Hodge integrals and Gromov-Witten theory

We compute the Gromov-Witten potential at all genera of target smooth Riemann surfaces using Symplectic Field Theory techniques and establish differential equations for the full descendant potential. This amounts to impose (and possibly solve) different kinds of Schroedinger equations related to some quantization of the dispersionless KdV hierarchy. In particular we find very explicit formulas for the Gromov-Witten invariants of low degree of P1 with descendants of the Kaehle...

The Virasoro conjecture proposed by Eguchi-Hori-Xiong and S. Katz predicts that the generating function of Gromov-Witten invariants is annihilated by infinitely many differential operators which form a half branch of the Virasoro algebra. In this paper, we study the genus-1 case of the conjecture. In particular, we will give some necessary and sufficient conditions for the genus-1 Virasoro conjecture.

In the Gromov-Witten theory of a target curve we consider descendent integrals against the virtual fundamental class relative to the forgetful morphism to the moduli space of curves. We show that cohomology classes obtained in this way lie in the tautological ring.

This article accompanies my June 1998 seminaire Bourbaki talk on Givental's work. After a quick review of descendent integrals in Gromov-Witten theory, I discuss Givental's formalism relating hypergeometric series to solutions of quantum differential equations arising from hypersurfaces in projective space. A particular case of this relationship is a proof of the Mirror prediction for the numbers of rational curves on the Calabi-Yau quintic 3-fold. The approach taken here is ...

Starting from the ELSV formula, we derive a number of new equations on the generating functions for Hodge integrals over the moduli space of complex curves. This gives a new simple and uniform treatment of certain known results on Hodge integrals like Witten's conjecture, Virasoro constrains, Faber's lambda_g conjecture etc. Among other results we show that a properly arranged generating function for Hodge integrals satisfies the equations of the KP hierarchy.

We prove generalized Virasoro constraints for the relative Gromov-Witten theories of all nonsingular target curves. Descendents of the even cohomology classes are studied first by localization, degeneration, and completed cycle methods. Descendents of the odd cohomology are then controlled by monodromy and geometric vanishing relations. As an outcome of our results, the relative theories of target curves are completely and explicitly determined.

We study relative Gromov-Witten theory via universal relations provided by the interaction of degeneration and localization. We find relative Gromov-Witten theory is completely determined by absolute Gromov-Witten theory. The relationship between the relative and absolute theories is guided by a strong analogy to classical topology. As an outcome, we present a mathematical determination of the Gromov-Witten invariants (in all genera) of the Calabi-Yau quintic 3-fold in term...

We use a topological framework to study descendent Gromov-Witten theory in higher genus, non-toric settings. Two geometries are considered: surfaces of general type and the Enriques Calabi-Yau threefold. We conjecture closed formulas for surfaces of general type in classes K and 2K. For the Enriques Calabi-Yau, Gromov-Witten invariants are calculated in genus 0, 1, and 2. In genus 2, the holomorphic anomaly equation is found.

These are lecture notes of a C.I.M.E. course I gave at Cetraro, June 6-11 2005. The theory described is the version of Chen-Ruan's Gromov-Witten theory of orbifolds developed by Graber, Vistoli and me in the algebraic setting, but with introduction beginning in Kontsevich's formula on rational plane curves and through Gromov-Witten theory of algebraic manifolds. As this is not a joint paper, I finally get to give direct credit to Vistoli's beautiful ideas! In the appendix...

Here we review background in differential topology related to the calculation of an euler characteristic, and background on localization in equivariant cohomology. We then outline Gromov-Witten invariants in algebraic geometry and give examples of the genus 0 Gromov-Witten potential for $\PP^1, \PP^2$, and a genus $g>0$ Riemann surface. Kontsevich-Manin's recursive formula for $N_d$, the number of degree $d$ rational curves through $3d-1$ points in general position on $\PP^2$...