The index of geometric operators on Lie groupoids

Abstract

We revisit the cohomological index theorem for elliptic elements in the universal enveloping algebra of a Lie groupoid previously proved by the authors. We prove a Thom isomorphism for Lie algebroids which enables us to rewrite the "topological side" of the index theorem. This results in index formulae for Lie groupoid analogues of the familiar geometric operators on manifolds such as the signature and Dirac operator expressed in terms of the usual characteristic classes in Lie algebroid cohomology.