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 counting plane curves with two or three nodes, for example. Finally, an inductive formula for the number $n_d$ of plane degree-$d$ rational curves passing through $3d-1$ points is derived via the modern approach of counting stable maps.
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 this paper we present a concrete counterexample to the conjecture of Kontsevich about the polynomial countability of graph hypersurfaces. In contrast to this, we show that the "wheel with spokes" graphs $WS_n$ are polynomially countable.
Upper and lower bounds, of the expected order of magnitude, are obtained for the number of rational points of bounded height on any quartic del Pezzo surface over $\mathbb{Q}$ that contains a conic defined over $\mathbb{Q}$.
It is shown that rational points over finite fields of moduli spaces of stable quiver representations are counted by polynomials with integer coefficients. These polynomials are constructed recursively using an identity in the Hall algebra of a quiver.
We prove that any smooth cubic surface defined over any number field satisfies the lower bound predicted by Manin's conjecture possibly after an extension of small degree.
We study the number of real rational degree n functions (considered up to linear fractional transformations of the independent variable) with a given set of 2n-2 distinct real critical values. We present a combinatorial reformulation of this number and pose several related questions.
We consider the problem of counting the number of rational points on the family of Kummer surfaces associated with two non-isogenous elliptic curves. For this two-parameter family we prove Manin's unity, using the presentation of the Kummer surfaces as isotrivial elliptic fibration and as double cover of the modular elliptic surface of level two. By carrying out the rational point-count with respect to either of the two elliptic fibrations explicitly, we obtain an interesting new identity between two-parameter counting functions.
We study qualitative aspects of the Welschinger-like $\mathbb Z$-valued count of real rational curves on primitively polarized real $K3$ surfaces. In particular, we prove that with respect to the degree of the polarization, at logarithmic scale, the rate of growth of the number of such real rational curves is, up to a constant factor, the rate of growth of the number of complex rational curves. We indicate a few instances when the lower bound for the number of real rational curves provided by our count is sharp. In addition, we exhibit various congruences between real and complex counts.
Let X be a geometrically integral projective cubic hypersurface defined over the rationals, with dimension D and singular locus of dimension at most D-4. For any ε>0, we show that X contains O(B^{D+ε}) rational points of height at most B. The implied constant in this estimate depends upon the choice of εand the coefficients of the cubic form defining X.
In this paper, we prove a general result computing the number of rational points of bounded height on a projective variety $V$ which is covered by lines. The main technical result used to achieve this is an upper bound on the number of rational points of bounded height on a line. This upper bound is such that it can be easily controlled as the line varies, and hence is used to sum the counting functions of the lines which cover the original variety $V$.
Let $Z$ be a projective geometrically integral algebraic variety. This paper is concerned with estimating the number of rational points on $Z$ which have height at most $B$. The bounds obtained are uniform in varieties of fixed degree and fixed dimension, and are essentially best possible for varieties of degree at least six.
We propose an approach for showing rationality of an algebraic variety $X$. We try to cover $X$ by rational curves of certain type and count how many curves pass through a generic point. If the answer is $1$, then we can sometimes reduce the question of rationality of $X$ to the question of rationality of a closed subvariety of $X$. This approach is applied to the case of the so-called Ueno-Campana manifolds. Our experiments indicate that the previously open cases $X_{4,6}$ and $X_{5,6}$ are both rational. However, this result is not rigorously justified and depends on a heuristic argument and…
We count the number of rational elliptic curves of bounded naive height that have a rational $N$-isogeny, for $N \in \{2,3,4,5,6,8,9,12,16,18\}$. For some $N$, this is done by generalizing a method of Harron and Snowden. For the remaining cases, we use the framework of Ellenberg, Satriano and Zureick-Brown, in which the naive height of an elliptic curve is the height of the corresponding point on a moduli stack.
Given two general rational curves of the same degree in two projective spaces, one can ask whether there exists a third rational curve of the same degree that projects to both of them. We show that, under suitable assumptions on the degree of the curves and the dimensions of the two given ambient projective spaces, the number of curves and projections fulfilling the requirements is finite. Using standard techniques in intersection theory and the Bott residue formula, we compute this number.
We consider the class of quasiprojective varieties admitting a dominant morphism onto a curve with negative Euler characteristic. The existence of such a morphism is a property of the fundamental group. We show that for a variety in this class the number of maps onto a hyperbolic curve or surfaces can be estimated in terms of the numerical invariants of the fundamental group. We use this estimates to find the number of biholomorphic automorphisms of complements to some arrangements of lines.
Deng (arXiv:math/9812082) gave an asymptotic formula for the number of rational points on a weighted projective space over a number field with respect to a certain height function. We prove a generalization of Deng's result involving a morphism between weighted projective spaces, allowing us to count rational points whose image under this morphism has bounded height. This method provides a more general and simpler proof for a result of the first-named author and Najman on counting elliptic curves with prescribed level structures over number fields. We further include some examples of applicati…
We use a global version of Heath-Brown's $p-$adic determinant method developed by Salberger to give upper bounds for the number of rational points of height at most $B$ on non-singular cubic curves defined over $\mathbb{Q}$. The bounds are uniform in the sense that they only depend on the rank of the corresponding Jacobian.
The Hurwitz space is a compactification of the space of rational functions of a given degree. The Lyashko-Looijenga map assigns to a rational function the set of its critical values. It is known that the number of ramified coverings of CP^1 by CP^1 with prescribed ramification points and ramification types is related to the degree of the Lyashko--Looijenga map on various strata of the Hurwitz space. Here we explain how the degree of the Lyashko-Looijenga map is related to the intersection theory on this space. We describe the cohomology algebra of the Hurwitz space and prove several relations …
A conjecture of Manin predicts the distribution of K-rational points on certain algebraic varieties defined over a number field K. In recent years, a method using universal torsors has been successfully applied to several hard special cases of Manin's conjecture over the field Q of rational numbers. Combining this method with techniques developed by Schanuel, we give a proof of Manin's conjecture over arbitrary number fields for the singular cubic surface S given by the equation w^3 = x y z.
The aim of these notes is to explain the remarkable formula found by Yau and Zaslow to express the number of rational curves on a K3 surface. Projective K3 surfaces fall into countably many families F(g) (g>0); a surface in F(g) admits a g-dimensional linear system of curves of genus g. Such a system contains a positive number, say n(g), of rational (highly singular) curves. The formula is \sum n(g) q^g = q/D((q), where D(q) = q \prod (1-q^n)^{24} is the well-known modular form of weight 12.
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.
We relate the problem of counting number fields, in particular, Malle's conjecture with the problem of counting rational points on singular Fano varieties, in particular, Batyrev and Tschinkel's generalization of Manin's conjecture.
For any algebraic variety $V$ defined over a number field $k$, and ample height function $H$ on $V$, one can define the counting function $N_V(B) = #{P\in V(k) \mid H(P)\leq B}$. In this paper, we calculate the counting function for Kummer surfaces $V$ whose associated abelian surface is the product of elliptic curves. In particular, we effectively construct a finite union $C = \cup C_i$ of curves $C_i$ on $V$ such that $N_{V-C}(B)\ll N_C(B)$; that is, $C$ is an accumulating subset of $V$. In the terminology of Batyrev and Manin, this amounts to proving that $C$ is the first layer of the arith…
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…
We study the connection between the singularities of a finite type $\mathbb{Z}$-scheme X and the asymptotic point count of X over various finite rings. In particular, if the generic fiber $X_{\mathbb{Q}}=X\times_{\mathrm{Spec}\mathbb{Z}}\mathrm{Spec}\mathbb{Q}$ is a local complete intersection, we show that the boundedness of $\frac{\left|X(\mathbb{Z}/p^{n}\mathbb{Z})\right|}{p^{n\mathrm{dim}X_{\mathbb{Q}}}}$ in p and n is in fact equivalent to the condition that $X_{\mathbb{Q}}$ is reduced and has rational singularities. This paper completes a result of Aizenbud and Avni.
We consider the problem of counting the number of varieties in a family over a number field which contain a rational point. In particular, for products of Brauer-Severi varieties and closely related counting functions associated to Brauer group elements. Using harmonic analysis on toric varieties, we provide a positive answer to a question of Serre on such counting functions in some cases. We also formulate some conjectures on generalisations of Serre's problem.
We consider the generating function (prepotential) for Gromov-Witten invariants of rational elliptic surface. We apply the local mirror principle to calculate the prepotential and prove a certain recursion relation, holomorphic anomaly equation, for genus 0 and 1. We propose the holomorphic anomaly equation for all genera and apply it to determine higher genus Gromov-Witten invariants and also the BPS states on the surface. Generalizing Göttsche's formula for the Hilbert scheme of $g$ points on a surface, we find precise agreement of our results with the proposal recently made by Gopakumar and…
This is a follow-up paper of arXiv:1805.00115, where rational curves in surfaces that satisfy general positioned point and cross-ratio conditions were enumerated. A suitable correspondence theorem provided in arXiv:1509.07453 allowed us to use tropical geometry, and, in particular, a degeneration technique called floor diagrams. This correspondence theorem also holds in higher dimension. In the current paper, we introduce so-called cross-ratio floor diagrams and show that they allow us to determine the number of rational space curves that satisfy general positioned point and cross-ratio condit…
We study the curve counting invariants of Calabi--Yau 3-folds via the Weyl reflection along a ruled divisor. We obtain a new rationality result and functional equation for the generating functions of Pandharipande--Thomas invariants. When the divisor arises as resolution of a curve of $A_1$-singularities, our results match the rationality of the associated Calabi--Yau orbifold. The symmetry on generating functions descends from the action of an infinite dihedral group of derived auto-equivalences, which is generated by the derived dual and a spherical twist. Our techniques involve wall-crossin…
Göttsche gave a formula for the dimension of the cohomology of Hilbert schemes of points on a smooth projective surface $S$. When $S$ admits an action by a finite group $G$, we describe the action of $G$ on the Hodge structure. In the case that $S$ is a K3 surface, each element of $G$ gives a trace on $\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\sum_{i=0}^{\infty}(-1)^{i}H^{i}(S^{[n]},\mathbb{C})q^{n}$. When $G$ acts faithfully and symplectically on $S$, the resulting generating function is of the form $q/f(q)$, where $f(q)$ is a cusp form. We relate the Hodge structure of Hilbert schemes of points to the Hodge struc…
We define rational numbers counting holomorphic disks bounding a complex lagrangian submanifold on a hyperkhaler manifold of real dimension four. We provide a simple a direct proof of Kontsevich-Soibelman Wall Crossing Formula for these rational invariants.
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 consider the problem of counting the number of varieties in a family over $\mathbb{Q}$ with a rational point. We obtain lower bounds for this counting problem for some families over $\mathbb{P}^1$, even if the Hasse principle fails. We also obtain sharp results for some multinorm equations and for specialisations of certain Brauer group elements on higher dimensional projective spaces, where we answer some cases of a question of Serre. Our techniques come from arithmetic geometry and additive combinatorics.
This note concerns the theoretical algorithmic problem of counting rational points on curves over finite fields. It explicates how the algorithmic scheme introduced by Schoof and generalized by the author yields an algorithm whose running time is uniformly polynomial time for curves in families.
We study rational curves of degree two on a smooth sextic 4-fold and their counting invariant defined using Donaldson-Thomas theory of Calabi-Yau 4-folds. By comparing it with the corresponding Gromov-Witten invariant, we verify a conjectural relation between them proposed by the author, Maulik and Toda.
We propose two systems of "intrinsic" signs for counting such curves. In both cases the result acquires an exceptionally strong invariance property: it does not depend on the choice of a surface. One of our counts includes all divisor classes of canonical degree 2 and gives in total 30. The other one excludes the class $-2K$, but adds up the results of counting for a pair of real structures that differ by Bertini involution. This count gives 96.
We exploit an elementary specialization technique to study some properties of rational curves on index $n-1$ Fano $n$-folds. We prove a simple formula for counting rational curves passing through a suitable number of points in the case $n=3$. The arguments have immediate deformation theoretic consequences which translate to properties of the normal bundles of such curves.
We present a deterministic algorithm that computes the zeta function of a nonsupersingular elliptic curve E over a finite field with p^n elements in time quasi-quadratic in n. An older algorithm having the same time complexity uses the canonical lift of E, whereas our algorithm uses rigid cohomology combined with a deformation approach. An implementation in small odd characteristic turns out to give very good results.
Let K be a field. A positive motivic measure on the Grothendieck ring K_0(Var_K) is a homomorphism from K_0(Var_K) to the real numbers assigning a nonnegative value to every variety. In this note we show that the only positive motivic measures are the counting measures: measures on K_0(Var_{F_q}) which send a variety to its number of rational points over some fixed finite extension of F_q.
Let $X$ be an algebraic variety over a finite field $\bF_q$, homogeneous under a linear algebraic group. We show that the number of rational points of $X$ over $\bF_{q^n}$ is a periodic polynomial function of $q^n$ with integer coefficients. Moreover, the shifted periodic polynomial function, where $q^n$ is formally replaced with $q^n + 1$, is shown to have non-negative coefficients.
The purpose of this paper is twofold: first we give a survey on the recent developments of curve counting invariants on Calabi-Yau 3-folds, e.g. Gromov-Witten theory, Donaldson-Thomas theory and Pandharipande-Thomas theory. Next we focus on the proof of the rationality conjecture of the generating series of PT invariants, and discuss its conjectural Gopakumar-Vafa form.
Let $X\to \mathbb P^2$ be the elliptic Calabi-Yau threefold given by a general Weierstrass equation. We answer the enumerative question of how many discrete rational curves lie over lines in the base, proving part of a conjecture by Huang, Katz, and Klemm. The key inputs are a modularity theorem of Kudla and Millson for locally symmetric spaces of orthogonal type and the deformation theory of $A_n$ singularities.
We introduce certain rational functions on a smooth projective surface X in IP^3 which facilitate counting the lines on X. We apply this to smooth quintics in characteristic zero to prove that they contain no more than 127 lines, and that any given line meets at most 28 others. We construct examples which demonstrate that the latter bound is sharp.
Gross, Hacking, and Keel have constructed mirrors of log Calabi-Yau surfaces in terms of counts of rational curves. Using $q$-deformed scattering diagrams defined in terms of higher genus log Gromov-Witten invariants, we construct deformation quantizations of these mirrors and we produce canonical bases of the corresponding noncommutative algebras of functions.
We prove a gluing theorem which allows to construct an ample divisor on a rational surface from two given ample divisors on simpler surfaces. This theorem combined with the Cremona action on the ample cone gives rise to an algorithm for constructing new ample divisors. We then propose a conjecture relating continued fractions approximations and Seshadri-like constants of line bundles over rational surfaces. By applying our algorithm recursively we verify our conjecture in many cases and obtain new asymptotic estimates on these constants. Finally, we explain the intuition behind the gluing theo…
Manin's conjecture for the asymptotic behavior of the number of rational points of bounded height on del Pezzo surfaces can be approached through universal torsors. We prove several auxiliary results for the estimation of the number of integral points in certain regions on universal torsors. As an application, we prove Manin's conjecture for a singular quartic del Pezzo surface.
