We establish an explicit equivalence between the stationary sector of the Gromov-Witten theory of a target curve X and the enumeration of Hurwitz coverings of X in the basis of completed cycles. The stationary sector is formed, by definition, by the descendents of the point class. Completed cycles arise naturally in the theory of shifted symmetric functions. Using this equivalence, we give a complete description of the stationary Gromov-Witten theory of the projective line and elliptic curve. Toda equations for the relative stationary theory of the projective line are derived.
We give a short and direct proof of the $λ_g$-Conjecture. The approach is through the Ekedahl-Lando-Shapiro-Vainshtein theorem, which establishes the ``polynomiality'' of Hurwitz numbers, from which we pick off the lowest degree terms. The proof is independent of Gromov-Witten theory. We briefly describe the philosophy behind our general approach to intersection numbers and how it may be extended to other intersection number conjectures.
The main goal of the paper is to present a new approach via Hurwitz numbers to Kontsevich's combinatorial/matrix model for the intersection theory of the moduli space of curves. A secondary goal is to present an exposition of the circle of ideas involved: Hurwitz numbers, Gromov-Witten theory of the projective line, matrix integrals, and the theory of random trees. Further topics will be treated in a sequel.
We prove two explicit formulae for one-part double Hurwitz numbers with completed 3-cycles. We define "combinatorial Hodge integrals" from these numbers in the spirit of the celebrated ELSV formula. The obtained results imply some explicit formulae and properties of the combinatorial Hodge integrals.
In this paper, we collect a number of facts about double Hurwitz numbers, where the simple branch points are replaced by their more general analogues --- completed (r+1)-cycles. In particular, we give a geometric interpretation of these generalised Hurwitz numbers and derive a cut-and-join operator for completed (r+1)-cycles. We also prove a strong piecewise polynomiality property in the sense of Goulden-Jackson-Vakil. In addition, we propose a conjectural ELSV/GJV-type formula, that is, an expression in terms of some intrinsic combinatorial constants that might be related to the intersection …
Hurwitz numbers, which count certain covers of the projective line (or, equivalently, factorizations of permuations into transpositions), have been extensively studied for over a century. The Gromov-Witten potential F of a point, the generating series for Hodge integrals on the moduli space of curves, has been a central object of study in Gromov-Witten theory. We define a slightly enriched Gromov-Witten potential G (including integrals involving one "lambda-class"), and show that after a non-trivial change of variables, G=H in positive genus, where H is a generating series for Hurwitz numbers.…
In this ``experimental'' research, we use known topological recursion relations in genera-zero, -one, and -two to compute the n-point descendant Gromov-Witten invariants of P^1 for arbitrary degrees and low values of n. The results are consistent with the Virasoro conjecture and also lead to explicit computations of all Hodge integrals in these genera. We also derive new recursion relations for simple Hurwitz numbers similar to those of Graber and Pandharipande.
Edge-contraction operations form an effective tool in various graph enumeration problems, such as counting Grothendieck's dessins d'enfants and simple and double Hurwitz numbers. These counting problems can be solved by a mechanism known as topological recursion, which is a mirror B-model corresponding to these counting problems. We show that for the case of orbifold Hurwitz numbers, the mirror objects, i.e., the spectral curve and the differential forms on it, are constructed solely from the edge-contraction operations of the counting problem in genus $0$ and one marked point. This forms a pa…
This survey grew out of notes accompanying a cycle of lectures at the workshop Modern Trends in Gromov-Witten Theory, in Hannover. The lectures are devoted to interactions between Hurwitz theory and Gromov-Witten theory, with a particular eye to the contributions made to the understanding of the Double Ramification Cycle, a cycle in the moduli space of curves that compactifies the double Hurwitz locus. We explore the algebro-combinatorial properties of single and double Hurwitz numbers, and the connections with intersection theoretic problems on appropriate moduli spaces. We survey several res…
We use tropical and nonarchimedean geometry to study the moduli space of genus $0$ stable maps to $\mathbb{P}^1$ relative to two points. This space is exhibited as a tropical compactification in a toric variety. Moreover, the fan of this toric variety may be interpreted as a moduli space for tropical relative stable maps with the same discrete data. As a consequence, we confirm an expectation of Bertram and the first two authors, that the tropical Hurwitz cycles are tropicalizations of classical Hurwitz cycles. As a second application, we obtain a full descendant correspondence for genus $0$ r…
We define the double Gromov-Witten invariants of Hirzebruch surfaces in analogy with double Hurwitz numbers, and we prove that they satisfy a piecewise polynomiality property analogous to their 1-dimensional counterpart. Furthermore we show that each polynomial piece is either even or odd, and we compute its degree. Our methods combine floor diagrams and Ehrhart theory.
Virasoro constraints are applied to degree zero Gromov-Witten theory of weighted projective stacks $\mathbb{P}(1,N)$ and $\mathbb{P}(1,1,N)$ to obtain formulas of descendant cyclic Hurwitz-Hodge integrals in higher genera.
For any finite abelian group G, the equivariant Gromov-Witten invariants of C^r/G can be viewed as a certain kind of abelian Hurwitz-Hodge integrals. In this note, we use Tseng's orbifold quantum Riemann-Roch theorem to express this kind of abelian Hurwitz-Hodge integrals as a sum over Feynman graphs, where the weight of each graph is expressed in terms of descendant integrals over moduli spaces of stable curves and representations of G. This expression will play a crucial role in the proof of the remodeling conjecture (arXiv:0709.1453, arXiv:0807.0597) for affine toric Calabi-Yau 3-orbifolds …
We give a graph-sum algorithm that expresses any genus-$g$ Gromov-Witten invariant of the symmetric product orbifold $\mathrm{Sym}^d\mathbb{P}^r:=[(\mathbb{P}^r)^d/S_d]$ in terms of "Hurwitz-Hodge integrals" -- integrals over (compactified) Hurwitz spaces. We apply the algorithm to prove a partial mirror theorem for $\mathrm{Sym}^d\mathbb{P}^r$ in genus zero. The theorem states that a generating function of Gromov-Witten invariants of $\mathrm{Sym}^d\mathbb{P}^r$ is equal to an explicit power series $I_{\mathrm{Sym}^d\mathbb{P}^r},$ conditional upon a conjectural combinatorial identity. This i…
We study monotone and strictly monotone Hurwitz numbers from a bosonic Fock space perspective. This yields to an interpretation in terms of tropical geometry involving local multiplicities given by Gromov-Witten invariants. Furthermore, this enables us to prove that a main result of Cavalieri-Johnson-Markwig-Ranganathan is a actually a refinement of the Gromov-Witten/Hurwitz correspondence by Okounkov-Pandharipande.
Virasoro constraints for orbifold Gromov-Witten theory are described. These constraints are applied to the degree zreo, genus zero orbifold Gromov-Witten potentials of the weighted projective stacks $\mathbb{P}(1,N)$, $\mathbb{P}(1,1,N)$ and $\mathbb{P}(1,1,1,N)$ to obtain formulas of descendant cyclic Hurwitz-Hodge integrals.
In this paper, we study genus $0$ equivariant relative Gromov-Witten invariants of $\mathbb{P}^1$ whose corresponding relative stable maps are totally ramified over one point. For fixed number of marked points, we show that such invariants are piecewise polynomials in some parameter space. The parameter space can then be divided into polynomial domains, called chambers. We determine the difference of polynomials between two neighboring chambers. In some special chamber, which we called the totally negative chamber, we show that such a polynomial can be expressed in a simple way. The chamber st…
We study mirror symmetry for orbifold Hurwitz numbers. We show that the Laplace transform of orbifold Hurwitz numbers satisfy a differential recursion, which is then proved to be equivalent to the integral recursion of Eynard and Orantin with spectral curve given by the r-Lambert curve. We argue that the r-Lambert curve also arises in the infinite framing limit of orbifold Gromov-Witten theory of [C3/(Z/rZ)]. Finally, we prove that the mirror model to orbifold Hurwitz numbers admits a quantum curve.
The classical Hurwitz numbers which count coverings of a complex curve have an analog when the curve is endowed with a theta characteristic. These "spin Hurwitz numbers", recently studied by Eskin, Okounkov and Pandharipande, are interesting in their own right. By the authors' previous work, they are also related to the Gromov-Witten invariants of Kahler surfaces. We prove a recursive formula for spin Hurwitz numbers, which then gives the dimension zero GW invariants of Kahler surfaces with positive geometric genus. The proof uses a degeneration of spin curves, an invariant defined by the spec…
An algorithm to determine all the Gromov-Witten invariants of any smooth projective curve was obtained by Okounkov and Pandharipande in 2006. They identified stationary invariants with certain Hurwitz numbers and then presented Virasoro type constraints that allow to determine all the other Gromov-Witten invariants in terms of the stationary ones. In the case of an elliptic curve, we show that these Virasoro type constraints can be explicitly solved leading to a very explicit formula for the full Gromov-Witten potential in terms of the stationary invariants.
We define relative Gromov-Witten invariants of a symplectic manifold relative to a codimension two symplectic submanifold. These invariants are the key ingredients in the symplectic sum formula of [IP4]. The main step is the construction of a compact space of `V-stable' maps. Simple special cases include the Hurwitz numbers for algebraic curves and the enumerative invariants of Caporaso and Harris.
We state a version of the crepant resolution conjecture for total ancestor potentials for surface singularities, and reduce the conjecture to the quantum McKay correspondence conjecture of J.Bryan and A.Gholampour and a vanishing conjecture for Hurwitz-Hodge integrals. In particular, for singularities of type A, we prove the conjecture. We also suggest an approach towards a proof for the general cases by Teleman's reconstruction theorem for semisimple cohomological field theories.
We propose two conjectures on Huwritz numbers with completed $(r+1)$-cycles, or, equivalently, on certain relative Gromov-Witten invariants of the projective line. The conjectures are analogs of the ELSV formula and of the Bouchard-Mariño conjecture for ordinary Hurwitz numbers. Our $r$-ELSV formula is an equality between a Hurwitz number and an integral over the space of $r$-spin structures, that is, the space of stable curves with an $r$th root of the canonical bundle. Our $r$-BM conjecture is the statement that $n$-point functions for Hurwitz numbers satisfy the topological recursion associ…
We compute the relative orbifold Gromov-Witten invariants of $[\mathbb{C}^2/\mathbb{Z}_{n+1}]\times \mathbb{P}^1$, with respect to vertical fibers. Via a vanishing property of the Hurwitz-Hodge bundle, 2-point rubber invariants are calculated explicitly using Pixton's formula for the double ramification cycle, and the orbifold quantum Riemann-Roch. As a result parallel to its crepant resolution counterpart for $\mathcal{A}_n$, the GW/DT/Hilb/Sym correspondence is established for $[\mathbb{C}^2/\mathbb{Z}_{n+1}]$. The computation also implies the crepant resolution conjecture for relative orbif…
Consequences of the Toda equations arising from the conjectural matrix model for the Riemann sphere are investigated. The Toda equations determine the Gromov-Witten descendent potential (including all genera) of the Riemann sphere from the degree 0 part. Degree 0 series computations via Hodge integrals then lead to higher degree predictions by the Toda equations. First, closed series forms for all 1-point invariants of all genera and degrees are given. Second, degree 1 invariants are investigated with new applications to Hodge integrals. Third, a differential equation for the generating functi…
Given a smooth target curve $X$, we explore the relationship between Gromov-Witten invariants of $X$ relative to a smooth divisor and orbifold Gromov-Witten invariants of the $r$-th root stack along the divisor. We proved that relative invariants are equal to the $r^0$-coefficient of the corresponding orbifold Gromov-Witten invariants of $r$-th root stack for $r$ sufficiently large. Our result provides a precise relation between relative and orbifold invariants of target curves generalizing the result of Abramovich-Cadman-Wise to higher genus invariants of curves. Moreover, when $r$ is suffici…
Moduli spaces of algebraic curves and closely related to them Hurwitz spaces, that is, spaces of meromorphic functions on the curves, arise naturally in numerous problems of algebraic geometry and mathematical physics, especially in relationship with the string theory and Gromov--Witten invariants. In particular, the classical Hurwitz problem about enumeration of topologically distinct ramified coverings of the sphere with prescribed ramification type reduces to the study of geometry and topology of these spaces. The cohomology rings of such spaces are complicated even in the simplest cases of…
We explore the explicit relationship between the descendant Gromov--Witten theory of target curves, operators on Fock spaces, and tropical curve counting. We prove a classical/tropical correspondence theorem for descendant invariants and give an algorithm that establishes a tropical Gromov--Witten/Hurwitz equivalence. Tropical curve counting is related to an algebra of operators on the Fock space by means of bosonification. In this manner, tropical geometry provides a convenient "graphical user interface" for Okounkov and Pandharipande's celebrated GW/H correspondence. An important goal of thi…
The orientability problem in real Gromov-Witten theory is one of the fundamental hurdles to enumerating real curves. In this paper, we describe topological conditions on the target manifold which ensure that the uncompactified moduli spaces of real maps are orientable for all genera of and for all types of involutions on the domain. In contrast to the typical approaches to this problem, we do not compute the signs of any diffeomorphisms, but instead compare them. Many projective complete intersections, including the renowned quintic threefold, satisfy our topological conditions. Our main resul…
Simple Hurwitz numbers enumerate branched morphisms between Riemann surfaces with fixed ramification data. In recent years, several variants of this notion for genus $0$ base curves have appeared in the literature. Among them are so-called monotone Hurwitz numbers, which are related to the HCIZ integral in random matrix theory and strictly monotone Hurwitz numbers which count certain Grothendieck dessins d'enfants. We generalise the notion of Hurwitz numbers to interpolations between simple, monotone and strictly monotone Hurwitz numbers to any genus and any number of arbitrary but fixed ramif…
Making use of large-order techniques in asymptotics and resurgent analysis, this work addresses the growth of enumerative Gromov-Witten invariants---in their dependence upon genus and degree of the embedded curve---for several different threefold Calabi-Yau varieties. In particular, while the leading asymptotics of these invariants at large genus or at large degree is exponential, at combined large genus and degree it turns out to be factorial. This factorial growth has a resurgent nature, originating via mirror symmetry from the resurgent-transseries description of the B-model free energy. Th…
In this paper we compute certain two-point integrals over a moduli space of stable maps into projective space. Computation of one-point analogues of these integrals constitutes a proof of mirror symmetry for genus-zero one-point Gromov-Witten invariants of projective hypersurfaces. The integrals computed in this paper constitute a significant portion in the proof of mirror symmetry for genus-one GW-invariants completed in a separate paper. These integrals also provide explicit mirror formulas for genus-zero two-point GW-invariants of projective hypersurfaces. The approach described in this pap…
We use mirror formulas for the stable quotients analogue of Givental's J-function for twisted projective invariants obtained in a previous paper to obtain mirror formulas for the analogues of the double and triple Givental's J-functions (with descendants at all marked points) in this setting. We then observe that the genus 0 stable quotients invariants need not satisfy the divisor, string, or dilaton relations of the Gromov-Witten theory, but they do possess the integrality properties of the genus 0 three-point Gromov-Witten invariants of Calabi-Yau manifolds. We also relate the stable quotien…
The Gromov-Witten theory of threefolds admitting a smooth K3 fibration can be solved in terms of the Noether-Lefschetz intersection numbers of the fibration and the reduced invariants of a K3 surface. Toward a generalization of this result to families with singular fibers, we introduce completed Noether-Lefschetz numbers using toroidal compactifications of the period space of elliptic K3 surfaces. As an application, we prove quasi-modularity for some genus 0 partition functions of Weierstrass fibrations over ruled surfaces, and show that they satisfy a holomorphic anomaly equation.
