Let V be a convex vector bundle over a smooth projective manifold X, and let Y be the subset of X which is the zero locus of a regular section of V. This mostly expository paper discusses a conjecture which relates the virtual fundamental classes of X and Y. Using an argument due to Gathmann, we prove a special case of the conjecture. The paper concludes with a discussion of how our conjecture relates to the mirror theorems in the literature.
Let $Y$ be the zero loci of a regular section of a convex vector bundle $E$ over $X$. We provide a new proof of a conjecture of Cox, Katz and Lee for the virtual class of the genus zero moduli of stable maps to $Y$. This in turn yields the expected relationship between Gromov-Witten theories of $Y$ and $X$ which together with Mirror Theorems allows for the calculation of enumerative invariants of $Y$ inside of $X$.
We give two formulas for the Chern-Schwartz-MacPherson class of symmetric and skew-symmetric degeneracy loci. We apply them in enumerative geometry, explore their algebraic combinatorics, and discuss K theory generalizations.
An MBM locus on a hyperkahler manifold is the union of all deformations of a minimal rational curve with negative self-intersection. MBM loci can be equivalently defined as centers of bimeromorphic contractions. It was shown that the MBM loci on deformation equivalent hyperkahler manifolds are diffeomorphic. We determine the MBM loci on a hyperkahler manifold of K3-type of low dimension using a deformation to a Hilbert scheme of a non-algebraic K3 surface.
We combine Deligne's global invariant cycle theorem, and the algebraicity theorem of Cattani, Deligne and Kaplan, for the connected components of the locus of Hodge classes, to conclude that under simple assumptions these components are defined over number fields (assuming the initial family is), as expected from the Hodge conjecture. We also show that the Hodge conjecture for (weakly) absolute Hodge classes reduces to the Hodge conjecture for (weakly) absolute Hodge classes on varieties defined over number fields.
We determine the cycle classes of effective divisors in the compactified Hurwitz spaces of curves of genus g with a linear system of degree d that extend the Maroni divisors on the open Hurwitz space. Our approach uses Chern classes associated to a global-to-local evaluation map of a vector bundle over a generic $P^1$-bundle over the Hurwitz space.
We express nested Hilbert schemes of points and curves on a smooth projective surface as "virtual resolutions" of degeneracy loci of maps of vector bundles on smooth ambient spaces. We show how to modify the resulting obstruction theories to produce the virtual cycles of Vafa-Witten theory and other sheaf-counting problems. The result is an effective way of calculating invariants (VW, SW, local PT and local DT) via Thom-Porteous-like Chern class formulae.
The Maroni stratification on the Hurwitz space of degree $d$ covers of genus $g$ has a stratum that is a divisor only if $d-1$ divides $g$. Here we construct a stratification on the Hurwitz space that is analogous to the Maroni stratification, but has a divisor for all pairs $(d,g)$ with $d \leq g$ with a few exceptions and we calculate the divisor class of an extension of these divisors to the compactified Hurwitz space.
Given a vector bundle on a $\mathbb{P}^1$ bundle, the base is stratified by degeneracy loci measuring the spitting type of the vector bundle restricted to each fiber. The classes of these degeneracy loci in the Chow ring or cohomology ring of the base are natural invariants characterizing the degenerations of the vector bundle. When these degeneracy loci occur in the expected codimension, we find their classes. This yields universal formulas for degeneracy classes in terms of naturally arising vector bundles on the base. Our results hold over arbitrary fields of any characteristic.
Given a map of vector bundles on a smooth variety, consider the deepest degeneracy locus where its rank is smallest. We show it carries a natural perfect obstruction theory whose virtual cycle can be calculated by the Thom-Porteous formula. We show nested Hilbert schemes of points on surfaces can be expressed as degeneracy loci. We show how to modify the resulting obstruction theories to recover the virtual cycles of Vafa-Witten and reduced local DT theories. The result computes some Vafa-Witten invariants in terms of Carlsson-Okounkov operators. This proves and extends a conjecture of Gholamp…
Motivic Chern and Hirzebruch classes are polynomials with K-theory and homology classes as coefficients, which specialize to Chern-Schwartz-MacPherson classes, K-theory classes, and Cappell-Shaneson L-classes. We provide formulas to compute the motivic Chern and Hirzebruch classes of Grassmannian and vexillary degeneracy loci. We apply our results to obtain the Hirzebruch $χ_y$-genus of classical and one-pointed Brill-Noether varieties, and therefore their topological Euler characteristic, holomorphic Euler characteristic, and signature.
For a finite group $G$, let $\H_{g,G,ξ}$ be the stack of admissible $G$-covers $C\to D$ of stable curves with ramification data $ξ$, $g(C)=g$ and $g(D)=g'$. There are source and target morphisms $ϕ\colon \H_{g,G,ξ}\to \M_{g,r}$ and $δ\colon \H_{g,G,ξ}\to \M_{g',b}$, remembering the curves $C$ and $D$ together with the ramification or branch points of the cover respectively. In this paper we study admissible cover cycles, i.e. cycles of the form $ϕ_* [\H_{g,G,ξ}]$. Examples include the fundamental classes of the loci of hyperelliptic or bielliptic curves $C$ with marked ramification points. The…
The Chern-Schwartz-MacPherson class (CSM) and the Segre-Schwartz-MacPherson class (SSM) are deformations of the fundamental class of an algebraic variety. They encode finer enumerative invariants of the variety than its fundamental class. In this paper we offer three contributions to the theory of equivariant CSM/SSM classes. First, we prove an interpolation characterization for CSM classes of certain representations. This method---inspired by recent works of Maulik-Okounkov and Gorbounov-Rimanyi-Tarasov-Varchenko---does not require a resolution of singularities and often produces explicit (no…
In this paper, we prove determinant formulas for the $K$-theory classes of the structure sheaves of degeneracy loci classes associated to vexillary permutations in type $A$. As a consequence we obtain determinant formulas for Lascoux-Schützenberger's double Grothendieck polynomials associated to vexillary permutations. Furthermore, we generalize the determinant formula to algebraic cobordism.
The locus of genus-two curves with n marked Weierstrass points has codimension n inside the moduli space of genus-two curves with n marked points, for n<=6. It is well known that the class of the closure of the divisor obtained for n=1 spans an extremal ray of the cone of effective divisor classes. We generalize this result for all n: we show that the class of the closure of the locus of genus-two curves with n marked Weierstrass points spans an extremal ray of the cone of effective classes of codimension n, for n<=6. A related construction produces extremal nef curve classes in moduli spaces …
We generalize Grothendieck's residues $Res\fracψ{s}$ to virtual cases, namely cases when the zero loci of the section $s$ has dimension larger than the expected dimension(zero). We also provide an exponential type integral formalism for the virtual residue, which can be viewed as an analogue of the Mathai-Quillen formalism for localized Euler classes.
We study the rational Picard group of the projectivized moduli space of holomorphic n-differentials on complex genus g stable curves. We define (n - 1) natural classes in this Picard group that we call Prym-Tyurin classes. We express these classes as linear combinations of boundary divisors and the divisor of n-differentials with a double zero. We give two different proofs of this result, using two alternative approaches: an analytic approach that involves the Bergman tau function and its vanishing divisor and an algebro-geometric approach that involves cohomological computations on the univer…
Using raising operators and geometric arguments, we establish formulas for the K-theory classes of degeneracy loci in classical types. We also find new determinantal and Pfaffian expressions for classical cases considered by Giambelli: the loci where a generic matrix drops rank, and where a generic symmetric or skew-symmetric matrix drops rank. In an appendix, we construct a K-theoretic Euler class for even-rank vector bundles with quadratic form, refining the Chow-theoretic class introduced by Edidin and Graham. We also establish a relation between top Chern classes of maximal isotropic subbu…
Two decades ago, as part of their work of generic vanishing theorems, Green-Lazarsfeld showed that over a compact Kahler manifold $X$, the cohomology jump loci in the $Pic^τ(X)$ are all translates of subtori. In this paper, we generalize this result to higher dimensional vector bundles. It is showed by Nadel that locally the moduli space of vector bundles with vanishing chern classes is canonically isomorphic to a quadratic cone in the Zariski tangent space of a point. We prove that under the isomorphism, the cohomology jump loci are defined by linear equations.
Let $C$ be a smooth projective complex curve of genus $g \geq 2$. We investigate the Brill-Noether locus consisting of stable bundles of rank 2 and determinant $L$ of odd degree $d$ having at least $k$ independent sections. This locus possesses a virtual fundamental class. We show that in many cases this class is non-zero, which implies that the Brill-Noether locus is non-empty. For many values of $d$ and $k$ the result is best possible. We obtain more precise results for $k\le5$. An appendix contains the proof of a combinatorial lemma which we need.
We prove a determinantal formula and Pfaffian formulas that respectively describe the $K$-theoretic degeneracy loci classes for Grassmann bundles and for symplectic Grassmann and odd orthogonal bundles. The former generalizes Damon--Kempf--Laksov's determinantal formula and the latter generalize Pragacz--Kazarian's formula for the Chow ring. As an application, we introduce the factorial $GΘ/ GΘ'$-functions representing the torus equivariant $K$-theoretic Schubert classes of the symplectic and the odd orthogonal Grassmannians, which generalize the (double) theta polynomials of Buch--Kresch--Tam…
Let C be a smooth projective curve over the field of the complex numbers. We consider Brill-Noether loci over the moduli of maps from C to the Grassmannian G(m,n) and the corresponding Quot schemes of quotients of a trivial vector bundle on C compactifying the spaces of morphisms. We study in detail the case in which m=2, n=4. We prove results on the irreducibility and dimension of these Brill-Noether loci and we address explicit formulas for their cohomology classes. We study the existence problem of these spaces which is closely related with the problem of classification of vector bundles ov…
We define degeneracy loci for vector bundles with structure group $G_2$, and give formulas for their cohomology (or Chow) classes in terms of the Chern classes of the bundles involved. When the base is a point, such formulas are part of the theory for rational homogeneous spaces developed by Bernstein-Gelfand-Gelfand and Demazure. This has been extended to the setting of general algebraic geometry by Giambelli-Thom-Porteous, Kempf-Laksov, and Fulton in classical types; the present work carries out the analogous program in type $G_2$. We include explicit descriptions of the $G_2$ flag variety a…
We compute the Euler characteristic of the structure sheaf of the Brill-Noether locus of linear series with special vanishing at up to two marked points. When the Brill-Noether number $ρ$ is zero, we recover the Castelnuovo formula for the number of special linear series on a general curve; when $ρ=1$, we recover the formulas of Eisenbud-Harris, Pirola, and Chan-Martín-Pflueger-Teixidor for the arithmetic genus of a Brill-Noether curve of special divisors. These computations are obtained as applications of a new determinantal formula for the K-theory class of certain degeneracy loci. Our degen…
We study the geometry of exceptional loci of birational contractions of hyper-Kähler fourfolds that are of K3$^{[2]}$-type. These loci are conic bundles over K3 surfaces and we determine their classes in the Brauer group. For this we use the results on twisted sheaves on K3 surfaces, on contractions and on the corresponding Heegner divisors. For a general K3 surface of fixed degree there are three (T-equivalence) classes of order two Brauer group elements. The elements in exactly two of these classes are represented by conic bundles on such fourfolds. We also discuss various examples of such c…
We define two tau functions, $τ$ and $\hatτ$ , on moduli spaces of spectral covers of $GL(n)$ Hitchin's systems. Analyzing the properties of $τ$, we express the divisor class of the universal Hitchin's discriminant in terms of standard generators of the rational Picard group of the moduli spaces of spectral covers with variable base. The function $\hatτ$ is used to compute the divisor of canonical 1-forms with multiple zeros.
We use equivariant localization and divided difference operators to determine formulas for the torus-equivariant fundamental cohomology classes of $K$-orbit closures on the flag variety $G/B$, where $G = GL(n,\C)$, and where $K$ is one of the symmetric subgroups $O(n,\C)$ or $Sp(n,\C)$. We realize these orbit closures as universal degeneracy loci for a vector bundle over a variety equipped with a single flag of subbundles and a nondegenerate symmetric or skew-symmetric bilinear form taking values in the trivial bundle. We describe how our equivariant formulas can be interpreted as giving formu…
We show that an irreducible component of the Hodge locus of a polarizable variation of Hodge structure of weight 0 on a smooth complex variety X is defined over an algebraically closed subfield k of finite transcendence degree if X is defined over k and the component contains a k-rational point. We also prove a similar assertion for the Hodge locus inside the Hodge bundle if the Hodge bundle together with the connection is defined over k. This is closely related with the theory of absolute Hodge classes. The proof uses the spread of the Hodge locus, and is quite similar to the case of the zero…
We give explicit formulas for torus-equivariant fundamental classes of closed $K$-orbits on the flag variety $G/B$ when $G$ is one of the classical groups $SL(n,\C)$, $SO(n,\C)$, or $Sp(2n,\C)$, and $K$ is a symmetric subgroup of $G$. We describe parametrizations of each orbit set and the combinatorics of its weak order, allowing us to compute formulas for the equivariant classes of all remaining orbit closures using divided difference operators. In each of the cases in type A, we realize the $K$-orbit closures as universal degeneracy loci of a certain type, involving a vector bundle $V$ over …
Let $X\subset \mathbb P^N$ be a scroll over a smooth curve $C$ and let $Ł=\mathcal O_{\mathbb P^N}(1)|_X$ denote the hyperplane bundle. The special geometry of $X$ implies that some sheaves related to the principal part bundles of $Ł$ are locally free. The inflectional loci of $X$ can be expressed in terms of these sheaves, leading to explicit formulas for the cohomology classes of the loci. The formulas imply that the only uninflected scrolls are the balanced rational normal scrolls.
This note is intended to be a friendly introduction to virtual classes. We review virtual classes and we give a number of properties and applications. We also include a new virtual push-forward theorem and many computations of virtual classes in simple examples.
We prove that the pullbacks of the virtual fundamental classes of the Brill-Noether loci under any Abel-Jacobi section lie in the tautological ring of the moduli space of stable curves. This resolves a conjecture of Pagani, Ricolfi and van Zelm, and is part of a broader program to understand the logarithmic intersection theory of $\Mgn$.
Let V be a vector bundle on a scheme X endowed with a nondegenerate symplectic or orthogonal form. Let G be a Grassmannian bundle parametrizing maximal isotropic subbundles of V. The main goal of the paper is to give formulas for the classes of the loci in G parametrizing those subbundles which intersect successive members of of a fixed flag of isotropic subbundles of V in dimensions greater than 1,2,3,... . The formulas which we give are quadratic expressions in Q-polynomials of the tautological bundle on G and flag S-polynomials of the members of the flag. These formulas globalize to Lagrang…
In this paper we express the class of the structure sheaves of the closures of Deligne--Lusztig varieties as explicit double Grothendieck polynomials in the first Chern classes of appropriate line bundles on the ambient flag variety. This is achieved by viewing such closures as degeneracy loci of morphisms of vector bundles.
In this paper, we compare the virtual fundamental classes of the stacks of $(g,β,μ)$-stable ramified maps $\bar{\mathfrak U}_{g,μ}(X,β)$ and of $(g,β,μ)$-log stable ramified maps $\bar{\mathfrak U}^{\mathrm{log}}_{g,μ}(X,β)$. For that we will see how they are identified via virtual normalization and then apply Costello's push-forward formula.
A closed formula is obtained for the integral $\int_{\mathcal{\bar{H}}_g^1}κ_{1}ψ^{2g-2}$ of tautological classes over the locus of hyperelliptic Weierstraß points in the moduli space of curves. As a corollary, a relation between Hodge integrals is obtained. The calculation utilizes the homeomorphism between the moduli space of curves $\mathcal{M}_{g,1}$ and the combinatorial moduli space $\mathcal{M}^{comb}_{g,1}$, a PL-orbifold whose cells are enumerated by fatgraphs. This cell decomposition can be used to naturally construct combinatorial PL-cycles $W_a\subset\mathcal{M}^{comb}_{g,1}$ whose…
We use equivariant localization and divided difference operators to determine formulas for the torus-equivariant fundamental cohomology classes of $K$-orbit closures on the flag variety $G/B$ for various symmetric pairs $(G,K)$. In type $A$, we realize the closures of $K=GL(p,\C) \times GL(q,\C)$-orbits on $GL(p+q,\C)/B$ as universal degeneracy loci for a vector bundle over a variety which is equipped with a single flag of subbundles and which splits as a direct sum of subbundles of ranks $p$ and $q$. The precise description of such a degeneracy locus relies upon knowing a set-theoretic descri…
Some divisor class relations are proved and used to compute the Cartier divisor class of the virtual canonical bundle for genus 0 maps to a smooth target.
We give a new definition of an obstruction theory for infinitesimal deformation theory and relate it to earlier definitions of Artin, Fantechi-Manetti, Li-Tian, and Behrend-Fantechi.
We propose a theory of double Schubert polynomials P_w(X,Y) for the Lie types B, C, D which naturally extends the family of Lascoux of Schutzenberger in type A. These polynomials satisfy positivity, orthogonality, and stability properties, and represent the classes of Schubert varieties and degeneracy loci of vector bundles. When w is a maximal Grassmannian element of the Weyl group, P_w(X,Y) can be expressed in terms of Schur-type determinants and Pfaffians, in analogy with the type A formula of Kempf and Laksov. An example, motivated by quantum cohomology, shows that there are no Chern class…
We survey the cohomology jumping loci and the Alexander-type invariants associated to a space, or to its fundamental group. Though most of the material is expository, we provide new examples and applications, which in turn raise several questions and conjectures. The jump loci of a space X come in two basic flavors: the characteristic varieties, or, the support loci for homology with coefficients in rank 1 local systems, and the resonance varieties, or, the support loci for the homology of the cochain complexes arising from multiplication by degree 1 classes in the cohomology ring of X. The ge…
We show that a perfect obstruction theory for a $\mathbb{G}_\text{m}$-gerbe determines a semi-perfect obstruction theory for its base, which is perfect if the gerbe is quasi-compact and affine-pointed. These results streamline the construction of a semi-perfect obstruction theory for the base, and allow us to relate virtual classes of the gerbe and its base.
This paper, first written in 1997, aims at a simplified and more elementary construction of algebraic-geometric virtual fundamental classes as defined by Li/Tian and Behrend/Fantechi. We replace the use of Artin stacks in the latter approach by a yoga of cone bundles of possible independent interest. We also observe a formula for virtual fundamental classes involving only the total Chern class of the index bundle and Fulton's canonical class of the moduli space.
