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34 votes
4 answers
5k views

Mathematical uses of string theory

It is widely believed that correctness of string theory as a physical theory will not be decided in the near future. Regardless whether this will turn out to be correct or not, mathematical concepts ...
29 votes
3 answers
5k views

Topologically distinct Calabi-Yau threefolds

In dimensions 1 and 2 there is only one, respectively 2, compact Kaehler manifolds with zero first Chern class, up to diffeomorphism. However, it is an open problem whether or not the number of ...
algori's user avatar
  • 23.5k
27 votes
2 answers
3k views

Are Donaldson-Thomas invariants "A-model" or "B-model" ?

Donaldson-Thomas invariants are the (virtual) Euler characteristics of moduli spaces of elements of the derived category of coherent sheaves (with some fixed Chern class, satisfying some stability ...
Vivek Shende's user avatar
  • 8,723
18 votes
1 answer
1k views

Do all $\mathcal{N}=2$ Gauge Theories "Descend" from String Theory?

I asked this on PhysicsSE, but I think it also fits here as it's related to algebro-geometric connections to string and gauge theory. I'm thinking about the beautiful story of "geometrical ...
Benighted's user avatar
  • 1,701
18 votes
0 answers
549 views

Donaldson-Thomas Theory and "Quantum Foam" for Mathematicians

Let $X$ be a smooth, projective Calabi-Yau threefold. From an algebro-geometric perspective, the Donaldson-Thomas invariants $\text{DT}_{\beta, n}(X)$ are virtual counts of ideal sheaves on $X$ with ...
Benighted's user avatar
  • 1,701
16 votes
1 answer
3k views

Donaldson-Thomas Invariants in Physics

First of all, I am sorry for there are a bunch of questions (though all related)and may not be well framed. What are the DT invariants in physics. When one is computing DT invariants for a Calabi-Yau ...
J Verma's user avatar
  • 3,218
15 votes
2 answers
2k views

Higher genus closed string B-model

The closed string A-model is mathematically described by Gromov-Witten invariants of a compact symplectic manifold $X$. The genus 0 GW invariants give the structure of quantum cohomology of $X$, which ...
Kevin H. Lin's user avatar
15 votes
0 answers
599 views

Open conjectures on the Fukaya category coming from physics

This is a slightly vague question (for which I apologize in advance): can somebody give examples to open conjectures on the behavior of the $Fuk(M,\omega)$ that come from string theory and can be ...
Nati's user avatar
  • 1,981
14 votes
2 answers
3k views

what is the stringy Kähler moduli space?

I saw the stringy moduli space mentioned in a few papers but with little no explanation. I vaguely understand it is supposed to be the moduli space of complex structures on the mirror manifold. Could ...
Yosemite Sam's user avatar
  • 1,889
14 votes
0 answers
577 views

State of the art of BPS and Donaldson-Thomas invariants for toric Calabi-Yau threefolds

I am trying to understand what has been done with regards to computing BPS invariants and Donaldson-Thomas type invariants of Calabi-Yau threefolds. To make the question more focused, let's say that I ...
Jon Paprocki's user avatar
11 votes
3 answers
1k views

In Gromov-Witten theory, why is the string coupling constant weighted by $2g-2$?

Let $X$ be a Calabi-Yau threefold and let us fix a homology class $\beta\in H_2(X,\mathbb Z)$, just for simplicity. The generating series of Gromov-Witten invariants of $X$ in class $\beta$, $$\mathsf ...
Brenin's user avatar
  • 1,534
11 votes
1 answer
2k views

Vafa-Witten invariants for mathematicians

As Richard Thomas has written (we paraphrase just slightly), mathematical physicists Vafa and Witten introduced new "invariants" of four-dimensional spaces in a paper: A Strong Coupling Test of S-...
wonderich's user avatar
  • 10.5k
11 votes
1 answer
822 views

Large Complex Structure Limit of Calabi-Yau family and uniqueness of limit

Let $\mathcal X$ be a smooth complex manifold of dimension $n+1$. We say $\mathcal X \to ∆$ is a large complex structure limit if and only if it’s maximal unipotent degeneration . $T: H^n(\mathcal ...
user avatar
11 votes
0 answers
600 views

The Grassmannian Gr(2,8) and an E7 surprise

Are there any mathematical explanations for the following surprising facts? $$\int_{Gr(2,8)} c_{\text{top}}(TX(-2)) = 6556 = \frac{1}{2} \deg(E_7/P(\alpha_7)) + 1,$$ and $$\int_{Gr(2,6)} c_{\text{top}}...
Richard Eager's user avatar
10 votes
6 answers
3k views

What is a branched Riemann surface with cuts?

Edit: Let me restate the main claim being made in these two papers, Consider the "branched" Riemann surface which has "n" sheets stuck along the intervals, $[z_i, z_{i+1}]$ for $i=1,..,2N$ then it is ...
user6818's user avatar
  • 1,893
10 votes
2 answers
2k views

Gromov-Witten and integrability.

The generation function of the Gromow-Witten invariants (with descendants) of the point is known to be Kontsevich-Witten tau-function of KdV, partition functions of $P^1$ and equivariant $P^1$ are ...
Sasha's user avatar
  • 1,343
10 votes
1 answer
1k views

Instanton Moduli Space on ALE Spaces

I asked this on MathStackExchange and was instructed it would be better here. I've recently been learning about moduli spaces of instantons on $\mathbb{C}^{2}=\mathbb{R}^{4}$. From what I can gather,...
Benighted's user avatar
  • 1,701
8 votes
1 answer
596 views

Cartographic group and flat stringy connection

There's a literature about dessins d'enfants (including my previous question here), and one amazing thing about them is that absolute Galois group Gal Q acts on ...
Ilya Nikokoshev's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
842 views

Virasoro constraints for the generating function of Hurwitz numbers.

Generating function of the simple Hurwitz numbers is known to be connected with Gromov-Witten potential of the point (Kontsevich $\tau$-function) (see e.g. Ian Goulden, David Jackson and Ravi Vakil). ...
Sasha's user avatar
  • 1,343
8 votes
1 answer
566 views

Multiple Hodge integrals and integrability

It is known that a generating function of the linear Hodge integrals is a tau function of the KP hierarchy, namely a one-parameter deformation of the Kontsevich-Witten tau-function (see Kazarian). ...
Sasha's user avatar
  • 1,343
8 votes
1 answer
805 views

How to construct the mirror partner of a blowup?

Question: Let's assume we have a pair $(X,\check{X})$ that are mirror dual to each other in the sense of Homological mirror symmetry (EDIT: this does not have to be CY n-folds, but can also be a Fano ...
Nati's user avatar
  • 1,981
8 votes
0 answers
1k views

triangulated/derived categories in Physics and algebraic geometry

Why do physicists care about the triangulated/derived categories? I mean what are the problems we want to approach using the machinery of triangulated/derived categories. e.g. in homological mirror ...
7 votes
1 answer
853 views

Why is the inertia stack of a smooth Deligne-Mumford stacks called inertia?

Let $\mathcal{X}$ be a smooth Deligne-Mumford stack. Then there is an associated stack $I\mathcal{X}$, called the inertia stack of $\mathcal{X}$. Why is the inertia stack called "inertia"? We can ...
Yuhang Chen's user avatar
  • 1,159
7 votes
1 answer
431 views

Incorporating Divisors (D4-branes) into Donaldson-Thomas Theory?

Let $X$ be a Calabi-Yau threefold. Ordinary Donaldson-Thomas theory is formulated as a virtual count of ideal sheaves $\mathcal{I}$ with discrete invariants $\text{ch}(\mathcal{I}) = (1,0, -\beta, -n)...
Benighted's user avatar
  • 1,701
7 votes
0 answers
401 views

Integrality of the mirror map -- non-GKZ examples? Counterexamples?

The mirror map in mirror symmetry is the change-of-variables between the natural coordinatizations on the two mirror sides and is typically a highly-complicated transcendental function (indeed, should ...
Arnav Tripathy's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
225 views

Relation between Donaldson invariants and GW invariants

What is known about the relation of Donaldson invariants on a complex surface $\Sigma$ and GW invariants (or equivalent) of local Calabi-Yau 3folds such as the canonical bundle of $\Sigma$? (if any of ...
Gorbz's user avatar
  • 661
7 votes
0 answers
535 views

Physicists Euler number conjecture

Physicist's Euler number conjecture says: If $G \subset SL(n,\mathbb{C})$ is a finite group, $X=\mathbb{C}^n/G$ is the quotient space and $f:Y \rightarrow X$ a crepant resolution (always exists for $...
Mohammad Farajzadeh-Tehrani's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
577 views

Gromov-Witten and integrability 2.

This is a followup of my previous question Gromov-Witten and integrability. As I have learned from the answer (but guessed before), GW potentials of the point and $P^1$ (with different modifications) ...
Sasha's user avatar
  • 1,343
6 votes
1 answer
726 views

Degree-3 curves on the Calabi–Yau quintic

Robbert Dijkgraaf said,1 concerning the simplest Calabi–Yau space, the quintic: "A classical result from the 19th century states that the number of lines — degree-one curves — is equal to 2,875. ...
Joseph O'Rourke's user avatar
6 votes
0 answers
392 views

Mathematics of $\mathcal{N}=2$ Gauge Theory and Instantons

Someone may suggest I post this on PhysicsSE, but I would prefer to not have a physicist answer in jargon I cannot understand. In fact, the reason I'm asking this is that I'm sort of drowning in the ...
Benighted's user avatar
  • 1,701
4 votes
2 answers
268 views

Spectral Flow Invariance for Calabi-Yau Sigma Models

I am a mathematician who has become interested in some of the mathematics of string theory, of which I am largely ignorant, so please excuse any idiocies in what follows. If $X$ is a Calabi-Yau $d$-...
user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
211 views

Bridgeland stability for restricted Kahler moduli?

Let $X$ be a simply-connected, smooth, projective Calabi-Yau threefold. To my understanding, Bridgeland introduced stability conditions on triangulated categories to give a proper mathematical ...
Benighted's user avatar
  • 1,701
3 votes
0 answers
343 views

Localization of the pushforward in equivariant cohomology

I am reading Nekrasov's paper and in page 2 he considers the $G \times T^2$ equivariant cohomology of the (compactified) moduli space $\tilde{M_k}$ of $U(N)$ instantons on $\mathbb{C}^2$. Here $G$ ...
Marion's user avatar
  • 587
2 votes
0 answers
143 views

Enumerative geometry and restricted plane partitions

Donaldson-Thomas theory is an enumerative theory for virtual counts of ideal sheaves (with trivial determinant) of the structural sheaf $\mathcal{O}_{X}$ of some smooth projective manifold $X$. There ...
Ramiro Hum-Sah's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
157 views

Holomorphic anomaly at genus 1

For computing instantons contributions from worldsheet torus to target torus, one can evaluate zero modes contribution of genus 1 partition function given by following expression: $$Tr(-1)^FF_LF_Rq^{...
user44895's user avatar
  • 121
2 votes
0 answers
174 views

Perverse sheaves and maximal genus Gopakumar-Vafa invariants

Let $f: X \to Y$ be a proper morphism between complex varieties (the varieties as well as the map may be non-smooth) and let $\phi \in \text{Perv}(X)$ be a perverse sheaf on $X$. Given this data, it ...
Benighted's user avatar
  • 1,701
2 votes
0 answers
105 views

Possible Context for this "Siegel-like" Modular Form Construction?

The following construction of something very nearly a Siegel modular form of degree 2 arose in my research. I'm outside the worlds of automorphic forms and number theory, so I'm wondering if it ...
Benighted's user avatar
  • 1,701
2 votes
0 answers
349 views

SYZ conjecture for varieties of general type or Fano

Let $X$ and $Y$ are Calabi-Yau varieties and mirror to each other. Then from HMS the Fukaya Floer category of Lagrangian intersections in $X$, is equivalent to bounded derived category of coherent ...
user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
197 views

computation with Hilbert scheme of $n$ points on $\mathbb C^2$ [closed]

How can we show that $$\sum_{n = 0}^\infty q^n \operatorname{char}_T S^n(\mathbb C[x,y])= \prod_{p_1,p_2\geq 0}\frac{1}{1-t_1^{p_1}t_2^{p_2}q}$$ where $\operatorname{char}_T V$ denotes the character ...
jj_p's user avatar
  • 533
1 vote
3 answers
2k views

Computing chern classes for products of varieties

I'm currently facing the problem of computing chern classes for Varieties. More precisely the product of such varieties. Let $C_i$ be a variety in $\mathbb{CP}^2$ given by the Weierstraß $\wp$-map. I ...
Michael Kissner's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
184 views

Divisor cohomology through spectral sequences

I don't know if it belongs here but anyway, I need to compute arithmetic genus of divisors pulled back from a Fano base space to a bundle (which may or mayn't be trivial) defined through the ...
user333644's user avatar