An approach to anomalies in M-theory via KSpin

Understand

The M-theory fieldstrength and its dual, given by the integral lift of the left hand side of the equation of motion, both satisfy certain cohomological properties.

• We study the combined fields and observe that the multiplicative structure on the product of the corresponding degree four and degree eight cohomology fits into that given by Spin K-theory.
• This explains some earlier results and leads naturally to the use of Spin characteristic classes.
• We reinterpret the one-loop term in terms of such classes and we show that it is homotopy invariant.