Topological Levinson’s theorem in presence of embedded thresholds and discontinuities of the scattering matrix: A quasi-1D example.

A family of quasi-1D Schrödinger operators is investigated through scattering theory. The continuous spectrum of these operators exhibits changes of multiplicity, and some of these operators possess resonances at thresholds. It is shown that the corresponding wave operators belong to an explicitly constructed C∗-algebra. The quotient of this algebra by the ideal of compact operators is studied, and an index theorem is deduced from these investigations. This result corresponds to a topological version of Levinson’s theorem in the presence of embedded thresholds, resonances, and changes of multiplicity of the scattering matrices. In the last two sections of the paper, the K-theory of the main C∗-algebra and the dependence on an external parameter are carefully analyzed. In particular, a surface of resonances is exhibited, probably for the first time. The contents of these two sections are of independent interest, and the main result does not depend on them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]