Annals of Mathematics

Annals of Mathematics
A Lefschetz Fixed Point Formula for Elliptic Complexes: II. Applications

Author(s): M. F. Atiyah and R. Bott
Reviewed work(s):
Source: Annals of Mathematics, Second Series, Vol. 88, No. 3 (Nov., 1968), pp. 451-491
Published by: Annals of Mathematics
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1970721 .
Accessed: 02/01/2013 02:56
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.
Annals of Mathematics is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Annals of
Mathematics.
http://www.jstor.org
This content downloaded on Wed, 2 Jan 2013 02:56:01 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
A Lefschetzfixedpointformulafor
ellipticcomplexes:II. Applications*
By M. F. ATIYAH and R. BOTT
1. Introduction
Part I of this paper described an extension of the classical Lefschetz

theorem in the frameworkof elliptic complexes. This second part is devoted
to the applications and examples of this extension which for the most part
were announced in [1].
Essentially these applications arise by specializing our formula to those
elliptic complexes or operators which occur naturally in geometry as resolu-
tions of certain sheaves associated to a G-structure on a manifold. Thus one
has the de Rham complex giving a resolution of the locally constant sheaf;
the d"-complex giving a resolution of the sheaf of germs of holomorphic
functions on a complex manifold; the "signature operator" on a Riemann
manifold, and the Dirac operator on a Riemann Spin manifold giving resolu-
tions of the harmonic * invariant formsand spinors.
Our formula applied to the de Rham complex of course yields only the
classical theorems. However, in the other instances one obtains new invari-
ants for mappings, which preserve the sheaves in question, and from which
one may draw interesting conclusions.
To make this paper as self contained as possible we will start by review-
ing our general fixed point theorem and also by discussing the de Rham com-
plex once again because it plays such an essential role in all the cases. In
? 4 we discuss the complex case and give some examples. One of these, deal-
ing with induced representations, is so extensive that we have dealt with it
in a section of its own, ? 5. In ? 6 we deal with the riemannian case deriving
a formula (6.26), for the signature of an isometry. Some geometric applica-
tions of this formula are then given in ? 7. The Dirac operator on Spin
manifolds is dealt with in ? 8, and applications to fixed-point-freeinvolutions
on spheres are given in ? 9. We draw particular attention to the results in
? 9 because they were not mentioned in [1].
2. The fixed point theorem reviewed
Underlying our whole discussion will be a smooth (i.e., Co) compact
* This research was partially supportedby a grant fromNSF-GP-6585.

452 ATIYAH AND BOTT
manifoldX. If E is a (smoothis always understood)vectorbundleover X,

F(E) denotesthe smoothsectionsof E.
To definethe notionof an ellipticcomplexwe need firstof all to recall
operatorof orderk,
of the leadingsymbola(d) of a differential
the definition
d: F (E) , rU(F)
betweentwo bundlesE and F. This symbolis constructedfromthe highest

ordertermsof d and can be definedinvariantlyas follows.
Let s e F(E) be a sectionof E, let g be a smoothreal valued function,
of
and let X be a real parameter. Then, e-I'de"Is E F(F) will be a polynomial
orderk in X
(2.1) e-igde'19s =
Xkp9(g, S) + *. + p,(g, S)
whose coefficientsdependonly on d, s, and g. In fact, the correspondence

s v-Hp6(g,s) is a differentialoperator of degree k - j, and po(g,s)= ds.
Furthermore,the value of the leading coefficient pk(g, s) at a pointPe M
depends only on s(P) and on the value of the differentialof g at P. Finally,
the assignment
s |P I->k
kPkJ9 S)P
is linearin s and so defines,foreach cotangentvectorC E TpX, a linearfunc-

tion
(2.2) ad(7): Ep - Fp .
This is the leading symbolmap of d at thecotangentvectorry,and as r ranges
over the cotangentbundle TX of X, these maps combinesmoothlyto yielda
bundlehomomorphism
o(d): wr*E 7r
w*F
of the pullbacksof E and F to TX underthe naturalprojection7r:TX X.
of an ellipticcomplex,1(E), overX
Withthis understood,the definition
runsas follows.
DEFINITION2.3. We supposegiven a sequenceE k E Z of complex = {Ek}
vectorbundlesoverX, withEk thezero bundleexceptfor a finitenumberof
indices, togetherwith differentialoperatorsd = {dk},
dk: 1U(E k) , r(E k+1)
of ordersPk, subjectto theconditions

(2.4) dkodk-l = 0, kGZ.
(2.5) The leading symbolsequenceof thedk:

FIXED POINT FORMULA: II 453
> ~kk
*E or(dk) r*k+1
C*Ek?
Y(dk+l)
(d+) r*k+2
7C*E
is exact over the complement of the zero section in TX. These data we then
call an "elliptic complex" 7(E) over X.
We also definethe homologyHk{Ip(E)} of such a complex in the customary
manner by
(2.6) Hk{F(E)} = Ker dk/Image
dkl.
The condition(2.3), which is a straightforward extension of the classical

ellipticity concept to complexes, together with the compactness of X, then
has the important consequence that Hk{J(E)} is finite-dimensional.
It follows that any endomorphismT of an elliptic complex F(E) over a
compact manifold X has a well-definedLefschetz number:
(2.7) L(T) = _(1 )k trace Hk(T)
Here of course Hk(T) denotes the endomorphisminduced by T on Hk{F(E)}.

The main result of Part I [2] is a simple formula for the Lefschetz number
of T when T is derived froma smooth map f: X X by means of a "lifting
-
of f to E". By definitionsuch a lifting consists of a family 9q = {9k} of bundle

homomorphisms
qj: f*E > Ek
such that the induced maps Tk: F(Ek) F(Ek) definedby the composition
JT(Ek) (f *Ek) F(Ek)

combine to yield an endomorphismT = { Tk} of F(E) as a complex, that is,
satisfy the condition
Tk+ldk = dkTk
The resulting endomorphism T = T(f, q') of F(E) is then called a geometric
endomorphismof 1(E) and is said to be derived from f by the lifting (P.
Concerning these we now quote the following theorem fromPart I.
THEOREMA. Let r7(E) be an elliptic complex over the compact manifold
X. Also let f: X - X be an endomorphism of X whose graph is transversal
to the diagonal A in X x X, and let T be a geometric endomorphism of 17(E)
derived from f by a lifting p. Then the Lefschetz number L(T) of T is
given by the formula:
(2.8) L(T) = (P)
where P ranges over the fixed points of f and v(P) is defined by
(. trace Tk
(2.9) V(P) = det i)k P-df

454 ATIYAH AND BOTT
Remarks. First of all recall that the transversality condition for f is

quite equivalent to the requirement that det (1 - df,) # 0 at all fixed points
of f. Hence the absolute value in the denominator in (2.9) is never zero.
Secondly, observe that a lifting q) amounts to a family of linear maps
qk Ef:(
_f>) -
parametrized by P E M. Hence at fixed points f and only at these qw has a

well definedtrace, because it is an endomorphismof the fiberEP.
3. The de Rham complex

The most natural elliptic complex in geometryis the de Rham complex of
a smooth manifold. Its bundles are the complexified1exterior powers A k =
C OR Xk TX of the cotangent bundle TX of X and its operator is the usual
exterior derivative d: F(Ak) F(Ak+l).
The resulting complex
F(A*X): 0 -, (AO) dF(Al) d -*. * (A",) - 0

is then seen to be elliptic. Indeed d2= 0 as is well known. Furthermore,the
symbol sequence is easily computed from the derivation propertyof d: given
a form o E F(A k) one has
i-le-tildetgco- = Xdg A co + dw .
Hence ad(C) = exterior multiplication by A. The resulting symbol sequence
o -> X' TPX d(6) X TpX - .. 7d(a) nTX -) o

is then well known to be exact at every non-zero cotangent vector C E TpX.
This complex also behaves naturally with respect to smooth maps. The
differentialdf of f maps the tangent space Tp*into Tf*(p),
so that the exterior
powers of the transpose of df furnish bundle maps
SXk(df)*: f *SkTX , Xk TX
which (on complexification)combine to furnish a natural lifting, traditionally

denoted by f *, of f to F(A*X). The induced Hk(f *) then coincides with the
endomorphismin the kthcohomologyof X with values in the constant sheaf
of complex numbers C, by virtue of de Rham's theorem. Indeed this theorem
asserts that, on the sheaf level, the operator d definesa fineresolution of the
constant sheaf
0 C > 5(A? ) o5(Al) .. .. *(An)

** _ 0
The de Rham complex is of course real but to fit in with our general formulation
we consider the complexification.

($(Ai) denoting the sheaf of germs of C- sections of Ai) from which our
interpretationof Hk(f *) follows readily. In short, L(f *) is just the classical
Lefschetz number of the map f.
Let us now compute the multiplicityv(P) of a fixed point for this com-
plex. According to (2.9) we have
v(P) = E (-1)k trace (Xkdfp*)/l
det (1 -dfp) I
On the other hand if A is any endomorphism of a finite dimensional vector
space and xkA and A* denote its kthexterior power and transpose respectively,
then it is well known that
-)k trace (XkA) = det(1 - A)
and that
det (A*) = det (A) .
It follows that our multiplicityreduces to
det(1 - dfp)
-(P) -
I det (1- dfp) I

so that Theorem A specializes to the classical formula for L(f*)
L(f *)-f(p)P ?
with ? 1 = sign det (1 - dfp).
Note finallythat the de Rham constructionextends naturally to the tensor
product of A* with any locally constant vector bundle F. The operator 1 0 d
is then well definedon F? A* and again yields an elliptic complex F(F 0 A*).
Furthermore if f is a transversal map and
p:f *F >F
is a locally constant bundle map, then the tensor products q 0 xk(df)* define
a lifting of f to F(F 0 A*) and our previous computations show that the
Lefschetz number of the resulting endomorphismis given by
L(f *, q) = f(P)=P ? trace qp
where ? 1 = sign det (1 - dfp)as before.
This formula is also generally known. We mention it here only to com-
plete the analogy with the complex analytic case, to be considered next.
4. The complex analytic case
Suppose now that X is a complex analytic manifold. The complex co-

tangent bundle then splits naturally into a direct sum of complex sub-bundles
(4.1) C OR TX = T'X (D T"X

456 ATIYAH AND BOTT
where T'X is spannedby the dzk and T"X by the d~k of a local holomorphic
coordinatesystem. The bundle T'X thereforehas a natural holomorphic
structureand T"X a naturalantiholomorphicstructure.
Correspondingto the decomposition(4.1) the bundlesof the complexified
de Rham complexdecomposecanonicallyintothe tensorproduct
X*(C OR TX) = X T'X 0c a* T"X
so that, in particular,
Ak =
Ep+q=k+ q=
with
(4.2) APsq = XP(T'X) 0c Xq (TPX)
The exteriorderivatived decomposescorrespondingly

intoa directsum
d = d' + d"
whered': AP q fAP+l q and d": rAPq rAP q+l. Furthermore
these compo-
nentssatisfythe integrabilityconditions
(d f)2 = (df)2 = 0 .
Observe now that already the operatord" acting on all of Fl(A*)is an

elliptic operator. Indeed Ud"(7)), C E TpX, is easily seen to be the exterior
multiplication by the TJ7Xcomponent,v", of r in the decomposition(4.1).
Because r is real, (" # 0 wheneverC # 0, whence 1d"(7) gives riseto an exact
sequence. Thus underd", the complexFU(A*) breaksup intoa directsum of,
n = dimcX, ellipticcomplexes
F(AP*X): 0 - (AP0,) 2 [(AP,') 2 F(AP'-) 0
whose cohomologyspaces are traditionallydenotedby HP q(X).

Moregenerallyif F is any holomorphic vectorbundleoverX theoperator
1 0 d" is well definedon F(F 0AP,*) and so determines an elliptic complex on
X whose cohomologyspaces are usually denotedby HP q(X; F). In parti-
cular the complex
F(F(&c AO,*): 0 - F(F) ) F(F 0 A0",) , * F(F? M'0) -*0

will be referredto as the d" complexof F. On the sheaf level it furnishesus
with a fineresolution of the sheaf O(F) consisting of the germs of holomor-
phic sections of F.
0 - O(F) -* (F 0&A0') - ,(F &0A,")
(4.3)
(43) -* ... o5(F 0
-*~~~~~~~~ AO,") -*0

so that Hq(X; /9(F)) _ Hoq(X; F). Using (4.2) it is then also clear that
Hq(X; O(F 0 AP,')) -HPq(X; F), so that the d" complex of a holomorphic
bundle is the basic concept.
Consider now a holomorphic map f: X X. The natural lifting of f to
A* is then compatible with d" and therefore induces endomorphismsf P * in
each of the complexes F(AP *). The correspondingendomorphismin homology
will be denoted by HP lq(f ) so that the Lefschetz numbers of f P * are given by
(4.4) L(fP*) = (-_ )q traceHPq(f)
We note that in view of (4.2) and (4.3), L(f Pa*) may also be interpretedas
the Lefschetz number of the endomorphism induced by f in the sheaf co-
homology H*(X; O(AP'?)).
Let us now compute the multiplicityof a transversal fixed point P of f
relative to the complex AP *.
Because f is holomorphicthe complexificationof df preserves the decom-
position (4.1) so that
1 0 dfp = d'fp e dep
with d'fp and d"fp endomorphismsof TpX and Tp'X respectively. It follows
that
Xk{1 0 dfP} = Ep+q=k X\{dfpf} 0 X {dffp} .
Hence the multiplicityv(P) in question is given by:
I det (1 - dfp) I v(P)
. = Eq (-)q trace XP(d'fp*) trace Xq(dffp*) .
This now yields2
. detc (1 -
(4.5) v(P) = Tracec (-XPd'fp*) dfp*)
IdetR( - dfP) I
Finally observe that under the bar operation in C OR TpX, TpJ'Xis taken
into Tp'X. Furthermore 1 0 dfp clearly commutes with this operation. It
follows that
detc (1 - d'ff) = detc (1 - duf )
whence in particular
(4.6) detR (1 - dfp) = detc (1-1 0 dfp) = detc (1 - d'fp) detc (1 - dfff)
is positive. The absolute value sign in (4.5) is therefore redundant and one
obtains the formula:
(4.7) v(P) = tracec XP(d'fp) 1

detc(i- d'fp)
2 To avoid confusion we write detF for the determinant of an endomorphism of F-
vector spaces (F= R or C), and similarly for traceF.

458 ATIYAH AND BOTT
In this case then only half of the determinantal factor in the denominator
of (2.9) is cancelled out by the numerator. Note also that v(P) can be ex-
pressed without introducing the complexificationof TX. Indeed, over R,
TpM is isomorphic to TpM and so inherits a complex structure. Hence if A
is any complex linear endomorphism of TpM we can speak of its complex
tracec A, and determinant, detc A. At a fixed point P of the holomorphic
map f, df, is of course such an endomorphismand considered as a C-endomor-
phism agrees with d'f,. Hence in terms of these notions one has
(4.8) v(P) = tracec XP(dfp)/detc(1- dfp) .
To recapitulate: for a transversal endomorphismf of a complex analytic
manifold X, our fixed point formula specializes to
(4.9) L(f P *) = Ef (P)P tracec (xPdfp)/detc(1 -dfp)
where
(4.10) L(f*) = (-_)q traceHPq(f)
It is this formula which Shimura conjectured during a conference at
Woods Hole in 1965, and which furnished the impetus for this work. For
curves (4.9) had already been established by Eichler in [11]. Shimura and
Eichler were of course thinking in the framework of algebraic geometry.
There it turned out that the full duality theory of Serre and Grothendieck
yields this result even over arbitrary characteristic.
The formula (4.9) now has an easy extension to the d"-complex of an
arbitrary holomorphicbundle F. To lift a map f to this complex, one only
needs a holomorphic bundle homomorphism
A9:f *F >F .
In terms of it
-
0 Xk(d"f )*: f *(F O Aok) F? AO,k
then serves to definethe k1h lifting of f. We write T(f, p) for the induced
endomorphismof F(F 0 A',*) and Hq(f, P) for the induced homomorphismin
Hq(X; F). We also set
(4.11) L(f, A) = A (-1)q trace Hq(f, q)
for its Lefschetz number. It is then clear that the multiplicityof P relative
to this complex is given by
v(P) = tracec wp/detc(1 - dfp)
Thus the holomorphiccase of our general Lefschetz theorem takes the form
THEOREM4.12. Let X be a compact complex manifold, F a holomorphic

vectorbundleoverX, f: X >X a holomorphicmap with simple fixedpoints

and q: f *F F a holomorphicbundle homomorphism.Let Lff, P) denote
the Lefschetznumbergiven by the action of (f, p) on H*(X; O(F)) as in
(4.11). Then
TraceccpP
Lff, p)
detc (1 - dfp)
whenP runs overthefixedpoints of f.
Taking F to be the trivial line bundle, q the natural lift of f and
recalling that the spaces H',q(X) are birational invariants of X (when X is
algebraic) we deduce
COROLLARY4.13. Let X be a connectedcompactcomplexmanifoldwith
Hoq(X) = 0 for q> 0. Then any holomorphicmap f: X-) X has a fixed
point. In particular this holds whenX is a rational algebraic manifold.
This corollarydoes not of course use the explicit nature of the fixedpoint
contribution. We shall now illustrate Theorem 4.12 by more interesting
special cases.
Example 1. Let X be a curve, and let f be a transversal endomorphism
of X. Then (4.9) yields:
(4.14) 1 - trace H01(f) Jf(P=p f'(P)
Remarks. In this low dimensional case it is not difficultto extend (4.14)

as follows. If u is a holomorphic coordinate centered at the fixed point z,
then clearly
(4.15) =Res,
i -f'(P) - f(u)
The right hand side of (4.15) makes sense also for non-transversalmaps and
turns out to be the correct multiplicityof a general fixed point in the sense
that the formula
(4.16) 1 - trace H0"(f) = .fP,) Resp du

ut - fAu)
is valid for all endomorphisms other than the constant one. On higher
dimensional varieties the correspondinggeneralization involves the Grothen-
dieck theory of residues [13]. One may furtherextend formula (4.16) to any
self-correspondenceof a curve X in a plausible manner. Applied to the Hecke
transformationsone then recaptures the formulas of Selberg and Eichler, see
[11] and [16].
Note also that, combined with the usual Lefschetz theorem, (4.14) yields

460 ATIYAH AND BOTT
a relationamongthe real parts of 1/(1- f'(z)) and the degreeoff. Indeed

let n be the degreeof f, and let N denote the numberof fixedpoints of f.
Then the classical Lefschetztheoremyields
1 - trace H0"1(f) - trace H" 0(f) + n = N.
On the other hand traceH0 '(f ) = traceH" 0(f). Hence one obtainsthe re-
lation
(4.17) N-n + 1= -
ReEf(p).p
2 - -f(P)
Example 2. Let P be the projectiven-spaceover C, with homogeneous
coordinates (x0, ***, xn). Let f: P a P be the linear map which sends xi into
iirxi i r0i
0, # Yj. There are thenpreciselyn + 1 fixedpointsof f, namely
the points pi = (0, ... , 1, ... 0) with 1 at the tih place. Further detc (1 - dfp)
at pi is easily seen to be
ll~s (1 -r/y).
We have Ho q(p) = 0 forq > 0, and H '0(X) = C. Hence (4.9) yieldsthe
well-knowninterpolationformula
(4.18) 1ji==-fl
Example 3. Considern polynomialsga,(z)of degree d in the n complex

variables z1, * ,Z
z. We study the hypersurfacesgy= 0, and make the follow-
ing generalpositionassumptionsconcerningthem.
Let Y denote the points commonto all the hypersurfaces.We assume
firstof all, thatthe jacobian det I aga/Iazp
II is non-zeroat all pointsof A2.This
Y
impliesthat, in particular, is a finiteset. Secondly,we assume that the
numberof points in Y is equal to d", in otherwords,that thereare no com-
mon intersections of the ga at a.
Underthese circumstancesone has the proposition
PROPOSITION 4.19. If d > 1, then
(4.20) EkPes{det I ag/DzpII}'-1 = 0, = {p |g(p) = 0, a = 1, . . ., n}
This is then a residue type theorem. It may be derivedfrom(4.9) by
the followingstratagem. Let ga = Egq be the decompositionof the ga into
homogeneousconstituents,and define
Ua(z; ZO) = Egq.Zd-q
These are then homogeneouspolynomialsof degree d in the variables
(Zo... Zn). Now definef: Cn+1 Cn+1 by

(4.21) = ZaZ> -a(z; z0) (>O
and let f be the transformationinducedby f on the projectivespace P with

homogeneouscoordinates(z0,*., Zn). By our second assumptionand the
conditiond > 1, f is well-defined.The set z0# 0, may thenbe identifiedwith
Cr-the coordinatesbeingZa/zo-andP - Cnis a projectivespace P' of dimen-
sion n - 1. Now f clearlymapsCnand P' intothemselves. Furtherit is clear
that thefixedpointsof f on CGcoincidewiththe set Y of ourproposition, and
that, for p e Y
(4.22) d ,v) det ag.

detc (1-dfp) -
detazp
Assumenow thatthe fixedpointsof f are all non-degenerate, i.e., thatf
is transversal. On C" this is alreadythe case by our firstassumptionand on
P' it can always be arrangedbyan arbitrarilysmall deformation of the terms
of degree d in the ga, so that this case easily impliesthe generalone. With
this understood,let I' be the fixedpoints of f on P'. Applying(4.9) with
p = 0 and using the fact that HO?q(P) = 0 for q > 0, H0'0(P) = C, we have the
formula:
(4.23) 1= Spe2 1/detc (1 - dfp) + Spea' 1/detc (1 - dfp)
Next let f' be the restrictionof f to P'. Applying(4.9) to this endomor-
phismyields
(4.24) 1 = Epsz, 1/detc (1 - dfp)
Finally, it is easily checked that if d > 1, then detc (1 - df') = detc (1 - dfp)
and so (4.20) followsfrom(4.23) and (4.24).
5. Induced representations. The Hermann Weyl formula

The multiplicity formulas(2.9) and (4.12) fitwell intovariousbranchesof
representationtheory,and as our fourthexamplewe will describethe con-
nectionof (4.12) with the Hermann Weylformula,as well as commenton the
generalrelationbetweenthe distributional trace of an inducedrepresentation
and our Lefschetzformula.
We considera Lie groupG and let c: H G be the inclusionof a closed
Lie subgroupintoG. The coset decomposition thengives G the structureof
an H-bundlei7 over the quotientspace G/Hand we denoteby Xrthe natural
projectionG o G/H. We assume furtherthat thereis given a finitedimen-
sional (complex)left H-moduleF and denotethe representation determined
by the leftactionof H on F, by p:

462 ATIYAH AND BOTT
(5.1) p,: H - Aut (F).

The bundleassociated to Y by PF is thena vectorbundleover G/H which we
denoteby c*F. The left action of G on G/H nowliftsnaturallyintoan action
of G on r(c*F) by geometricendomorphisms, whichwe denoteby c*(PF):
C*(PF): G -> Aut r(*F),

and referto as the inducedrepresentation of PF.
The precise definitionof these objects is as follows. The total space of
C*F is the quotientspace of G x F underthe identification
(g #, of) - (91 PF(h)f) .
The naturalprojectionG x F - G then inducesthe vectorbundleprojection

C*F-- G/H. Thus we have the commutativediagram
G '-GxF
7r a
G/H - c*F
each x e G determinesa linearisomorphism
Furthermore,
jo: F -) (C*F)(X)
by setting j((f) = u(x, f).
We come now to the induced action of G on P(c*F). Let Lg and tgdenote
left translation in G and G/H respectively. Clearly
Lg x 1:G x F - G x F
preservesthe fibersof a and henceinducesa map
Lg x1:C*F )CFF
which maps the fiberover 1gil*x linearlyinto the fiberover x. Hence 9g =
Lg x
, 1 may be interpreted as a lifting of the map 19-1. The resulting
endomorphism r(qpg)1*- of r(c*F) is denotedby Tg, and g o Tgis the desired
.
inducedrepresentation:
Tg.
C*(P(g)=
Note. One has to use a liftingof 1g91rather than of ig to defineTg if

one wishes C*(p) to be again a left-representation.
Our firstaim now is to give a formulaforthe pertinentinvariantsof To
at a fixedpoint,in termsof the adjoint actionsof G and H. We writeg and.
t forthe Lie algebras in question,denoteby AdGand Ad" the adjoint action
of G on g and of H on t respectively,and finallywrite

Nd4,- H . Aut (go
forthe isotropyactionof H on g/t.

Consider now a fixedpoint x e G/H of lg-'. For any x in the coset x we
mustthenhave the relation
(5.2) 9-g x = x *h(g,x) h(g,x) e H
and converselyif g-'x = x *h holdsforsomeh e H, thenwxis a fixedpointof
lgi-. Hence 19-ihas a fixedpoint if and only if g is contained in the orbit
of H upnder theadjoint action of G on G; i.e., if g e UxGxHx-1.
Observealso that as x varies over the coset of x, h(x) varies over a con-
jugacy class h(g,x) ci H. Thus to every fixedpoint x of lg-icorrespondsa
definiteconjugacy class h(g,x) ciH. Withthisunderstoodwe have the follow-
ing proposition.
PROPOSITION5.3. Let x be a fixedpoint of lg-1, and let h ? h(g,x) then
(5.4) det (1 - dlgi,)x = det (1 -Ad G(h)) .
Further if q denotestheliftingof lg-i to c*F, then
(5.5) tracepg(x) = tracePF(h)-1
PROOF. Choosex in the coset x in such a mannerthat
g1x= xh .
The map Lgi1 o Rh-i (whereRg denotesright translationby g) then still in-
duces 1g-1,but also keeps x fixed. Considerthe identification
(5.6) dLXo diru:g/t > (G/H).
(where (G/H)x denotes the tangent space to G/H at x). The relation
Lg1 o Rh-1 o Lx = Lx o Lh ? Rh-i then implies that under (5.6) dlg-i goes over into
AdG(h), and so establishes(5.4). To see (5.5) considerjx:F -(4*F)x. We have
ji(f) = cr(xf). Hence9g ?jx(f) = c(gxf) = c(xx-lgxf) = PF(h-)j((f). q.e.d.
The expressions(5.4) and (5.5) occurin manybranchesof representation
theory. As an examplelet us show how the "HermannWeyl formula"fits
into the framework of TheoremA and Proposition(5.3).
We assume then,that G is compact,and that H = T is a maximaltorus
of G. In this case g/t breaksintoa directsum of 2-planes,ek, k = 1, ..., m,
on each of whichAdG acts by rotations
m
(5.7) g/i = ekE
Let e be a functionwhichassigns to each 2-planeek an isomorphismwith

C compatiblewith the action of AdH. Such a functionthendeterminesm
characters{ark} on the torusH, as wellas an almostcomplexstructureon G/H.

464 ATIYAH AND BOTT
(The complexstructuredeterminedby e on g/t is compatiblewith the left

actionof G on G/Hbecause it is invariantunderAdM).
Now let L be a characteron H whichis positiverelativeto $ in thesense
that qo = l(a$)"i forsomeno> 0 and ni > 0; and considerthe inducedline
-
bundleFp,over G/H. The followingfacts concerningthis situation(due to

Borel and Weil) are thenwell known;see [7].
(5.8) The functione may be chosenso as to inducean integrablestruc-
ture on G/H. Further, the bundleFp,can then be given a corresponding
holomorphic structure.
(5.9) The cohomologygroups of the resultingcomplexF(F, 0A 0?*) are
zero in dimensions> 0:
F,) = 0
HO?q(G/H; forq > 0
and the representationof G inducedby g H Tgon H0'?is irreducible.
The irreduciblerepresentationp,: G Aut (Vp) obtainedin this way is
said to have maximal weight v', relative to $, and a fundamentaltheorem
asserts that all irreduciblerepresentationsof G may be constructedin this
manner.
The HermannWeyl formulaevaluates the trace of the representation p",
on the maximaltorusof G. Because traces dependonlyon conjugacyclasses
and T intersectseach conjugacyclass, this formuladeterminesthe trace on
all of G.
Let us now applyour Lefschetzformulato the complexP(F, 0 AO,*) and
the geometricendomorphismTg. Clearly, in view of (5.9) the Lefschetz
numberof Tgreducesto the trace of g actingon V>:
tracep,(g) = L(Tg) .
For transversallg-i we may thereforeuse TheoremA and Proposition5.1 to
computetracepj(g). The resultingformulais preciselythe HermannWeyl
formula,as we will now show.
Considerfirstthe case wheng is a genericelementin T, that is one whose
powersgenerateT. It followsthat if x is fixedunderg, and x is in the coset
x, thenforall integersn,
x'1g- x = hn
whereh E (g, x). Thus Ad x-' keepsall of T invariant,so thatthefixedpoints
of g correspondpreciselyto the cosets of the normalizerof T, moduloT.
The fixedpoints are thereforeindependentof the genericelementin T, and
naturallyforma group W(G, T) = N(T)/ T called the Weylgroupof G rel T.
This groupis well knownto be finite,and its natural action on T permutes

the roots{ark}. Fromthe formula(5.4) we have

detc (1 - dlgi) JX = detc (1 - AdG(x-'g-'x))
whence by (5.7) we obtain
detc(l - digi) ix = k (1- ak)

a$g9z
ak = ak
whichshowsin particular,thata genericg givesriseto a transversalmap 1g-1.

Consider the action of W(G, T) on the charactersX of T, definedby
\w(g) = X(x-'*g *x), withx in thecosetof w. Also let /3k = ak1. Then the right
hand side above takes the form
1m (1 - /8k)W(g)
so that by (5.5) the Lefschetzformulatakes the form
(5.11) L(Tg) = wew(GT) L(i -3k)1 (g)
Apart from some minor rewriting (5.11) is precisely the Hermann Weyl
formula. Indeed to bring(5.11) intoa morefamiliarform,assume that G is
simply connected.Then the productof the positiverootsturnsout to have
a square roota, whencethe functionA: T V C given by
A = a-fl(1 - /3k)
is seen to be alternatingunder W(G) that is, w(A) = +A forall w E W(G).

Using this fact, and puttingSign (w) = w(A)/A,(5.11) goes over into
(5.12) trace Tg - E Sign (w)(ia)w

A
and thisis theusual form. Note finallythatbecause g is an arbitrarygeneric
elementin H = T, (5.12) impliesa cancellationin the group ring of the
charactergroupof H and so determinesthe trace in questionon all of H.
Some general remarks. One obtainsa morethoroughunderstandingof
the relationbetweenthe Lefschetzand theWeylformulasifone recalls some
of the conceptsneeded in the proofof the Lefschetz formula,and applies
these to the infinitedimensionalinducedrepresentations.First of all recall
that an operatorQ: F(E) F(F) is called a smoothoperatorif Q is givenby
Qs(x) = 5KQ(x, y)s(y)dy
where KQ(x, y) is a smoothkernelover the productof the respectivebase

spaces of E and F. WhenF = E such a Q has a naturaltrace because it can
be approximatedby endomorphisms of finiterankso that the natural notion
of traceextendsfromthese to Q by continuity.One thenalso findsthat this

466 ATIYAH AND BOTT
trace is givenby the formula
Trace Q = 5Trace
KQ(x, x)dx.
Now the centralpointin Part I of this paper was the observationthat

this trace functionon smoothoperatorscan be extendedby continuityto a
largerclass of operators. Morepreciselyif T is a geometricendomorphism,
obtainedfroma transversalmap f by a liftingqA,cp:f *E E, we defined
TracefT = limQ,,Trace (To Q)
whenQ is a pseudo-differential operatortendingto 1 in a suitablesense. In
generalwe distinguishedbetweenthe pair (f, A) and the inducedendomor-
phismT, and TracefT was reallya functionof thepair (f, Ap).Howeverwhen
f is an invertiblemapX X this distinction
- needno longerbe made(because
T determines9 uniquely)and TracefT is reallya functionof T and f. The
dependenceonf willbe suppressedhoweverand we shall writeTrace' T instead
of TracefT and call it the flat trace.
In Part I we also obtainedthe explicitformula
Trace' T = E Trace (pp)

I det (1 -dfp)
summedover the fixedpointsof f.
In termsof this notionthe Lefschetzformulais thereforeequivalent to
the compatibility
statement
(5.18) E (-1) Trace' k = 3(-1) Trace Hk(T)
and it is in this frameworkthat the proofwas carriedout in [2].
Let us returnnowto thehomogeneouscase whereX = G/H,and E = t*F
is the bundleinducedby pF: H a Aut F.
The inducedrepresentation e*(p) thenacts throughgeometricendomor-
phismsTg of P(e*F). Hence whenever
( 1 ) G/H is compactand
( 2 ) 1g-1:G/H-* G/H is transversal,
thenthemap Tg will have a well definedflat trace Trace' (Tg).
On the otherhand let , be a smoothmeasurewithcompactsupporton G
and defineTo as the integral
Tu- Tgt(g).
J G
This endomorphism of P(e*F) thenturns out to be a smoothoperator,and

hence has a well definedtrace,at least whenG/H is compact. Furtherit is
seen that the function, H Trace To definesa distribution
on G. We referto

thisdistributionas the trace of e*(p), and this is the distributional trace of

representationtheory.
One now has the plausible relation between trace ec(p) and our flattrace.
PROPOSITION5.19. Let e.p: G- AutF(eF) be the induced representation
fromp: He- Aut F and assume that G/H is compact. Also let O(H) ci G be
theopen subset of G consisting of those g e G for which lg_: G/H G/H is
transversal.
The function Traceb: g ~-- Trace' Tg is then well defined on O(H) and
thererepresents the distributional trace of c*(p).
The proof of this proposition hinges on two facts. First we observe that
the convergence of the limit
(5.20) Trace' T = limQ,1Trace (To Q)
is uniform with respect to the map f underlying T provided f varies in a
bounded set and that det (1 - dfp) is bounded away from zero at the fixed
points of f. This assertion follows directly from (4.4) and (4.9) of [2].
Secondly we observe (cf. [2; ? 5]) that the convergence Q 1 implies
T. o Q T, in the Co topology of smooth operators and so
(5.21) Trace' T, = limQ-,Trace T, o Q .
Now T, o Q p(g) Tgo Q is the average over G of smooth operators.

G
Since taking traces of smooth operators clearly commutes with averaging, we
have
(5.22) Trace (T, oQ) 5|p(g) Trace (TgoQ).

G
If Supp ,c ci O(H) the uniformityrequired in (5.20) is satisfied and so, as

Q 1 in (5.22), we may pass to the limit under the integral. From this and
(5.21) we obtain
Trace T,, 5|a(g)(limQ, Trace (Tg o Q))
- 50C(g)
G
Trace' Tg
which establishes the proposition.

Perhaps we should make a few remarks on the reasons why T, is a
smooth operator and , c- Trace Teeis a distribution. These facts follow from
quite general "integration over the fiber" arguments as we shall show.
Let w: X-) Y be a smooth map of smooth manifoldsand let E be a smooth
bundle over Y. Then w induces a continuous map *,,,from the (compactly

468 ATIYAH AND BOTT
supported)distributional sectionsof wc*EoverX intothe (compactlysupport-

ed) distributionalsectionsof E over Y, by simplysetting
w*a(s) = a ( *s)
s E 1(E), a e F'(w*E). Now if in addition the differential of w is surjective
at all points of X, then a local integrationover the fiberargumentshows
directlythat wr*preservessmoothness.
Thus underthis assumption
w*: Fc{w*E* 0 f2(X)} > JcE{E* 0 fl(Y)}
wheref2(X) and &2(Y) denote the volume bundles of X and Y respectively
and E* denotesthe dual bundle.
We applythis propositionto our situation,(withp = 1 forsimplicity)by
settingM = G/Hand defining
wr:GxM- *MxM
by
c(g,m) = (gmi m).
Clearly our hypothesesare satisfiedso that if we take for E the bundle
1 x f2(M) on M x M, wr*definesa map
- x 1} '*) > rf2(M)

Fj~~~~c~a(G) x 1}
and one checksdirectlythat foru E rcjf2(G)}
x 1) = Kernelof T, .
wr*(,c
Here of course G/H has to be compactin orderfor(I x 1) to have compact
support.
Finally if A E F'l{ x &l(M)} is the kernelof the identitymap then
(5.23) Trace T, = wr*(px 1).A
fromwhichour assertionsconcerningT, are evident.
In view of Proposition(5.19) we may say that our way of getting the
HermannWeyl formulais to express the characterof a finite-dimensional
representation of G as an alternatingsumof charactersof infinite-dimensional
inducedrepresentations.The pointof thisis thatthecharacterof an induced
representation is easilycomputed. In fact,as we have seen,on the opendense
c
set O(H) G such a characteris given by a sum over fixedpoints. Actually
it is not difficultto show that the characterxi*(p) is (as a distribution
on G)
equal to what one may call the inducedcharacter3i*(Xp). This is the direct
3 Our understanding of these questions was greatly helped by some discussions with
G. W. Mackey.

image under the projectionG x M u G of a distributionFp sittingon the

submanifoldYc G x M consistingof pairs(g, m) withg(m) = m. For example,
if p = 1, and F, = r*(A) (5.23) asserts that
e*(Xi) = X(e*1)
in the moregeneralcase is leftto the reader.

The detailedformulation
6. The elliptic operators4 associated to a riemannian structure
Every orientedriemannianmanifoldof even dimensionhas definedon it
an ellipticoperator
(6.1) D+: F(,+ TX) -- r(X-TX)
to whichall isometriesmaybe lifted,and whichis closelyrelatedto the Dirac
operator,the Hodge theory,and the Hirzebruchsignatureof the manifold.
This operatoris treatedin [6] but forthe sake of completenesswe will
review the constructionof (6.1) in somedetail. Recall that the orientation
and riemannianstructurein TX single out a basic m-formv er (XmTX),
m = dimX, whichis characterizedby the requirementthat at everypointP,
(6.2) p= 6'A **A 6m
frameforTpX in the orientationof
whenever(61,...*, am) is any orthonormal
X. Recall furtherthat this rn-form thenserves to definean isomorphism
(6.3) *: XqTX ,m-q TX
whichis characterizedby the identity
(6.4) u A *u' = <u, u'>.vp U, U' G XqTPX
where<u, u!> denotestheinnerproductinducedon X*TX by theinnerproduct

in TX. In particularthen
(6.5) <U. U> > 0.
Using the * operator,one thendefinesthe global inner product(u, v) for
u, v E F(X*TX) by the formula
(6.6) (u, v) = 5 [x]
A * v.
In view of (6.5) this is a positivedefiniteinnerproduct,so that the operator

d on P(X*TX) has a well definedadjoint relativeto it whichwe denoteby a.
Thus
(6.7) (du, u') = (u, au') u, u' E F(A* TX)
On an orientedriemannianmanifoldone is thus naturallyled to the self-
4A single elliptic operator is of course a special case of an elliptic complex.

470 ATIYAH AND BOTT
adjoint operator D = d + a. Note that d2 = 62 = 0 so that D2 = d6 + Ad is

the usual laplacian A of the Hodge theory. This operator is well-knownto be
elliptic. On the other hand the highest order symbol of a composition is
easily seen to be the compositionof the highest order symbols. Hence D must
also be elliptic. Taken by itself this operator is not of great interest for our
purposes precisely because it is self adjoint, whence its Lefschetz numbers
will turn out to be zero for quite trivial reasons.
However if X has an even dimension then one may fashion an interesting
operator out of D in the following manner. First one observes that under
this assumption
(6.8) a =-*d*
Next one checks that if a: X* TX \* TX is definedby the formula

(6.9) au = ,)q(q-112q*u U E XqTX
then a satisfies the identities
(6.10) a2 = (-) dimX= 2n
(6.11) Da = -aD,
and has the multiplicative property that under the natural isomorphism
X*TX0X*TY--X*T(Xx Y)
(6.12) axxy = 0 ay .
Finally consider the action of a 0 jn on the complexificationof X*TX.
Under this action the total space breaks up into a direct sum
(6.13) X*TX0C = X+TX(X-TX
where X+TX are the eigenspaces of a 0 if correspondingto the eigenvalues

?1.
In view of (6.11) the operator D 0 1 then interchanges the P(X1 TX) and
so induces operators D+: P(X+TX) r(-+ F( TX) which are adjoints of each
other.
The operator D+ is of interest firstof all because its index, that is, the
Lefschetz number of the identitymap, turns out to be a topological invariant
of X. Precisely one has the
PROPOSITION6.13. If X is a compactorientedeven dimensional rie-
mannian manifoldthen
(6.14) index D+ = Hirzebruchsignatureof X, if dimX 0 mod4

1 -0 if dim X 2 mod 4.

This fact is an easy consequenceof the Hodge theory. The firststep is

to identifythe cohomologyspace of (6.1) withcertainsubspacesof the space
of complex-valuedharmonicformsX5C on X.
Since the adjoint of D' is D+ we have the identifications
H0 of the complex(6.1) = Ker D+
(6.15) H' of the complex(6.1) = Ker D- .
Secondlyrecall that the harmonicformsSC preciselyconstitutethe kernelof
D 0 1. This followsfrom{Du, Du} = {du, du} + {6u, 6u}, whenceDu = 0 du
and au = 0. Hence (6.15) impliesthat if X+Cdenotesthe +1 eigenspaces of
a (0 in acting on A, thenH0 SJC+ and HI - SC-. In particular
(6.16) index D+ = dim C+ - dim X- .
To proceedfurther,let
(6.17) 7T = {1 ?ioa 8i-}/2
Then the wre ontoX+Cso that
project>UC
dim X+ - dim XC- = trace r+ - trace wr-
(6.18) = trace(a 0 jn) = jn tracea .
To prove Proposition 6.13 consider firstthe case n odd. Then a2 = -1, whence
trace a = 0 and thereforealso trace a 0 in = 0.
Next consider the case n - 21. Then a2 = 1 so that already the real
harmonicforms,whichwe denoteby SC(R), decomposeintoa directsum
SC(R) = SC(R)+ D S(R)-
where(-1)'a - ?1 on YX(R)+. It followsthat
(6.19) index D+ = dim SC(R)+ - dim SC(R)- = trace {(- 1)ta} .
Observenow that (- 1)'a maps Xq into %2,-q so that onlythe termsof dimen-
sion 21 enterinto its trace. Thus we may also write
(6.20) indexD+ = dimSC(R)+ - dimX(R)-.
Finally,considerthe quadraticformq(u) definedby
q(u) = u Au, u e X(R)21.

[x]
The signatureof this form,that is, the difference

of dimensionsof maximal
subspaces on which it is positive and negative,is now seen to be precisely
the righthand side of (6.20). Indeed whenu E XfC(R)-one checksthat q(u) =
+{u, u}. Thus indexD+ = signatureof q. At this stage we appeal to the
de Rham and Hodge theorems,which allow us to identifyXC(R)21with

472 ATIYAH AND BOTT
H21(X; R) in such a mannerthat q goes over into the topologicallyinvariant

formgiven by the cup productand the orientationon X. As the signatureof
X is by definition the signatureof this form,Proposition6.13 follows.
In view of (6.13) we shall referto D+ as the signatureoperatorof X.
We turnnextto the Lefschetznumberof an isometryf: X--?X, relative
to the signatureoperator(6.1). We have already seen that df induces a
geometricendomorphism f * in the de Rhamcomplex. If f is an isometrythis
f * necessarilycommuteswith the * operatorof X, and hencealso with(.
It followsthatf * inducesendomorphisms f ' in F(X' TX) whichcommute
withD+ and so combineto definean automorphism of the complex(6.1).
We denoteby ShC+(f) the endomorphism in the cohomologyof (6.1) so
that the Lefschetznumberof f is in this case given by
(6.21) Sign (f, X) = traceXJ+(f) - traceXK-(f) ,
and we refer to Sign (f, X) as the signatureof the isometryf. Note that
using the projectionsATE we also have
(6.22) of *-
Sign (f, X) = trace (wr+ - of*) = ntrace (a * C(f))
and so by our previousargument,Sign(f, X) is completely determined by the
actionof XC(f) and a on X,, alone. In fact one can defineSign(f, X) directly
fromthe action f* on Hn(X; R) and the bilinear formgiven by the cup
product. Whenn is even this formis symmetricand one proceedsmuch as
in Proposition6.13. For n odd the formis skew-symmetric and one proceeds
manner. Both cases are discussedin detail in [6; ? 6].
in a different
Our next aim is to computethe multiplicity of a fixedpoint relative to
this operator. Note firstthat, for an isometry,an isolated fixedpoint is
necessarilytransversal:in factif df, has a fixedtangentvector,the geodesic
in that directionwould consist of fixedpointsand P wouldnot be isolated.
Suppose thereforethat P E X is an isolatedfixedpointof f and let fp*denote
theautomorphism ofx* TpX inducedbyX*df,. Thenaccordingto our general
prescriptionthe multiplicity of P relativeto the operator(6.1) is given by
(6.23) ,,(p) = tracec (f* 0&1 1X TPX) - tracec (fp*
0 1 j ?-TpX)
(6.23) V(P) = IdetR(1 - dfP)I
~~
Using projectionswr+just as we did above, only now actingon X*TX, the
0 tn)so that
numeratorof this expressionreducesto trace(fp*o (0
V(P) = traces({f,* oao}0 0n)/I

det (1 - df,) I .
A moreexplicitformulaforv(P) can be obtainedin thefollowingmanner.

Considerthe differential

dfP: TpX ) TPX.

Because f is an isometry of X, dfp will be an isometry of TpX. Hence one
may decompose TpX into a direct sum of orthogonal 2-planes
TpX = E1 0 E2 0 ... Ej E.
which are stable under dfp. Let (ek, e') be an orthogonal base of Ek, so chosen
that
vp(e,A efA e2A e2... enA e')=
Relative to such a base dfp is then given by rotations through angles Ok in Ek.
That is,
dfp ek cos Okek + sin Okek
=
(dfpee = - sin Okek+ cos Okek
and we call the resulting set of angles {Ok} a coherent system for dfp. This
understood the multiplicityformula we are seeking is given by
(6.25) 2(P) = X f1 cot (Ok!2)
where {Ok} is a system of coherent angles for df,.
To prove (6.25) consider first the two-dimensionalcase. Then *e1 = e,
*e? - -e1 whence X+T, is spanned by 1 + ie1 A e' and e1 + ie', while - T, is
spanned by 1 - ie1 A e' and e1- ie?. Furthermore df,(el + ie?) = e`18(el+ iee)
and dfp(e, - ieD) = ei0(e1- ie') while the other elements remain fixed under
x*dfp. It follows that trace (fp*oa (0 i) = e-0 -e+iO, so that
(6.26) (P) =-ea - e = i' cot (0/2)

(1 e-i6)(1 - eiO)
The proof of (6.25) is now completed by applying the multiplicative property

(6.12) of a to the decomposition of TpX into the 2-planes {EJ.
To recapitulate, our Lefschetz theorem specializes in the following man-
ner to the operator (6.1).
THEOREM6.27. Let f: X X be an isometryof the compactoriented
even dimensional Riemann manifold X. Assume furtherthatf has only
isolatedfixedpoints{P}, and let {O0'}be a systemof coherentangles for df,.
Then thesignatureof f is given by
Sign (f, X) = in flk cot (0 /2), dim X = 2n.
Remarks. Since we firstnoted this formula, the general problem of de-
scribing Sign (f, X) in terms of the fixed point sets of f has been completely
solved. This solution proceeds via the general index theorem of Atiyah-
Singer and the methods of KG-theory(in particular the localization theorem

474 ATIYAH AND BOTT
of Atiyah-Segal) and is described in [4], [5], and [6]. Thus this method of
attack is considerably less elementary than the one under discussion here.
Furthermore it is based essentially on the fact that the group of isometries
of a Riemann structure is compact, and hence does not extend to cover other
Lefschetz problems, even with only transversal fixed point sets.
7. Two applications
Theorem (6.27) imposes strong number-theoretic restrictions on the
angles of an isometry at its fixed points. We give two illustrations of this
fact in this section. As our firstand simplest example we have
THEOREM7.1. Let X be a compactconnectedand orientedmanifold(of
positivedimension),and let f: X X be an automorphismof X, of prime
-
powerordern = pl with p odd. Thenf cannothavejust one fixedpoint.

PROOF. A compact group of diffeomorphismscan always be made into a
group of isometries simply by averaging a given Riemann structure over the
group. We may thereforeassume that f acts as an isometry. Since p is odd
(and X is connected) f must preserve the orientation. Assume now that f
has just one fixed point P. Since det (1 - dfp) # 0 and dfp is orthogonal it
follows that dim X is even. We may thereforeapply our Theorem (6.27) to
obtain the expression
(7.2) Sign (f, X) = i-jm flo cot (0k/2) 2m = dimX

for the signature of f, in terms of a system of coherent angles {Ok} for dfp.
Setting e_- e-ikwe get
(7.3) Sign (f, X) ]l (1 - ) = 17(1 + ik)
The ek are eigenvalues of df,. Hence as (dfp)n= 1, they must all be

nth roots of unity. Note further that Sign (f, X), which by definition is
trace X+(f ) - trace SC-(f ), must be a linear combination of nth roots with
integer coefficients. We may therefore interpret (7.3) as an equation in the
ring Z[f], generated by a primitive ntlhroot of 1.
Let us now reduce mod p in this ring and raise both sides of (7.3) to the
nth power. Because n = pl and m > 0, this yields 0 --2- mod p, contradicting
the fact that p is odd.
This theorem was originally conjectured by Conner and Floyd, and was
also recently re-established by them using their own methods [10]. In their
frameworkof bordism theory the Lefschetz formula leads to the following
extension of Theorem 7.1.
Consider a representation p of the cyclic group Zn, on a complex vector

space V of dimensionm > 0.

(7.4) P: Zn > Aut (V) .
The characterof p, evaluated on the generator1 of Zn, thenhas the form
75) Xp(1) = 5, a;,'
where X E Zn, a,,E Z, and =e
We call p primitiveif a,, = 0 unless X E Z,* the set of residuesprimeto
n. The restrictionof such an action to the unitsphereS( V) of V (relativeto
someinvarianthermitianstructure)thenacts freelyon S( V) and so deter-
mines an element [p] of the reduced bordism group f2*(Z.). Theorem 7.1
clearlyimpliesthatwhenn = p1, p an odd prime,we have [pL] 0. It is there-
fore natural to seek a lower bound for the order of [p] by means of the
Lefschetzformulaand this is easily done.
In fact our previousargumentleads directlyto the following
THEOREM7.6. For any primitive representation p, let u(p) c C be deter-
mined in terms of Xp(l) = 3,aid by the formula
(7.7) U(P) IIf(i +)a;
Then if p, *. Pk are primitive m-dimensional representations of Z., the

relation
(7.8) [P.] = 0 in &2*(Zn)
holds only if
(7.9) 57,a(P8) E
Zcl
To derivethiscriterionsuppose(7.8) holds. Then thereexists a manifold
M, whoseboundaryAM consistsof k (2m - l)-spheres on whichZ. acts freely,
the actionreducingto the actions[pL1on 3M. If we fillin these spheres by
unit discs e1,..., ek and extend the actionlinearly,thereresultsa compact
manifoldM on whichZ. acts freelyexceptat the centersP1, ... , Pk. of the
attacheddiscs. Theorem(6.27) appliedto the generatorof Z. now yieldsthe
formula E v(P,) = Sign (f, M), with Sign (f, M) E Z[l1. Since v(P,) = a(p8)
the theoremfollows.
As an examplelet us provethe followingcorollaryto Theorem7.6.
COROLLARY7.10. If n = p1 with p an odd prime, then for any primi-
tive m-dimensional representation p of Z. the order of [p] is divisible by
pr+k, where
(7.11) r [ n I

476 ATIYAH AND BOTT
PROOF. We recalla littleelementarynumbertheory. The minimalpoly-

nomialofa primitiventh rootof 1 is
9(x) = (xn - l)/(xn/P - 1) = 1 + xn/p + .. + xn(P-)p
Hence 9(x) = JJ
(x- i), Xe Z*; and so in particular
(7.12) H(2'n)=1 (1
-
) =P
It is clear that 1 - divides 1 - d in Z[fl. But for any X E Z,* E' is again
primitiveso that ($)r = $ forsomer, and so 1 - d divides1 - d. It follows
that
(7.13) (1- = (1 - d)-unit
In particular,(7.12) impliesthat
(7.14) (1 - p.)n(11/P)= puunit, n= p1
Let us now set p = 1 - d. Applying (7.13) in the formulafor ((p) we find
U(P) =-u
with u _ 2n mod m in Z[f]. Applying Theorem (7.6) we see that q [p] = 0 *
q*a(p) c Z[$] qu c ~mZ[f]. Then (7.14) implies (by an argument used in (7.1))
that q mustbe divisibleby pr+l where
r = n/) q.e.d.
So far in these applicationswe have onlyused the fact that Sign (f, X)
is an algebraicinteger. Its cohomologicalinterpretationwas not used, and
so we did not exploitthe fullforceof our Lefschetzformula. A moreinter-
estingapplicationwhichreallyuses the fullLefschetzformulais the follow-
ing theoremwhichconfirms an old standingconjectureof P. A. Smith.
THEOREM7.15. Let p be an odd prime and consider a smooth action of
Zp on a homology sphere which has precisely two fixed points. Then the
induced representations of Zp on the tangent spaces of the two fixed points
are isomorphic.
PROOF. Let f generatethe actionand choosea riemannianstructurefor
S2non whichf acts as an isometry.Also let P and Q be the fixedpoints of
f. We have to show that dfpand dfQhave the same set of eigenvalues. Be-
cause (dfp)P = 1 these eigenvalueswill all be pth rootsof unity. Hence if we
set e e2ri/p, and let aP denote the number of eigenvalues of dfp which are
-
equal to di,then we have to show that aP = aQ.

Now accordingto our fixedpointtheorem:

(7.16) Sign (f, S2f) = v(P) + v(Q) .

On theotherhandSign(f, S2f)= 0 because a homologyspherehas no harmonic
formsin its middledimension.Thus underour assumptionswe musthave
(7.17) V(P) = (Q)
Now accordingto (7.2),
2)(P) ( = I 1 + Ik
1 -k
where ek range over all the eigenvaluesof df,. In termsof our multiplicity
function a' we thereforehave
(7.18) | V(P) 12= II {(1 + $,)/(1 - e )i
whereX rangesover the set Z* of congruenceclasses modp whichare prime

to p.
Hence if we set a, = aP - aQ then (7.17) implies that
(7.19) llPP)=i{ } -
At this stage one is thereforereduced to showing that (7.19) a, _ 0.

Now a theoremof Kummerimpliesan assertionof this type, which for our
purposesmay be stated as follows.
THEOREM. (Kummer). If {al}, X c Zp*,is any set of integerssubjectto
(7.20) a, = a-
(7.21) EaA = 0
and,
(7.22) fl(1 - i) = 1,
thena,_ 0.
Fromthistheoremone deducesours in the followingfashion. The condi-
tions(7.20) and (7.21) are triviallymet by our an. Using the relation
(7.23) (1 + $)/(1 - $) = (1 - V2)/(1- ?
into
the condition(7.19) is transformed
(7.24) IH (1 _ ~22)all (1 _ hi)-2a; 1
X 2x definesa bijection on Z1*whose inverse we denote by X 1-> X/2.

Now B-+
Thus (7.24) is also givenby
(7.25) II (1 - 01){a,,2-2a~l - 1
Applyingthe Kummertheoremnow yields

478 ATIYAH AND BOTT
(7.26) a,22= 2a2.

However on each orbit of the transformation X i 2X, the function a, must
take a maximum. This is compatible with (7.26) only if a,-- 0, as was to be
shown.
This argument was extended by Milnor to yield the following theorem.
THEOREM7.27. Let G be a compact group of diffeomorphisms of a
homologysphere with fixed points P, Q, the action being free exceptat P
and Q. Then theinducedrepresentationsof G on thetangentspaces Tp and
TQare isomorphic.
Milnor's proof runs as follows. G is a closed subgroup of isometries (for
some riemannian metric) and so is a Lie group. The elements of finite order
are therefore dense in G. Hence it is sufficientto establish the theorem for
an arbitrary cyclic group Zn. The case n = 2 is trivially valid and so we may
assume n > 3. What is needed thereforefirstof all, is the followinggenerali-
zation of the Kummer theorem due to Franz. [See [12].]
Let Z* denote the residue classes X mod n, with (X, n) = 1, n > 3, and set
- e2,i'. Also let d range over the positive divisors of n, other than n itself.
With this understood one has the following.
THEOREM7.28 (Franz). If {as}, X c Z* is a set of integerssubjectto
(7.29) a, = a-;
(7.30) a, = 0
and if for everydivisor d of n, d + n,
(7.31) a| (1-idi)a, = 1
thena, _ 0.
Consider now a generator f for our group Zn and apply Theorem 6.27 to
the powers f d, where d ranges over the divisors of n not equal to n, or n/2.
By assumption all these fd act freely on X - {P U Q}, whence, as none of
them has order 2, the multiplicities vp and vQrelative to fd will be non-zero.
Thus, if aiP and aQ are the multiplicityfunctions of dfp and dfQrespectively
and a, is their difference,our earlier argument leads to the condition
II ( +Ad)
(7 .32) G ,
for all divisors d of n not equal to n or n/2.

Our aim is therefore to deduce that a,2 0 from (7.32). We consider
several cases.
Case 1. n odd. Here n/2 is not a divisor. Further the map a i-- 2X is a

bijection on Z*. Hence by our earlier argument (7.32)-(1 _

-d2)a2/2-2a =1
fromwhich we conclude by Franz's theorem that a,2 0. q.e.d.
Case 2. n = 2m, m odd. In this case the projection Z2m Zrn induces a
bijection of Z2*.onto Z.*. Thus in (7.32) X may be thought of as varying over Z*.
Taking d = 2d' where d' Im, d' # m we are reduced to Case 1 and again a; _ 0.
Case 3. n = 2m, m even. This case is treated by induction. We assume that
(7.29), (7.30), and (7.32) a;-=a 0 forthe case n = m, then prove it for n = 2m.
Note that in this case Z2m Zm induces a surjection Z2*. Z.* with kernel Z2. -
Now for every d' I m, d' + m, we may apply (7.32) with d = 2d', to obtain
II {(1 + <22d')/(l _ <22d')}a2 =1 X Z2c
G
On the other hand here the terms X and X + m may be lumped together
whence one obtains
JJ{(1 + $22d')/(J _ <22d')}a2+a2+m 1 , ZM .
Hence, by the inductive hypothesis, a; + a(,+m,) 0 .

To complete the proof we will now show that (7.32) implies the relation
(7.31) i.e., that (7.32) II (1 _ d2d)a2 = 1 for all d I 2m, d # 2m. If d = 2d'
with d' I m, then we may again combine the X and (X + m)th terms. Hence, by
the relation a2 + a+m = 0, the product equals 1. Consider now a divisor
d # 2d'. Then ddm = -1, so that (7.32) may be written
1 = {(1 e +m)d)/(J _ $d)}a2 X GZ,*
= JJ{1 - 2d}aa+m-aj
_ fi {1 -id}-2a .
Taking the reciprocal of the square root one gets

T (1 bd)aR = ? 1 -
Finally the + 1 must hold since a2 = a_;. q.e.d.

Remark. When G is a finitecyclic group Theorem 7.27 can be reformu-
lated as a result about lens spaces. It asserts that two lens spaces which are
h-cobordantare isometric. For furtherinformationabout these questions we
refer the reader to [15].
8. The Dirac operator on Spin manifolds

Notice that if f: XX is an isometryof order two, then at every isolated
fixed point P of f, dfp = - identity. Hence the multiplicityv(P) of P, rela-
tive to the signature of f, is identically zero. Theorem 6.26 therefore yields
the proposition that an involution of an oriented 4k-dimensional compact
manifold of odd Euler number must have a fixed point set of dim > 0. In-
deed under the assumptions Sign (f, X) cannot possibly be zero as SC(f) has

480 ATIYAH AND BOTT
eigenvalues+ 1, and dimXCis odd.

In this section we will describe a more interestingoperator,closely
relatedto D+, whichattaches multiplicities? (i/2)m(where 2m = dimX) to
the isolated fixedpointsof orientationpreservinginvolutionsand whichcan
thereforebe appliedto involutionsin the same mannerthat we applied the
operatorD+ to transformations of odd period. This operatorwhichwe call
the Dirac operatorexists onlyundercertaintopologicalconditionson X, and
we will start by reviewingthese.
First recall that if Y is a connectedcw-complexthen the set of iso-
morphismclasses of doublecoveringsof Y is in one to one correspondence
with the set H'( Y; Z2), and so in particular,inheritsa groupstructure. This
comesabout because a doublecoveringY) Y corresponds to a homomorphism
7r1(Y)- Z2-
Supposenow that X is a connectedand orientedriemannianmanifold.
We thendenoteby F = FTX, the (oriented)orthogonalframebundleof the
cotangentbundleto X. Thus the fiberF, of F is isomorphicto SO(n), n =
dimX.
By definition, a Spin structureon X, will be a double coveringF of F
whose restrictionto a fiber F, induces the non-trivial double covering
Spin (n) of SO(n).
Two such coveringswill be called isomorphicif theyare isomorphicqua
doublecoverings,so that the isomorphismclasses of Spin structureson X
may be identifiedwith the set of elementsin H'(F;Z2) which have a non-
eithervacuous,or a coset,
trivialrestictionto H'(F,; Z2) This set is therefore
in H'(F,; Z2) of the kernelof the restrictionmap H'(F; Z2) I'(F,; Z2).
Fromthe exact sequence
(8.1) - H'(X; Z2) -

H'(F; Z2) H'(Fp; Z2) H2(X; Z2)
where 6 denotesthe transgressionin the fiberingF > X, we concludefirst

X
of all that admits a Spin structure if and only if 6 0. The value of 6 on
the generatorof H'(Fp; Z2) is by definition the secondStiefel-Whitney class
w2(X) of X. Hence this conditionis equivalentto w2(X) = 0.
Secondlyone sees that Ker (i*) = 7r*Hl(X;Z2). Thus the difference of
two Spin structuresis measuredby an elementof H'(X; Z2).
Supposenow that F is a given Spin structureon X and let dimX = 2m.
The Dirac operatorrelativeto F is thenconstructedas follows. Let
(8.2) a: Spin (2m) > SO(2m)
be theprojectionand let s generatethe kernelof a. Also denoteby a a fixed

elementin a-'(- 1).

The group Spin (2m) has a complexrepresentationA of dimension21"
called the Spin representation.This is the directsum of two irreduciblein-
equivalentrepresentations A+ and A- of dimension2m-1(the half-Spin-repre-
sentations). For these we have
(8.3) A(e) = -1
(8.4) A+(a) = -+ -m
Now let A?F denotethe vectorbundlesassociated to F by these representa-

tions. Then the Dirac operator3+ relativeto F will be a firstorderelliptic
operator
differential
(8.5) a+: r(A+F) - I(A-F).
To defineit one mustrecall that if
(8.6) p: SO(2m) >Aut (R2m)
thenthereis a naturalpairing
is the standard,or identity,representation
(8.7) (p oa) 0 Ai ,A
Now TX is clearly the bundleassociated to F via the representation
aup =
p oa. Hence (8.7) inducesa pairing
(8.8) A+: TX ?AF - ATF.
Composedwiththe covariantderivative
(8.9) V+: F(A?F) > F(TX? AFF)
whichthese bundlesinheritfromthe canonicalconnectionon F, P therefore
gives rise to operators
(8.10) 6+: F(A+F) > F(AT)
and these are by definition the Dirac operatorswe were seeking. The opera-
tors are ellipticforthe followingreason. The pairing[+ inducesa map
It
(8.11) TX > Hom (A+F, A-F),
which is non-singular in the sense that ft,() is an isomorphism for e + 0.
Indeedone has
(8.12) Pt = Identity(, $)
On the otherhand observethat the symbolof the covariantderivative
V+ is inducedby the identitymap
(8.13) TX?OA+ - TX ? A+,

482 ATIYAH AND BOTT
so that the symbolof 3+ is simply given by [(e(). Thus (8.12) implies that 3+
is non-singular. Similary for 8-. The pertinent facts concerning spinors we
have used here can be found in [3], however, for completeness, we will now
very brieflyreview the constructionof some of these objects.
If E is a real vector space with positive definiteinner product, cE shall
denote the Cliffordalgebra of E. Thus cE is definedas the quotient of the
full tensor algebra over E modulo the ideal I generated by elements of the
form e 0 e + (e, e) 1. Alternatively cE is the free algebra generated over R
by a unit 1, and an orthogonal base {e1, ..., en} for E, subject to the defining
relations
(8.14) e~,= -1, ejek + ekej =0 j k.
As a module over R, cE is then seen to be spanned by the products ej1 ... eJk,
il < i2 . . . < Jk, 0< k < n so that, qua R module, cEis isomorphicto the exterior
algebra X*E. Multiplicatively this is not so, but cE does inherit the structure
of a Z2-graded module c(E) = c+E + c&E where c+E and c&E are additively
generated by the even and odd products respectively. Furthermore E is
naturally included in cE.
The group Spin (n) exists naturally as a subgroup of the group of invert-
ible elements c*E of cE. Indeed let x + x be the anti-automorphism which,
actingon ourR-basis,sendsej1... eJkinto(-l)ke k ... ej1. ThenSpin(n) is the
subgroup of c*E characterized by
(8.15) x c+E
(8.16) xex-1e E for all e c E
(8.17) ~.X = 1.
If follows from (8.15) and (8.16) that for all x e Spin (n), the transforma-
tion a(x): E E defined by e i- xex-' is an orientation preserving isometry
of E. Hence a maps Spin(n) into SO(n) and it is not difficultto show that a
is onto. In fact if' n = 2m and (f1,f/,* *, fim fm) is an orthonormalframe for
.
E, then one checks directly that the element

(8.18) X(81,... Om) = 11 (cos Oj - fjfj; sin 8j)
is contained in Spin (2m), and projects under a onto the rotation of E which
rotates the plane Ej spanned by (fj, f) through the angle 20j. Because every
rotation can be brought into this formthe assertion follows. It is clear that
+ 1 are in Spin (2m) and in the kernel of a, and then in view of (8.18) it is not
hard to see that this is the entire kernel a. Thus the element s of Spin (2m)
5 From now on we restrict to the even case because this is all we need.

is simply -1 C c*(E). Note finallythat if

(8.19) a = fif* ..f.fAmAm
then
(8.20) a2= (1_l)m
(8.21) a(a) =-1 C SO(2m),
and
(8.22) ax = -xa for all x C c-E
while,
(8.23) ax = xa for x ccE.
This model of Spin (2m) c cE furnishes us with a natural representation
(8.24) c+: Spin (2m) - Aut (c+E),
given by the left action of c+E on c+E. This representation is far from
irreducible. Rather its complexificationbreaks up into 2m-1copies of A+ and
i\-
(8.25) c+ ?c 1 = 2m-'(A+ & A-)
Qj be given by right multiplication with the elements

To see this let
fjfj;(0 i of our basis (ft,fits f* n f.). Then the Qj commutewith each
...*
other and also, of course, with the action of Spin (2m) because Spin (2m) acts
=
fromthe left. Further QW + 1. The simultaneouseigenspaces of the Qj
thereforedecompose c+E 0 C into 2- Spin (2m)-invariant subspaces. Further-
more the representations arising in this manner are of only two types,
depending on the value a takes on them. This follows from the following
construction. Let
(8.26) a = (fj + f;)(fk + fk)/2
then one checks that a C Spin (2m) and that Q8a = aQ8 for s # j, k while
(8.27) aQj = Qka .
Hence right multiplication with a permutes the + 1 eigenspaces of Qj with

those of Qk, and it then follows easily that the isomorphismclass of a
simultaneous eigenspace as a Spin (2m)-module depends precisely on the parity
of the number of Qj's with value -1 on it. As Q1... Qm= a?C) jm, and as Al
are distinguished by (8.4), the assertion and (8.25) follow.
An immediate corollary of these remarks is the following
PROPOSITION8.28. For any x e Spin (2m)

484 ATIYAH AND BOTT
(8.29) trace A+(x) - trace A-(x) = trace c+(ax) .
In particular, if x = x(a) is theelement(8.18), then

(8.30) trace A+(x) - trace A-(x) = im2rnJ17sin Oj .
PROOF.The operators (1 + a 0 im)/2 project c+E 0 C onto the A+ types
of that module and (8.29) then follows by an argument we have already
encountered in ? 6. To see (8.30) observe firstthat left multiplication by an
elemente = e ...e2,,s > 0, of c+E induces a transformation of c+E with
trace 0. This follows, for instance, from the fact that this transformation
maps the basis elements into multiples of each other, but clearly maps no
element into a multiple of itself. Hence the only term in ax(08, **, am) which
contributes to the trace is
1171 sin j.
Thereafter (8.30) follows directlyfrom(8.29) and the fact that dim c+E= 22m-I.
So much for a quick review of the Spin construction. We leave to the
reader the fact that the multiplicationE (0 c+(E) c_(E) induces the desired
-
pairing (8.7), that this pairing satisfies the condition (8.12) etc. Note finally
that the element a = el *
...e2 is not canonically definedin c+E, but depends
e2m
on the orientation in which the frame e1,e2,...* e2m is taken. The distinction
between A+ and A- in the last analysis, therefore depends on the orientation
of E.
We turn now to the Lefschetz formula of the Dirac operator
(8.31) 6+: F(A+F) - F(&-F) .
Assume then that X admits a Spin-structure F, and let f: X > X be an
isometry. The differentialof f then induces a lifting
(8.32) df*: fF )F
and it is clear that df* lifts to a bundle isomorphism
(8.33) f: f *F - F
(qua bundles over X) if and only if df * preserves the characteristic class of
F in H'(F;Z2). There are then two possible choices of f over each component
of X and they can be distinguished by their values at a given point. In
particular, if X is 2-connected, then X has a unique Spin-structure F, and
every isometryf has precisely two liftingsf: f*F F.
A liftingf now induces liftings A+(f ): f*A+(F) A+(F) and so induces
a geometric automorphismf* of the Dirac complex

V+: IU(A+F) > (A -F).

We writeSpin(f,X) forthe corresponding
Lefschetznumber
(8.34) Spin (f, X) = trace HO(f*) - trace H'(f*) .
Concerningthis "Spin-number"
of f we now have the followingtheorem.
THEOREM8.35. Suppose thatf: X X is an isometryof the2m-dimen-
-
sional compactorientedmanifoldX, with only isolated fixed points {P}.

Suppose furtherthatX admits a Spin structureF, and thatf has a lifting
f to this Spin structure. The Spin-numberSpin (f, X) is then given by
theexpression
(8.36) Spin (f, X) = E V(P)
whereP ranges overthefixedpoints off and
(8.37) V(P) = s(P f )im2-mII cosec (Qj/2)
where 0, , Omis a coherent system of angles for dfp, and s(P, f) = +1.
PROOF. Only the formula (8.37) has to be derived from the general
multiplicity
expression
(8.38) p(P)= -trace qO - tracelP
of ? 2. Thereforelet P be a fixedpoint of f. Then Ap:FPp Fp is a well

definedmap whichcommuteswiththe rightactionof Spin (2m) on this fiber.
For any y C Fp, fp(y) is thereforeequal to some right multiple of y.
fM(y) = y x(P;
y), x(P; y) C Spin (2m)
and the conjugacy class of x(P, y) is independentof y C F,. Now just as in
the homogeneouscase (see ? 5) one concludesthat traceqP and traceq4 are
determinedby the elementx accordingto
(8.39) trace PO= traceA+x(P; y) y C Fp
(8.40) traceqp = trace &-x(P; y) y C Fp .
On the other hand ax(P, y) C SO(2m) clearly representsthe matrixof dfp
relativeto the framedeterminedby y at P. It followsthat in this frame
x(P, y) has the form +x(01/2,.., Om/2)as given by (8.18) forsomesystem
(6019 *, of coherentangles fordfp. Applying(8.30) to (8.39) and (8.40),
O9m)
the expression(8.38) goes over into
(8.41) v(P) = +im2m 1ll sin (Oj/2)/1
det (1 - dfp)I
Howeverthe denominatoris given by
(1
MJJI - eiaj)(1 - e-0j)

486 ATIYAH AND BOTT
and henceequals 22m II sin (Oj/2)}2. The resultfollows.

The sign + in the formulaforv(P) dependson P and f, as is made clear
in the notationof (8.37) whereit appears as s(P, f ). Clearly
E(P, -f) =-S(P, f)

where -f is the oppositelifting. Thus we cannotspecifythe sign in terms
off alone. What we can do howeveris to comparetwo different fixedpoints
P, Q: the product
S(P, Q;f) = S(Pf).s(Qf)
will dependonlyon f and not on the choiceof liftingf. We shall show how
to computes(P, Q;f) in the special case when f is an involutionand X is
2-connected.
Notice firstthatif P is a fixedpointof the involutionf and f' is a lifting
to the Spin-structure F, then for any y e Fp,
(8.42) fM(y) = yx(f,P)

with x(f, P) = ?a e Spin (2m). Hence
(8.43) v(P) = + im2-m 9
correspondingly.
We will call two fixedpointsP and Q, f-equivalentif they have equal
multiplicity,that is if s(P, Q;f) = 1. Then we have the followingcriterion
cencerningequivalenceof fixedpoints.
PROPOSITION8.44. Let t - s(t) be a curve in FX starting at y e Fp and
ending in FQ. Let df*: FX FX denote the map induced by the differential
and consider the curve r =- df *s. This curve then has the same endpoints
ass so that the composition r-'*s is a well defined loop c: S -F, with c(l) =
Pand c(-1) = Q. Then
P and Q are f-equivalent if and only if c = 0 in w1(F; y).
PROOF. By assumptionw0(X) = wr1(X)= 0. Hence w1(F,y) Z2. Hence
the pullbackc*F of F to S' is the non-trivialor trivialdoublecoveringof the
circle, depending on whether c is non-trivialor trivial in w1(F, y). Further-
morenote that, by construction, the compositionf oa of f withrightmulti-
plicationby a inducesan automorphism of c*F over the reflectionmap z + z
of SI = {z e C I Iz I= 1}. The resultnow followsby inspection:if c*F is the
trivialcoveringand f -a is the identityover z = 1, it will also have to be the
identityover z = -1; on the other hand,if c*F is the non-trivialcovering
et- e25 and f* a is the identity over 1 then f* a is given by 0 0-8 and so is
minusthe identityat 8 = wr/2, that is at z = -1. q.e.d.

In general,i.e., whenX can have several Spin structures,this argument

mannerto yieldthe followingcriterion.
generalizesin a straightforward
PROPOSITION8.45. Suppose f is a lifting of an involution to the Spin-
structure F and that P and Q are fixed points of f in the same component
of X. Also suppose that c is constructed as above. Then P and Q are f-
equivalent if and only if the characteristic class o)1(F) e H'(F; Z2) vanishes
on c.
We concludethis sectionwitha few furtherremarksconcerninginvolu-
tions of Spin-manifolds.These remarksare independentof our Lefschetz
theorembut theythrowsomelighton the formula(8.37) forinvolutions.
Thus let X be a Spin-manifold and let f: X X be an involutionpreserv-
-
ing the orientationand the Spin-structure, so that we get two liftings+ f to

FX. As we have out
pointed f is at most of order4. Let us call an involu-
tionof even typeiff =1 and of odd typeiff has order4 (note that this does
not dependon whichliftingwe choose). If f has no fixedpoints,so that the
orbitspace Y is a manifold,thenone sees at once that
f is of even type Y is a Spin-manifold.
Thus the antipodal map on the sphere S2'-1 is of even type if and only if the
real projectivespace P2'-' has secondStiefel-Whitney
class zero, and this is
known to be true precisely for n even. Hence S3 x S5 provides an example
of a manifoldhavinginvolutionsof both types, the anti-podalmaps on the
factors.
Suppose now that f has fixedpoints. Since f2 = 1 each connectedcom-
ponentof thefixedpointset is a submanifoldand df acts as -1 in thenormal
planes. Restrictingf to the normalsphereat a fixedpointwe thereforeget
the antipodalmap, and the typeof this restrictionis the same as the typeof
f. Fromthe resultsabout projectivespaces mentionedabove we therefore
deduce6
PROPOSITION8.46. Let X be a Spin-manifold, f: X X an involution
preserving the orientation and Spin-structure, and let Yj be the connected
components of the fixed point set of f. Then
codim Yj 0 mod 4 if f is of even type
2 mod 4 if f is of odd type .
In particular we always have
dim Yj=dim Yk mod4
6
One can of course verify (8.45) by working directly with Cliffordalgebras and spinors.
In fact this is one way to determine which projective spaces are Spin-manifolds.

488 ATIYAH AND BOTT
for any twocomponentsY1, Yk.

The finalpart of (8.46) is not true if X is nota Spin-manifold
as is shown
by the example of the complex projective plane with the involution
(x0,x1,x2)v* (- x0, xI, x2):this has a fixedpointand a fixed2-sphere.
From (8.45) we see that the existenceof an isolated fixedpointimplies
dimX = 0 mod 4 forf of even type
= 2 mod 4 forf of odd type .
Hence the numberv(P) in (8.37), forinvolutions,is real whenf has even type
and imaginary whenf has odd type. This fits in with the formula(8.36)
because Spin (f, X) is clearlyreal whenf has even type. One can also show
directlyfromthe analysis that, if m = 2 mod 4 and f has even type,then
Spin (f, X) = 0. This again fits with (8.36) because, as we have just seen,
therecannotbe any isolatedfixedpointsin this case.
9. Exotic involutions
Considerthe hypersurfaceV(a) in C' given by the equation
(9.(9.1)
1) ~~~~~Zal
I~+.+a~
+ ***+ Zar = o
Whenall the ai are greaterthan 1, V(a) has an isolatedsingularityat z = 0

whose topologicaland differentiable nature is by now well understoodfrom
several points of view thanks to the work of Brieskorn,Pham, Milnor,
Hirzebruch,and others. We willneeda fewspecialinstancesof these results,
all of whichcan be foundin [9].
Let X(a) denotethe intersectionof V(a) with theunitsphere,S21'-1 in C",
and let D2nbe the unit disk Iz ?< 1 in C". Now forte C let
(9.2) Vt(a) = {z I Zal + + zn = t}
(9.3) 2t(a) = Vt(a) nS2t-l
(9.4) Mt(a) = Vt(a) n D2 .
It is theneasy to see that, forsmall t, 1(a) is the smoothboundaryof M,(a)
and that St(a) is diffeomorphicto ?(a).
Furthermore it can be shown that, for n ? 4, X(al, ***, a") is (n - 3)-
connected while Mt(a1, ..., a") is (n - 2)-connected.
In [9] one findsa numericalalgorithmon the a, which decides whether
?(a) is a topologicalsphere.
In particularthis criterionimpliesthat X(a1,***,a.) is a topologicalS2,-3
forthe a, we are interestedin. These are of the form

(9.5) ak = (al, ..*, a2m)= (2, 2, **, 2, k), k odd .

Furthermore these X(ak) are also classified there according to diffeo-
morphismtype
(9.6) ?(ak) is the standard (4m - 3) sphere unless m is ? 3 and ki
+3 mod 8.
Our concern will be with the following involution on X = X(ak), ak as in
(9.5).
Let T: C"- Cn be definedby
(9.7) Tzj ={tzi
Clearly T preserves Y and has no fixed points there. The resulting invo-
lutions occur in the work of Bredon [8] and Hirsch-Milnor [14]. In fact for
m = 2, k = 3 one obtains precisely the exotic involution of [8].
Our aim is the following generalization of this example.
THEOREM9.8. If the actions of T on the topological spheres X = (ak)
and ? = 1(al) are isomorphic,then

(9.9) k_ +1 mod22m.
In particular the involution T acting on X(a3) = S4m3 is not isomorphic to
thestandard antipodal map wheneverm > 2.
PROOF. Clearly T preserves the set Mt(ak) and its boundary Zt(ak).
Furthermore for small t the action of T on X(ak) will be isomorphic to its
action on X(ak). Hence, if the conditions of the theoremare met, there exists
a diffeomorphism
(9.10) p: Xt(ak) -+ (al)
which commutes with the action of T. Consider now the compact manifold X
obtained from M = Mt(ak) and M' = M,(al) by gluing their boundaries to-
gether with ,
(9.11) X =MutM'.
The involution T acts naturally on X, and its fixed points will coincide
with the union of those of T I M and T I M'. For m > 2, X will furthermore
be 2-connected and so has a natural Spin structure. Let T be a lifting of T
to FX and consider the Spin number Spin (T, X). Clearly "T has period at
most 4. Hence Spin (T, X) e Z[i]. On the other hand by Theorem 8.35 we
have the relation
(9.12) Xp6(P, T)(i/2)27 = Spin (T, X)

490 ATIYAH AND BOTT
where P runs over the fixed points of T.

Now consider T IM first. Clearly the fixed points of T in M have the
form:
(0, .*, , U) with mk t.

Hence there are k of them. Note furtherthat the transformationS: CA Cn
given by
S(zF) V
~~zn e~ Ii j
maps M into itself, commutes with T, and cyclically permutes the fixedpoints
of T on M. Since S has odd order k its action on M can be lifted to a trans-
formationS of order k on FM which commutes with T. This implies that, if
P is any one of the fixedpoints of T in M,
s(P, T) = s(SP, T) .
Since S permutes these fixedpoints cyclically it follows that the signs ' (P, T)
for P e M are all the same. A similar result holds for the fixed points of
T I M' and so (9.12) takes the form
*2m-i
()2m)l{+ Ic+ l = Spin (T, X) .
Since Spin (T, X) e Z[il, this implies that k _ 1 mod 22m1. q.e.d.
OXFORD UNIVERSITY
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
[1] M. ATIYAH and R. BOTT, A Lefschetz fixed point formula for elliptic differential
operators, Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. 72 (1966), 245-250.
[2] , A Lefschetz fixed point formula for elliptic complexes: I. Ann. of Math. 86
(1967), 374-407.
[3] and A. SHAPIRO, Clifford modules, Topology 3 (1964), 3-38.
[4] M. ATIYAH and G. SEGAL, The index of elliptic operators: II, Ann. of Math. 87 (1968),
531-545.
[5] and I. M. SINGER, The index of elliptic operators: I, Ann. of Math. 87 (1968),
484-530.
[6] , The index of elliptic operators: III Ann. of Math. 87 (1968), 546-604.
[7] A. BOREL and A. WEIL, Representations lineaires et espaces homogenes Kahlerians
des groupes de Lie compactes, Seminaire Bourbaki, May 1954 (Expose by J.P.
Serre).
[8] G. E. BREDON, Examples of differentiable group actions, Topology 3 (1965), 115-122.
[9] E. BRIESKORN, Beispiele zur Differentialtopologie von Singularitaten. Invent. Math. 2
(1966), 1-14.
[10] P. E. CONNER and E. E. FLOYD, Maps of odd period, Ann. of Math. 84 (1966), 132-156.

[11] M. EICHLER, Eine Verallgemeinerung der Abelschen Integrate, Math. Z. 67 (1957), 267-
298.
[12] W. FRANZ, Uber die Torsion einer Uberdeckung, J. Reine Angew. Math. 173 (1935),
245-254.
[13] R. HARTSHORNE, Residues and duality, Lecture notes in Mathematics, Springer-Verlag
1966.
[14] M. W. HIRSCH and J. MILNOR, Some curious involutions of spheres, Bull. Amer. Math.
Soc. 70 (1964), 372-377.
[15] J. MILNOR, Whitehead torsion, Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. 3 (1966), 358-426.
[16] A. SELBERG, Harmonic analysis and discontinuous groups in weakly symmetric spaces
with applications to Dirichlet series, J. Indian Math. Soc. 20 (1956), 47-48.
(Received March 1, 1968)


Annals of Mathematics

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Annals of Mathematics

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Annals of Mathematics

A Lefschetz Fixed Point Formula for Elliptic Complexes: II. Applications

This content downloaded on Wed, 2 Jan 2013 02:56:01 AM

Part I of this paper described an extension of the classical Lefschetz

This content downloaded on Wed, 2 Jan 2013 02:56:01 AM

manifoldX. If E is a (smoothis always understood)vectorbundleover X,

betweentwo bundlesE and F. This symbolis constructedfromthe highest

whose coefficientsdependonly on d, s, and g. In fact, the correspondence

is linearin s and so defines,foreach cotangentvectorC E TpX, a linearfunc-

of ordersPk, subjectto theconditions

This content downloaded on Wed, 2 Jan 2013 02:56:01 AM

The condition(2.3), which is a straightforward extension of the classical

Here of course Hk(T) denotes the endomorphisminduced by T on Hk{F(E)}.

of f to E". By definitionsuch a lifting consists of a family 9q = {9k} of bundle

JT(Ek) (f *Ek) F(Ek)

This content downloaded on Wed, 2 Jan 2013 02:56:01 AM

Remarks. First of all recall that the transversality condition for f is

parametrized by P E M. Hence at fixed points f and only at these qw has a

3. The de Rham complex

The resulting complex

F(A*X): 0 -, (AO) dF(Al) d -*. * (A",) - 0

o -> X' TPX d(6) X TpX - .. 7d(a) nTX -) o

which (on complexification)combine to furnish a natural lifting, traditionally

0 C > 5(A? ) o5(Al) .. .. *(An)

This content downloaded on Wed, 2 Jan 2013 02:56:01 AM

I det (1- dfp) I

4. The complex analytic case

Suppose now that X is a complex analytic manifold. The complex co-

This content downloaded on Wed, 2 Jan 2013 02:56:01 AM

The exteriorderivatived decomposescorrespondingly

Observe now that already the operatord" acting on all of Fl(A*)is an

F(AP*X): 0 - (AP0,) 2 [(AP,') 2 F(AP'-) 0

whose cohomologyspaces are traditionallydenotedby HP q(X).

F(F(&c AO,*): 0 - F(F) ) F(F 0 A0",) , * F(F? M'0) -*0

This content downloaded on Wed, 2 Jan 2013 02:56:01 AM

(4.7) v(P) = tracec XP(d'fp) 1

This content downloaded on Wed, 2 Jan 2013 02:56:01 AM

This content downloaded on Wed, 2 Jan 2013 02:56:01 AM

vectorbundleoverX, f: X >X a holomorphicmap with simple fixedpoints

(4.14) 1 - trace H01(f) Jf(P=p f'(P)

Remarks. In this low dimensional case it is not difficultto extend (4.14)

(4.16) 1 - trace H0"(f) = .fP,) Resp du

This content downloaded on Wed, 2 Jan 2013 02:56:01 AM

a relationamongthe real parts of 1/(1- f'(z)) and the degreeoff. Indeed

Example 3. Considern polynomialsga,(z)of degree d in the n complex

This content downloaded on Wed, 2 Jan 2013 02:56:01 AM

(4.21) = ZaZ> -a(z; z0) (>O

and let f be the transformationinducedby f on the projectivespace P with

(4.22) d ,v) det ag.

5. Induced representations. The Hermann Weyl formula

This content downloaded on Wed, 2 Jan 2013 02:56:01 AM

(5.1) p,: H - Aut (F).

C*(PF): G -> Aut r(*F),

The naturalprojectionG x F - G then inducesthe vectorbundleprojection

Note. One has to use a liftingof 1g91rather than of ig to defineTg if

This content downloaded on Wed, 2 Jan 2013 02:56:01 AM

Nd4,- H . Aut (go

forthe isotropyactionof H on g/t.

Let e be a functionwhichassigns to each 2-planeek an isomorphismwith

This content downloaded on Wed, 2 Jan 2013 02:56:01 AM

(The complexstructuredeterminedby e on g/t is compatiblewith the left

bundleFp,over G/H. The followingfacts concerningthis situation(due to

This content downloaded on Wed, 2 Jan 2013 02:56:01 AM

F(AX): 0 -, (AO) dF(Al) d -. * (A",) - 0

F(F(&c AO,): 0 - F(F) ) F(F 0 A0",) , F(F? M'0) -*0

C(PF): G -> Aut r(F),