A comment on the index of the lattice Dirac operator and the Ginsparg-Wilson relation

Abstract

We pursue Ginsparg and Wilsons' block spin approach in the derivation of the Ginsparg-Wilson relation and study the correspondence of the eigenmodes of the Dirac operators in the continuum and lattice theories. After introducing a suitable cut-off in the continuum theory, we identify unphysical modes of the lattice Dirac operator which do not correspond to any physical modes of the regulated continuum Dirac operator. We also consider zero modes in the continuum and lattice theories. Our studies give a physical interpretation of the expression of the index defined on a lattice and a formal argument on the relation of the indices between the continuum and lattice theories.