We show that for a smooth, projective variety X defined over a number field K, cyclic homology with coefficients in the ring , provides the right theory to obtain, using λ-operations, Serre's archimedean local factors of the complex L-function of X as regularized determinants.

We decompose θ(M), the twisted index obstruction to a positive scalar curvature metric for closed oriented manifolds with spin universal cover, into a pairing of a twisted K-homology with a twisted K-theory class and prove that θ(M) does not vanish if M is a closed orientable enlargeable manifold with spin universal cover.

In this paper, we establish an infinitesimal equivariant index formula in the noncommutative geometry framework using Greiner's approach to heat kernel asymptotics. An infinitesimal equivariant index formula for odd dimensional manifolds is also given. We define infinitesimal equivariant eta cochains, prove their regularity and give an explicit formula for them. We also establish an infinitesimal equivariant family index formula and introduce the infinitesimal equivariant eta forms as well as compare them with the equivariant eta forms.

For any perfect field k a triangulated category of K-motives is constructed in the style of Voevodsky's construction of the category . To each smooth k-variety X the K-motive is associated in the category and

where pt = Spec(k) and K(X) is Quillen's K-theory of X.

Calmès and Fasel have shown that the twisted Witt groups of split flag varieties vanish in a large number of cases. For flag varieties over algebraically closed fields, we sharpen their result to an if-and-only-if statement. In particular, we show that the twisted Witt groups vanish in many previously unknown cases. In the non-zero cases, we find that the twisted total Witt group forms a free module of rank one over the untwisted total Witt group, up to a difference in grading.

Our proof relies on an identification of the Witt groups of flag varieties with the Tate cohomology groups of their K-groups, whereby the verification of all assertions is eventually reduced to the computation of the (twisted) Tate cohomology of the representation ring of a parabolic subgroup.

We prove twisted homological stability with polynomial coefficients for automorphism groups of free nilpotent groups of any given class. These groups interpolate between two extremes for which homological stability was known before, the general linear groups over the integers and the automorphism groups of free groups. The proof presented here uses a general result that applies to arbitrary extensions of groups, and that has other applications as well.