Maslov index in the infinite dimension and a splitting formula for a spectral flow

Abstract

First, we prove a local spectral flow formula (Theorem 3.7) for a differentiable curve of selfadjoint Fredholm operators. This formula enables us to prove in a simple way a general spectral flow formula. Secondly, we prove a splitting formula (Theorem 4.12) for the spectral flow of a curve of selfadjoint elliptic operators on a closed manifold, which we decompose into two parts with commom boundary. Then the formula says that the spectral flow is a sum of two spectral flows on each part of the separated manifold with naturally introduced elliptic boundary conditions. In the course of proving this formula, we investigate a property of the Maslov index for paths of Fredholm pairs of Lagrangian subspaces