Twisted index theory on good orbifolds, I: noncommutative Bloch theory

Abstract

We study the twisted index theory of elliptic operators on orbifold covering spaces of compact good orbifolds, which are invariant under a projective action of the orbifold fundamental group. We apply these results to obtain qualitative results on real and complex hyperbolic spaces in two and four dimensions, related to generalizations of the Bethe–Sommerfeld conjecture and the Ten Martini Problem, on the spectrum of self adjoint elliptic operators which are invariant under a projective action of a discrete cocompact group.