$S_n$-equivariant $L$-classes of Cartesian powers of Witt spaces and the Hodge index conjecture for symmetric products

Abstract

For a compact oriented even-dimensional Witt pseudomanifold $X$, we compute the $S_n$-equivariant Banagl--Zagier $L$-classes of $X^n$ in terms of the Goresky--MacPherson $L$-classes of $X$ and the intersection cohomology Euler characteristic of $X$. This generalizes a theorem of Zagier for manifolds. Our approach is based on analyzing the equivariant structure of the signature operator of $X^n$ using equivariant $KK$-theory and power operations in analytic $K$-homology. We establish an analytic $K$-homology analogue of Moonen's algebraic localization theorem by proving that the localized Chern character of the $n$-th power operation, evaluated at an $n$-cycle, agrees with the $n$-th homological Adams operation applied to the Chern character. As an application, we prove that the characteristic class Hodge index conjecture for singular varieties, formulated by Brasselet--Schürmann--Yokura, is preserved under taking symmetric products of complex projective varieties.