A Cheeger-Mueller theorem for symmetric bilinear torsions

Abstract

We generalize a theorem of Bismut-Zhang, which extends the Cheeger-Mueller theorem on Ray-Singer torsion and Reidemeister torsion, to the case where the flat vector bundle over a closed manifold carries a nondegenerate symmetric bilinear form. As a consequence, we prove the Burghelea-Haller conjecture which gives an analytic interpretation of the Turaev torsion. It thus also provides an analytic interpretation of (not merely the absolute value of) the Alexander polynomial in knot theory.