Local spectral asymptotics and heat kernel bounds for Dirac and Laplace operators

In this dissertation we study non-negative self-adjoint Laplace type operators acting on smooth sections of a vector bundle. First, we assume base manifolds are compact, boundaryless, and Riemannian. We start from the Fourier integral operator representation of half-wave operators, continue with spectral zeta functions, heat and resolvent trace asymptotic expansions, and end with the quantitative Wodzicki residue method. In particular, all of the asymptotic coefficients of the microlocalized spectral counting function can be explicitly given and clearly interpreted. With the auxiliary pseudo-differential operators ranging all smooth endomorphisms of the given bundle, we obtain certain asymptotic estimates about the integral kernel of heat operators. As applications, we study spectral asymptotics of Dirac type operators such as characterizing those for which the second coefficient vanishes. Next, we assume vector bundles are trivial and base manifolds are Euclidean domains, and study non-negative self-adjoint extensions of the Laplace operator which acts component-wise on compactly supported smooth functions. Using finite propagation speed estimates for wave equations and explicit Fourier Tauberian theorems obtained by Yuri Safarov, we establish the principle of not feeling the boundary estimates for the heat kernel of these operators. In particular, the implied constants are independent of self-adjoint extensions. As a by-product, we affirmatively answer a question about upper estimate for the Neumann heat kernel. Finally, we study some specific values of the spectral zeta function of two-dimensional Dirichlet Laplacians such as spectral determinant and Casimir energy. For numerical purposes we substantially improve the short-time Dirichlet heat trace asymptotics for polygons. This could be used to measure the spectral determinant and Casimir energy of polygons whenever the first several hundred or one thousand Dirichlet eigenvalues are known with high precision by other means.