  A formula for the first Chern class of the Verlinde bundle over the moduli
space of smooth genus g curves is given. A finite-dimensional argument is
presented in rank 2 using geometric symmetries obtained from strange duality,
relative Serre duality, and Wirtinger duality together with the projective
flatness of the Hitchin connection. A derivation using conformal-block methods
is presented in higher rank. An expression for the first Chern class over the
compact moduli space of curves is obtained.
