The Dirac operator on hypersurfaces

Abstract

Odd-dimensional Riemannian spaces that are non-orientable, but have a pin structure, require the consideration of the twisted adjoint representation of the corresponding pin group. It is shown here how the Dirac operator should be modified, also on even-dimensional spaces, to make it equivariant with respect to the action of that group when the twisted adjoint representation is used in the definition of the pin structure. An explicit description of a pin structure on a hypersurface, defined by its immersion in a Euclidean space, is used to derive a "Schroedinger" transform of the Dirac operator in that case. This is then applied to obtain - in a simple manner - the spectrum and eigenfunctions of the Dirac operator on spheres and real projective spaces.