From the global signature to higher signatures

Abstract: Let $X$ be an algebraic variety over the field of real numbers $\mathbb{R}$. We use the signature of a quadratic form to produce "higher" global signatures relating the derived Witt groups of $X$ to the singular cohomology of the real points $X(\mathbb{R})$ with integer coefficients. We also study the global signature ring homomorphism and use the powers of the fundamental ideal in the Witt ring to prove an integral version of a theorem of Raman Parimala and Jean Colliot-Thelene on the mod 2 signature. Furthermore, we obtain an Atiyah-Hirzebruch spectral sequence for the derived Witt groups of $X$ with 2 inverted. Using this spectral sequence, we provide a bound on the ranks of the derived Witt groups of $X$ in terms of the Betti numbers of $X(\mathbb{R})$. We apply our results to answer a question of Max Karoubi on boundedness of torsion in the Witt group of $X$. Throughout the article, the results are proved for a wide class of schemes over an arbitrary base field of characteristic different from 2 using real cohomology in place of singular cohomology.