the ...
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Which high-degree derivatives play an essential role?
Q. Which high-degree derivatives play an essential role
in applications, or in theorems?
Of course the 1st derivative of distance w.r.t. time (velocity), the 2nd derivative (acceleration),
and the ...
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answers
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When are the eigenspaces of the Laplacian on a compact homogeneous space irreducible representations?
I was writing up some notes on harmonic analysis and I thought of a question that
I felt I should know the answer to but didn't, and I hope someone here can help me.
Suppose I have a compact ...
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Why is there no symplectic version of spectral geometry?
First, recall that on a Riemannian manifold $(M,g)$ the Laplace-Beltrami operator $\Delta_g:C^\infty(M)\to C^\infty(M)$ is defined as
$$
\Delta_g=\mathrm{div}_g\circ\mathrm{grad}_g,
$$
where the ...
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Codimension of the range of certain linear operators
Added:8/15/2024 What about holomorphic or real analytic version? Please see the comment discussions on this post.
Assume that $P(x,y), Q(x,y) \in \mathbb{R}[x,y]$ are two polynomials. We ...
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Have people successfully worked with the full ring of differential operators in characteristic p?
This question is inspired by an earlier one about the possibility of using the full ring of differential operators on a flag variety to develop a theory of localization in characteristic $p$. (Here ...
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Book Recommendation - PDE's for geometricians / topologists
I am looking for recommendations for a book on partial differential equations, which is not written for applied mathematicians but rather focused on geometry and applications in topology, as well as ...
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Harmonic spinors on closed hyperbolic manifolds
Does anyone know an example of a closed spin hyperbolic manifold of dimension 3 or greater such that the kernel of the Dirac operator is non-trivial?
I'm mainly interested in the 3-dimensional case ...
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Idempotents in Rings of Differential Operators
Differential Operators on General Commutative Rings
Let k be an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero, and let R be a commutative k-algebra. Then a (Grothendieck) differential operator on ...
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How we do actually compute the topological index in Atiyah-Singer?
This is migrated by math.stackexchange as I did not receive an answer. I do not know if it is too naive for this site.
I am taking a lectured class in Atiyah-Singer this semester. While the class is ...
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History of differential forms and vector calculus
Who and when was it realized that the classical operators of vector calculus (grad, rot, div) can be expressed in a unified form using the exterior differential? I have searched a little bit on the ...
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What are some geometric reasons why a Dirac operator would have a gap in its spectrum?
My question is motivated by the following well-known computation. Let $M$ be an even dimensional Riemannian spin manifold and let $D$ be the spinor Dirac operator on $M$. Lichnerowicz showed that $D^...
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Are there any natural differential operators besides $d$?
Let $\lambda = (\lambda_1, \ldots, \lambda_r)$ and $\mu = (\mu_1, \ldots, \mu_r)$ be partitions such that $\mu_j = \lambda_j +1$ for one index $j$ and $\mu_i = \lambda_i$ for all other $i$. Then there ...
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Essential self-adjointness of differential operators on compact manifolds
Let $L$ be a linear differential operator (with smooth coefficients) on a compact differentiable manifold $M$ (without boundary). Suppose $M$ is endowed with a smooth volume form (actually, a smooth ...
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Derivation on real analytic manifolds
Let $M$ be a real analytic manifold. By $C^{\omega}(M)$ we mean the algebra of all analytic functions from $M$ to $\mathbb{R}$. Assume that $D$ is a derivation on $C^{\omega}(M)$ .
Is there a ...
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Exact Definition of Dirac Operator
Many definitions of the Dirac operator in the tradition of the Physics literature are hard to grasp for a mathematician. I would like to ask for a precise, general, definition of the Dirac operator ...
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Eigenvalues of the Laplace-Beltrami operator on a compact Riemannnian manifold
Let $(M,g)$ be a compact Riemannian manifold, and let $\Delta_g$ be its Laplace-Beltrami operator. A "well-known fact" is that the eigenvalues of $\Delta_g$ have finite multiplicity and tend to ...
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4
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Green's operator of elliptic differential operator
Let $P:\Gamma(E)\rightarrow\Gamma(F)$ be an elliptic partial differential operator, with index $=0$ and closed image of codimension $=1$, between spaces $\Gamma(E)$ and $\Gamma(F)$ of smooth sections ...
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What is the motivation behind the characteristic variety of a D-module and what does it's geometry tell me about the D-module?
Given a smooth algebraic variety $X$, and an $\mathcal{M}\in \text{Mod}(D_X)$, there is the characteristic variety of $\mathcal{M}$ defined as
$$
\text{Char}(\mathcal{M}):= V\left(\sqrt{Ann(\mathcal{M}...
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Hochschild (co)homology of differential operators
I googled the title on the internet, and arrived at the following result
$$HH_k(D)\cong H_{DR}^{2n-k}(M).$$
Here $M$ is a smooth manifold of dimension $n$, and $D$ is the ring of differential ...
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2
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The algebraic version of Riemann-Hilbert correspondence
It is well known that if I have a differentiable manifold (holomorphic manifold) $M$, then I have a functor from the category of vector bundles on $M$ with flat connections to the category of local ...
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The determinant as a differential operator
According to Gårding, the determinant is a hyperbolic polynomial over the space $\mathbf{Sym}_n$ of real symmetric $n\times n$ matrices. More precisely, it is hyperbolic in the direction of the ...
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Hodge decomposition of smooth n-forms: is it an isomorphism of topological vector spaces?
Fix a compact Riemannian manifold $M$ (leaving the metric implicit). What I'd like to know is if the corresponding Hodge decomposition of smooth $n$-forms
$$
\Omega^n(M) \simeq \mathcal{H}^n(M)\oplus ...
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1
answer
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Has Nambu's notion of an "eigenoperator" found a place in the mathematical literature?
The physicist Yoichiro Nambu introduced in a 1950 paper A Note on the Eigenvalue Problem in Crystal Statistics the notion of an "eigenoperator" (page 12, see Nambu and the Ising model for a ...
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votes
1
answer
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Projective-invariant differential operator
This question was originally asked on Math StackExchange.
Suppose we want a differential operator $T$ acting on functions $\mathbb{R}^n \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^n$ such that
\begin{align*}
&T(g) = ...
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votes
2
answers
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views
Harmonic polynomials on the sphere
Let $\mathbb{S}=\{x\in\mathbb{R}^n|x_1^2+\ldots +x_n^2=1\}$ be the unit sphere in $\mathbb{R}^n$, $\mathbb{C}[x]=\mathbb{C}[x_1,\ldots ,x_n]$ the complex-valued polynomial functions on $\mathbb{R}^n$, ...
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Why are we interested in spectral gaps for Laplacian operators
Let $M$ be a Riemannian manifold and let $\Delta$ be its Laplacian operator. There is a large literature on a spectral gap for such a $\Delta$, that is, finding an interval $(0,c)$ which does not ...
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Computing spectra without solving eigenvalue problems
There is a rather remarkable conjecture formulated in this paper, "Computing spectra without solving eigenvalue problems," https://arxiv.org/pdf/1711.04888.pdf and in this talk by Svitlana Mayboroda ...
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Atiyah-Singer for pseudodifferential operators via heat kernel?
The Atiyah-Singer theorem for Dirac-type operators can be proved using the heat kernel and this proof has an advantage over the proof via K-theory, because the first is local but the latter is not. ...
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2
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What is the "correct" generalization of operator norms for nonlinear operators?
I have been recently wondering what is a (or even the) "correct" generalization of the notion of an operator norm to nonlinear operators?
Please excuse the naivete of my question; if you think that ...
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On the definition of regularity
In the literature on D-modules, there are many definitions of regularity of holonomic D-modules.
(1) Bernstein first defines regularity on a curve then says a holonomic D-module is regular if its ...
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Can a PDE constrain the degree of a $C^\infty$ map germ?
Let $\pi:E\to M$ be a smooth vector bundle over a smooth manifold, with $\text{rank}(E)=\text{dim}(M)$. For a section $\sigma$ of $E$ with a zero at $p\in M$, define the degree of the zero at $p$ to ...
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0
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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 ...
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3
answers
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Index of a family of operators
In the usual setting of the Atiyah-Singer index theorem the situation is as follows: we have a closed smooth manifold $M$ without boundary and $D$ is some elliptic differential operator acting on ...
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4
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Symbol of pseudodiff operator
Hello,
I am trying to understand the calculus of pseudodifferential operators on manifolds. All the textbooks I could put my hand on define the principal symbol of a pseudodifferential operator ...
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votes
1
answer
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Does the image of a differential operator always contain an ideal?
Let $\delta$ denote a non-zero complex algebraic differential operator in a single variable x. That is, it can be written as a sum
$$ \delta = \sum_i f_i\partial_x^i$$
where there $f_i$ are complex ...
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Harmonic functions (eigenfunctions of the Laplace-Beltrami operator) of SO(2n)/U(n)
Have the eigenfunctions of the Laplace-Beltrami operator on $SO(2n)/U(n)$ been worked out explicitly? If not, how does one approach finding them?
(I'm thinking of this as in analogy with the ...
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0
answers
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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 ...
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3
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Is there any general index theorem for manifold with boundary?
My understanding is Atiyah-Patodi-Singer solved the index theorem for manifold with boundary only for certain types of Dirac operators, correct?
There is still no (or no hope to get) uniform theorem ...
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Existance of Integrating Factors, a Constructive Proof
Being a novice with differential equations, I recently learned that if $\mu$ is an integrating factor for $\frac{dy}{dx}f(x,y)+ g(x,y)=0$, then the corresponding 1-form, $\mu fdy+\mu g dx$, is exact.
...
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Elliptic operators corresponds to non vanishing vector fields
Added, June 19, 2019: The main motivation of this post is to associate an index to differential operator associated to a dynamical system such that the index has an interesting ...
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How "generalized eigenvalues" combine into producing the spectral measure?
Hi... I am wondering how 'eigenvalues' that don't lie in my Hilbert space combine into producing the spectral measure. I study probability and I am quite ignorant in the field of spectral analysis of ...
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Fredholm property about $L^p$-extension $(p\neq 2)$ of differential operators
The following is a well-known result for elliptic operators.
Theorem. Let $P: \Gamma(E)\to \Gamma(F)$ be an elliptic operator of order $m$ between vector bundles $E$ and $F$ over a compact ...
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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: ...
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Atiyah Singer index theorem and Hodge de Rham operator
When I read about Atiyah Singer index theorem I met the following example: let $M$ is (orientable closed smooth) Riemannian manifold and consider Hodge-de Rham Dirac operator defined by $d+d^*$ (...
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1
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Hodge decomposition in elliptic complexes
EDIT: In the book "Principles of Algebraic Geometry" by Griffiths and Harris the authors prove the Hodge decomposition for the Dolbeault operator $\bar\partial$ on differential forms on a ...
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10
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1
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Boundary terms of formal adjoints of differential operators
Let $M$ be a compact manifold with boundary. If we have two vector bundles $E, F \to M$ with inner products and a differential operator $D: C^{\infty}(E) \to C^{\infty}(F)$ then $D$ admits a formal ...
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Differentiation of functions over graphs
In short: There are various ways to define differentiation over a graph. I am trying to get the big picture, like a more complete and structured bestiary.
Definitions.
Let $G=(V,E)$ be a directed ...
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1
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When are the Dolbeault and de Rham dgas homotopy equivalent?
Let $M$ be a compact Kahler manifold. Then the Hodge decomposition says that the Dolbeault dga (of forms of all bidegree) and the de Rham dga on $\Omega_{\mathbb C}^\bullet(M)$ have isomorphic ...
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Radon-Nikodym derivatives as limits of ratios
Let $\mu_1$ and $\mu_2$ be measures with $\mu_1 \ll \mu_2$. Suppose we can characterize (a version of) their Radon-Nikodym derivative this way:
$$\frac{d\mu_1}{d\mu_2}(x) = \lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{\...
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