Suppose that 2d-2 tangent lines to the rational normal curve z\mapsto (1 : z : ... : z^d) in d-dimensional complex projective space are given. It was known that the number of codimension 2 subspaces intersecting all these lines is always finite; for a generic configuration it is equal to the d^{th} Catalan number. We prove that for real tangent lines, all these codimension 2 subspaces are also real, thus confirming a special case of a general conjecture of B. and M. Shapiro. This is equivalent to the following result:
If all critical points of a rational function lie on a circle in the Riemann sphere (for example on the real line), then the function maps this circle into a circle.
Boris Shapiro and Michael Shapiro have a conjecture concerning the Schubert calculus and real enumerative geometry and which would give infinitely many families of zero-dimensional systems of real polynomials (including families of overdetermined systems)--all of whose solutions are real. It has connections to the pole placement problem in linear systems theory and to totally positive matrices. We give compelling computational evidence for its validity, prove it for infinitely many families of enumerative problems, show how a simple version implies more general versions, and present a countere…
We give a new elementary proof of the following theorem: if all critical points of a rational function g belong to the real line then there exists a fractional linear transformation L such that L(g) is a real rational function. Then we interpret the result in terms of Fuchsian differential equations whose general solution is a polynomial and in terms of electrostatics.
This revision contains some additional corrections and references, including a reference to Zeuthen suggested by Kleiman. For possible subsequent revisions, check http://math.ucr.edu/~ziv/papers/1nodal.pdf
Motivated by the Shapiro Shapiro conjecture, we consider the following: given a field $k$, under what conditions must a rational function with only $k$-rational ramification points be equivalent (after post-composition with a fractional linear transformation) to a rational function defined over $k$? The main results of this paper answer this question when $k$ has characteristic 2 or 3. We also show the insufficiency of several natural conditions in higher characteristic.
Let $X$ be a real algebraic convex 3-manifold whose real part is equipped with a $Pin^-$ structure. We show that every irreducible real rational curve with non-empty real part has a canonical spinor state belonging to $\{\pm 1\}$. The main result is then that the algebraic count of the number of real irreducible rational curves in a given numerical equivalence class passing through the appropriate number of points does not depend on the choice of the real configuration of points, provided that these curves are counted with respect to their spinor states. These invariants provide lower bounds f…
We first present the construction of the moduli space of real pseudo-holomorphic curves in a given real symplectic manifold. Then, following the approach of Gromov and Witten, we construct invariants under deformation of real rational symplectic 4-manifolds. These invariants provide lower bounds for the number of real rational $J$-holomorphic curves in a given homology class passing through a given real configuration of points.
We study the geometry of the Kontsevich compactification of stable maps to the Grassmannian of lines in the projective space. We consider a stratification of this space. As an application we compute the degree of the variety parametrizing rational ruled surfaces with a minimal directix of degree d/2-1 by intersecting divisors in the moduli space of stable maps. For example, there are 128054031872040 rational ruled sextics passing through 25 points in $\mathbb{P}^{3}$ with a minimal directrix of degree 2.
This is an introduction to: (1) the enumerative geometry of rational curves in equivariant symplectic resolutions, and (2) its relation to the structures of geometric representation theory. Written for the 2015 Algebraic Geometry Summer Institute.
We prove a criterion for the reality of irreducible representations of the rational Cherednik algebras H_{0,1}(S_n). This is shown to imply a criterion for the real loci of the Calogero-Moser spaces C_n in terms of the Etingof-Ginzburg finite maps Υ\colon C_n \to C^n/S_n \times C^n/S_n, recovering a result of Mikhin, Tarasov, and Varchenko [MTV2]. As a consequence we obtain a criterion for the real locus of the Wilson's adelic Grassmannian of rank one bispectral solutions of the KP hierarchy. Using Wilson's first parametrisation of the adelic Grassmannian, we give a new proof of a result of [M…
This paper has been withdrawn by the authors; it is superceeded by the paper: The real loci of Calogero--Moser spaces, representations of rational Cherednik algebras and the Shapiro conjecture, by Iain Gordon, Emil Horozov, and Milen Yakimov, arXiv:0711.4336.
The surfaces considered are real, rational and have a unique smooth real $(-2)$-curve. Their canonical class $K$ is strictly negative on any other irreducible curve in the surface and $K^2>0$. For surfaces satisfying these assumptions, we suggest a certain signed count of real rational curves that belong to a given divisor class and are simply tangent to the $(-2)$-curve at each intersection point. We prove that this count provides a number which depends neither on the point constraints nor on deformation of the surface preserving the real structure and the $(-2)$-curve.
We collect various known results (about plane curves and the moduli space of stable maps) to derive new recursive formulas enumerating low genus plane curves of any degree with various behaviors. Recursive formulas are given for the characteristic numbers of rational plane curves, elliptic plane curves, and elliptic plane curves with fixed complex structure. Recursions are also given for the number of elliptic (and rational) plane curves with various "codimension 1" behavior (cuspidal, tacnodal, triple pointed, etc., as well as the geometric and arithmetic sectional genus of the Severi variety…
We discuss a particular problem of enumerating rational curves on a Grassmannian from several perspectives, including systems theory, real enumerative geometry, and symbolic computation. We also present a new transversality result, showing this problem is enumerative in all characteristics. While it is well-known how this enumerative problem arose in mathematical physics and also its importance to the development of quantum cohomology, it is less known how it arose independently in mathematical systems theory. We describe this second story.
The theory of Q-Cartier divisors on the space of n-pointed, genus 0, stable maps to projective space is considered. Generators and Picard numbers are computed. A recursive algorithm computing all top intersection products of Q-Divisors is established. As a corollary, an algorithm computing all characteristic numbers of rational curves in P^r is proven (including simple tangency conditions). Computations of these characteristic numbers are carried out in many examples. The degree of the 1-cuspidal rational locus in the linear system of degree d plane curves is explicitly evaluated.
Following the approach of Gromov and Witten, we define invariants under deformation of stongly semipositive real symplectic six-manifolds. These invariants provide lower bounds in real enumerative geometry, namely for the number of real rational $J$-holomorphic curves which realize a given homology class and pass through a given real configuration of points.
We study the geometry of varieties parametrizing degree d rational and elliptic curves in P^n intersecting fixed general linear spaces and tangent to a fixed hyperplane H with fixed multiplicities along fixed general linear subspaces of H. As an application, we derive recursive formulas for the number of such curves when the number is finite. These recursive formulas require as ``seed data'' only one input: there is one line in P^1 through two points. These numbers can be seen as top intersection products of various cycles on the Hilbert scheme of degree d rational or elliptic curves in P^n, o…
We compute the Gromov-Witten invariants of the projective plane blown up in r general points. These are determined by associativity from r+1 intial values. Applications are given to the enumeration of rational plane curves with prescribed multiplicities at fixed general points. We show that the numbers are enumerative if at least one of the prescribed multiplicities is 1 or 2. In particular, all the invariants for r<=8 (the Del Pezzo case) are enumerative.
We introduce new invariants of the projective plane (and, more generally, of certain toric surfaces) that arise from the appropriate enumeration of real elliptic curves. These invariants admit a refinement (according to the quantum index) similar to the one introduced by Grigory Mikhalkin in the rational case. We also construct tropical counterparts of the refined elliptic invariants under consideration and establish a tropical algorithm allowing one to compute, {\it via} a suitable version of the correspondence theorem, the above invariants.
For $i\geq2$, we compute the first coefficients of the class $[\overline{D}(μ;3)]$ in the rational Picard group of the moduli of Prym curves $\overline{\mathcal{R}}_{2i}$, where $D(μ;3)$ is the divisor parametrizing pairs $[C,η]$ for which there exists a degree $2i$ map $π\colon C\rightarrow \mathbb{P}^1$ having ramification profile $(2,\ldots,2)$ above two points $q_1, q_2$, a triple ramification somewhere else and satisfying $\mathcal{O}_C(\frac{π^{*}(q_1)-π^{*}(q_2)}{2})\cong η$. Furthermore, we provide several new Prym enumerative results related to this situation.
We study the enumerative significance of the s-pointed genus zero Gromov-Witten invariant on a homogeneous space X. For that, we give an interpretation in terms of rational curves on X.
In this article formulas for the quantum product of a rational surface are given, and used to give an algebro-geometric proof of the associativity of the quantum product for strict Del Pezzo surfaces, those for which $-K$ is very ample. An argument for the associativity in general is proposed, which also avoids resorting to the symplectic category. The enumerative predictions of Kontsevich and Manin concerning the degree of the rational curve locus in a linear system are recovered. The associativity of the quantum product for the cubic surface is shown to be essentially equivalent to the class…
There is an equation relating numbers of curves on F_0 satisfying incidence conditions and numbers of curves on F_2 satisfying incidence conditions. The purpose of this paper is to give a tropical proof of this equation in the case of rational curves. We use induction on the degree and two Kontsevich-type formulas for curves on F_0 and on F_2. The formula for F_2 was not known before and is proved using tropical geometry.
We study the integer sequence v_n of numbers of lines in hypersurfaces of degree 2n-3 of P^n, n>1. We prove a number of congruence properties of these numbers of several different types. Furthermore, the asymptotics of the v_n are described (in an appendix by Don Zagier). An attempt is made at a similar analysis of two other enumerative sequences: the number of rational plane curves and the number of instantons in the quintic threefold.
We introduce and begin the topological study of real rational plane curves, all of whose inflection points are real. The existence of such curves is a corollary of results in the real Schubert calculus, and their study has consequences for the important Shapiro and Shapiro conjecture in the real Schubert calculus. We establish restrictions on the number of real nodes of such curves and construct curves realizing the extreme numbers of real nodes. These constructions imply the existence of real solutions to some problems in the Schubert calculus. We conclude with a discussion of maximally infle…
The B. and M. Shapiro conjecture stated that all solutions of the Schubert Calculus problems associated with real points on the rational normal curve should be real. For Grassmannians, it was proved by Mukhin, Tarasov and Varchenko. For flag varieties, Sottile found a counterexample and suggested that all solutions should be real under certain monotonicity conditions. In this paper, we compute lower bounds on the number of real solutions for some special cases of the B. and M. Shapiro conjecture for flag varieties, when Sottile's monotonicity conditions are not satisfied.
The paper is devoted to the mathematical aspects of topological quantum field theory and its applications to enumerative problems of algebraic geometry. In particular, it contains an axiomatic treatment of Gromov-Witten classes, and a discussion of their properties for Fano varieties. Cohomological Field Theories are defined, and it is proved that tree level theories are determined by their correlation functions. Applications to counting rational curves on del Pezzo surfaces and projective spaces are given.
We extend the classical Schubert calculus of enumerative geometry for the Grassmann variety of lines in projective space from the complex realm to the real. Specifically, given any collection of Schubert conditions on lines in projective space which generically determine a finite number of lines, we show there exist real generic conditions determining the expected number of real lines. Our main tool is an explicit description of rational equivalences which also constitutes a novel determination of the Chow rings of these Grassmann varieties.
A new, simple method to approach enumerative questions about rational curves on rational surfaces is described. Applications include a short proof of Kontsevich's formula for plane curves and a the solution of the analogous problem for the Hirzebruch surface F_3.
For an Abelian surface $A$ with a symplectic action by a finite group $G$, one can define the partition function for $G$-invariant Hilbert schemes \[Z_{A, G}(q) = \sum_{d=0}^{\infty} e(\text{Hilb}^{d}(A)^{G})q^{d}.\] We prove the reciprocal $Z_{A,G}^{-1}$ is a modular form of weight $\frac{1}{2}e(A/G)$ for the congruence subgroup $Γ_{0}(|G|)$, and give explicit expressions in terms of eta products. Refined formulas for the $χ_{y}$-genera of $\text{Hilb}(A)^{G}$ are also given. For the group generated by the standard involution $τ: A \to A$, our formulas arise from the enumerative geometry of t…
We introduce a \textit{quantum index} for oriented real curves inside toric varieties. This quantum index is related to the computation of the area of the amoeba of the curve for some chosen 2-form. We then make a refined signed count of oriented real rational curves solution to some enumerative problem. This generalizes the results from G. Mikhalkin arXiv:1505.04338 to higher dimension. Finally, we use the tropical approach to relate these new refined invariants to previously known tropical refined invariants.
We answer some enumerative questions about irreducible rational curves on Hirzebruch surfaces, by combining an idea of Kontsevich with the study of the geometry of certain natural parameter spaces. Our formulas generalize Kontsevich's formula for rational plane curves of given degree.
We use twisted stable maps to answer the following question. Let E\subset P^2 be a smooth cubic. How many rational degree d curves pass through a general points of E, have b specified tangencies with E and c unspecified tangencies, and pass through 3d-1-a-2b-c general points of P^2? The answer is given as a generalization of Kontsevich's recursion. We also investigate more general enumerative problems of this sort, and prove an analogue of a formula of Caporaso and Harris.
We use stable maps, and their stable lifts to the Semple bundle variety of second-order curvilinear data, to calculate certain characteristic numbers for rational plane curves. These characteristic numbers involve first-order (tangency) and second-order (inflectional) conditions. Although they may be virtual, they may be used as inputs in an enumeratively significant formula for the number of rational curves having a triple contact with a specified plane curve and passing through 3d-3 general points.
We develop the theory of halving spaces to obtain lower bounds in real enumerative geometry. Halving spaces are topological spaces with an action of a Lie group $Γ$ with additional cohomological properties. For $Γ=\mathbb{Z}_2$ we recover the conjugation spaces of Hausmann, Holm and Puppe. For $Γ=\mathrm{U}(1)$ we obtain the circle spaces. We show that real even and quaternionic partial flag manifolds are circle spaces leading to non-trivial lower bounds for even real and quaternionic Schubert problems. To prove that a given space is a halving space, we generalize results of Borel and Haeflige…
We present an approach to a large class of enumerative problems concerning rational curves in projective spaces. This approach uses analysis to obtain topological information about moduli spaces of stable maps. We demonstrate it by enumerating one-component rational curves with a triple point or a tacnodal point in the three-dimensional projective space and with a cusp in any projective space.
In his paper "Hodge integrals and degenerate contributions", Pandharipande studied the relationship between the enumerative geometry of certain 3-folds and the Gromov-Witten invariants. In some good cases, enumerative invariants (which are manifestly integers) can be expressed as a rational combination of Gromov-Witten invariants. Pandharipande speculated that the same combination of invariants should yield integers even when they do not have any enumerative significance on the 3-fold. In the case when the 3-fold is the product of a complex surface and an elliptic curve, Pandharipande has comp…
We prove the B. and M. Shapiro conjecture that says that if the Wronskian of a set of polynomials has real roots only, then the complex span of this set of polynomials has a basis consisting of polynomials with real coefficients. This in particular implies the following result: If all ramification points of a parametrized rational curve $ f : CP^1 \to CP^r $ lie on a circle in the Riemann sphere $ CP^1 $, then $f$ maps this circle into a suitable real subspace $ RP^r \subset CP^r $. The proof is based on the Bethe ansatz method in the Gaudin model. The key observation is that a symmetric linea…
We characterize transversality, non-transversality properties on the moduli space of genus 0 stable maps to a rational projective surface. If a target space is equipped with a real structure, i.e, anti-holomorphic involution, then the results have real enumerative applications. Firstly, we can define a real version of Gromov-Witten invariants. Secondly, we can prove the invariance of Welschinger's invariant in algebraic geometric category.
We study the Hilbert series of a family of ideals J_ϕgenerated by powers of linear forms in k[x_1,...,x_n]. Using the results of Emsalem-Iarrobino, we formulate this as a question about fatpoints in P^{n-1}. In the three variable case this is equivalent to studying the dimension of a linear system on a blow up of P^2. The ideals that arise have the points in very special position, but because there are only seven points, we can apply results of Harbourne to obtain the classes of the negative curves. Reducing to an effective, nef divisor and using Riemann-Roch yields a formula for the Hilbert s…
We establish the equality of classical and tropical curve counts for elliptic curves on toric surfaces with fixed $j$-invariant, refining results of Mikhalkin and Nishinou--Siebert. As an application, we determine a formula for such counts on $\mathbb P^2$ and all Hirzebruch surfaces. This formula relates the count of elliptic curves with the number of rational curves on the surface satisfying a small number of tangency conditions with the toric boundary. Furthermore, the combinatorial tropical multiplicities of Kerber and Markwig for counts in $\mathbb P^2$ are derived and explained algebro-g…
We give examples of real enumerative problems without real solutions. Most of the examples concern rational curves in ${\mathbb C}{\mathbb P}^3$ passing through a real set of points and lines.
We study Gromov-Witten invariants on the blow-up of P^n at a point, which is probably the simplest example of a variety whose moduli spaces of stable maps do not have the expected dimension. It is shown that many of these invariants can be interpreted geometrically on P^n as certain numbers of rational curves having a multiple point of given order at the blown up point. Moreover, all these invariants can actually be calculated, giving enumerative invariants of P^n which have not been known before.
This note is a survey of the enumerative geometry of rational curves on Calabi-Yau threefolds, based on a talk given by the author at the May 1991 Workshop on Mirror Symmetry at MSRI. An earlier version appeared in "Essays on Mirror Manifolds"; this version corrects typographical errors that appeared in print, gives a brief update of related progress during the last two years in the form of footnotes, and has more and updated references. (To appear in the second edition of Essays on Mirror Manifolds.)
We enumerate rational curves in toric surfaces passing through points and satisfying cross-ratio constraints using tropical and combinatorial methods. Our starting point is arXiv:1509.07453, where a tropical-algebraic correspondence theorem was proved that relates counts of rational curves in toric varieties that satisfy point conditions and cross-ratio constraints to the analogous tropical counts. We proceed in two steps: based on tropical intersection theory we first study tropical cross-ratios and introduce degenerated cross-ratios. Second we provide a lattice path algorithm that produces a…
These notes are intended as an easy-to-read supplement to part of the background material presented in my talks on enumerative geometry. In particular, the numbers $n_3$ and $n_4$ of plane rational cubics through eight points and of plane rational quartics through eleven points are determined via the classical approach of counting curves. The computation of the latter number also illustrates my topological approach to counting the zeros of a fixed vector bundle section that lie in the main stratum of a compact space. The arguments used in the computation of the number $n_4$ extend easily to co…
Fulton asked how many solutions to a problem of enumerative geometry can be real, when that problem is one of counting geometric figures of some kind having specified position with respect to some general fixed figures. For the problem of plane conics tangent to five general conics, the (surprising) answer is that all 3264 may be real. Similarly, given any problem of enumerating p-planes incident on some general fixed subspaces, there are real fixed subspaces such that each of the (finitely many) incident p-planes are real. We show that the problem of enumerating parameterized rational curves …
In this paper we study the geometry of the Severi varieties parametrizing curves on the rational ruled surface $\fn$. We compute the number of such curves through the appropriate number of fixed general points on $\fn$, and the number of such curves which are irreducible. These numbers are known as Severi degrees; they are the degrees of unions of components of the Hilbert scheme. As (i) $\fn$ can be deformed to $\eff_{n+2}$, (ii) the Gromov-Witten invariants are deformation-invariant, and (iii) the Gromov-Witten invariants of $\eff_0$ and $\eff_1$ are enumerative, Theorem \ref{irecursion} com…
We introduce enumerative invariants of real del Pezzo surfaces that count real rational curves belonging to a given divisor class, passing through a generic conjugation-invariant configuration of points and satisfying preassigned tangency conditions to given smooth arcs centered at the fixed points. The counted curves are equipped with Welschinger-type signs. We prove that such a count does not depend neither on the choice of the point-arc configuration, nor on the variation of the ambient real surface. These invariants can be regarded as a real counterpart of (complex) descendant invariants.
We formulate the Secant Conjecture, which is a generalization of the Shapiro Conjecture for Grassmannians. It asserts that an intersection of Schubert varieties in a Grassmannian is transverse with all points real, if the flags defining the Schubert varieties are secant along disjoint intervals of a rational normal curve. We present theoretical evidence for it as well as computational evidence obtained in over one terahertz-year of computing, and we discuss some phenomena we observed in our data.
