In the finite von Neumann algebra setting, we introduce the concept of a perturbation determinant associated with a pair of self-adjoint elements $H_0$ and $H$ in the algebra and relate it to the concept of the de la Harpe--Skandalis homotopy invariant determinant associated with piecewise $C^1$-paths of operators joining $H_0$ and $H$. We obtain an analog of Krein's formula that relates the perturbation determinant and the spectral shift function and, based on this relation, we derive subsequently (i) the Birman--Solomyak formula for a general non-linear perturbation, (ii) a universality of a spectral averaging, and (iii) a generalization of the Dixmier--Fuglede--Kadison differentiation formula.

Let $\mathcal H$ be a complex separable Hilbert space and ${\mathcal L}({\mathcal H})$ denote the collection of bounded linear operators on ${\mathcal H}$. In this paper, we show that for any operator $A\in{\mathcal L}({\mathcal H})$, there exists a stably finitely (SI) decomposable operator $A_\epsilon$, such that $\|A-A_{\epsilon}\|<\epsilon$ and ${\mathcal{\mathcal A}'(A_{\epsilon})}/\operatorname{rad} {{\mathcal A}'(A_{\epsilon})}$ is commutative, where $\operatorname{rad}{{\mathcal A}'(A_{\epsilon})}$ is the Jacobson radical of ${{\mathcal A}'(A_{\epsilon})}$. Moreover, we give a similarity classification of the stably finitely decomposable operators that generalizes the result on similarity classification of Cowen-Douglas operators given by C. L. Jiang.

We present a new and simple approach to the theory of multiple operator integrals that applies to unbounded operators affiliated with general \vNa s. For semifinite \vNa s we give applications to the Fr\'echet differentiation of operator functions that sharpen existing results, and establish the Birman--Solomyak representation of the spectral shift function of M.\,G.\,Krein in terms of an average of spectral measures in the type II setting. We also exhibit a surprising connection between the spectral shift function and spectral flow.

We study estimates of the type $$ \Vert \phi(D) - \phi(D_0) \Vert_{\emt} \leq C \cdot \Vert D - D_0 \Vert^{\alpha}, \quad \alpha = \frac12, 1 $$ where $\phi(t) = t(1 + t^2)^{-1/2}$, $D_0 = D_0^*$ is an unbounded linear operator affiliated with a semifinite von Neumann algebra $\calM$, $D - D_0$ is a bounded self-adjoint linear operator from $\calM$ and $(1 + D_0^2)^{-1/2} \in \emt$, where $\emt$ is a symmetric operator space associated with $\calM$. In particular, we prove that $\phi(D) - \phi(D_0)$ belongs to the non-commutative $L_p$-space for some $p \in (1,\infty)$, provided $(1 + D_0^2)^{-1/2}$ belongs to the non-commutative weak $L_r$-space for some $r \in [1,p)$. In the case $\calM = \calB (\calH)$ and $1 \leq p \leq 2$, we show that this result continues to hold under the weaker assumption $(1 + D_0^2)^{-1/2} \in \calC_p$. This may be regarded as an odd counterpart of A.~Connes' result for the case of even Fredholm modules.

An {\it odd unbounded\/} (respectively, $p$-{\it summable}) {\it Fredholm module\/} for a unital Banach $\ast$-algebra, $A$, is a pair $(H,D)$ where $A$ is represented on the Hilbert space, $H$, and $D$ is an unbounded self-adjoint operator on $H$ satisfying: \item{(1)} $(1+D^2)^{-1}$ is compact (respectively, $\Trace\bigl((1+D^2)^{-(p/2)}\bigr) <\infty$), and \item{(2)} $\{a\in A\mid [D,a]$ is bounded$\}$ is a dense $\ast-$subalgebra of $A$. If $u$ is a unitary in the dense $\ast-$subalgebra mentioned in (2) then $$ uDu^\ast=D+u[D,u^{\ast}]=D+B $$ where $B$ is a bounded self-adjoint operator. The path $$ D_t^u:=(1-t) D+tuDu^\ast=D+tB $$ is a ``continuous'' path of unbounded self-adjoint ``Fredholm'' operators. More precisely, we show that $$ F_t^u:=D_t^u \bigl(1+(D_t^u)^2\bigr)^{-{1\over 2}} $$ is a norm-continuous path of (bounded) self-adjoint Fredholm operators. The {\it spectral flow\/} of this path $\{F_t^u\}$ (or $\{ D_t^u\}$) is roughly speaking the net number of eigenvalues that pass through $0$ in the positive direction as $t$ runs from $0$ to $1$. This integer, $$ \sf(\{D_t^u\}):=\sf(\{F_t^u\}), $$ recovers the pairing of the $K$-homology class $[D]$ with the $K$-theory class [$u$]. We use I.~M.~Singer's idea (as did E.~Getzler in the $\theta$-summable case) to consider the operator $B$ as a parameter in the Banach manifold, $B_{\sa}(H)$, so that spectral flow can be exhibited as the integral of a closed $1$-form on this manifold. Now, for $B$ in our manifold, any $X\in T_B(B_{\sa}(H))$ is given by an $X$ in $B_{\sa}(H)$ as the derivative at $B$ along the curve $t\mapsto B+tX$ in the manifold. Then we show that for $m$ a sufficiently large half-integer: $$ \alpha (X)={1\over {\tilde {C}_m}}\Tr \Bigl(X\bigl(1+(D+B)^2\bigr)^{-m}\Bigr) $$ is a closed $1$-form. For any piecewise smooth path $\{D_t=D+B_t\}$ with $D_0$ and $D_1$ unitarily equivalent we show that $$ \sf(\{D_t\})={1\over {\tilde {C}_m}} \int_0^1\Tr \Bigl({d\over {dt}} (D_t)(1+D_t^2)^{-m}\Bigr)\,dt $$ the integral of the $1$-form $\alpha$. If $D_0$ and $D_1$ are not unitarily equivalent, we must add a pair of correction terms to the right-hand side. We also prove a bounded finitely summable version of the form: $$ \sf(\{F_t\})={1\over C_n}\int_0^1\Tr\Bigl({d\over dt}(F_t)(1-F_t^2)^n\Bigr)\,dt $$ for $n\geq{{p-1}\over 2}$ an integer. The unbounded case is proved by reducing to the bounded case via the map $D\mapsto F=D(1+D^2 )^{-{1\over 2}}$. We prove simultaneously a type II version of our results.