Topological properties of punctual Hilbert schemes of almost-complex fourfolds (I)

In this article, we study topological properties of Voisin's punctual Hilbert schemes of an almost-complex fourfold $X$. In this setting, we compute their Betti numbers and construct Nakajima operators. We also define tautological bundles associated with any complex bundle on $X$, which are shown to be canonical in $K$-theory

Surfaces containing a family of plane curves not forming a fibration

We complete the classification of smooth surfaces swept out by a 1-dimensional family of plane curves that do not form a fibration. As a consequence, we characterize manifolds swept out by a 1-dimensional family of hypersurfaces that do not form a fibration.Comment: Author's post-print, final version published online in Collect. Mat

The Abelian/Nonabelian Correspondence and Frobenius Manifolds

We propose an approach via Frobenius manifolds to the study (began in math.AG/0407254) of the relation between rational Gromov-Witten invariants of nonabelian quotients X//G and those of the corresponding ``abelianized'' quotients X//T, for T a maximal torus in G. The ensuing conjecture expresses the Gromov-Witten potential of X//G in terms of the potential of X//T. We prove this conjecture when the nonabelian quotients are partial flag manifolds.Comment: 35 pages, no figure

Enumerative geometry of Calabi-Yau 4-folds

Gromov-Witten theory is used to define an enumerative geometry of curves in Calabi-Yau 4-folds. The main technique is to find exact solutions to moving multiple cover integrals. The resulting invariants are analogous to the BPS counts of Gopakumar and Vafa for Calabi-Yau 3-folds. We conjecture the 4-fold invariants to be integers and expect a sheaf theoretic explanation. Several local Calabi-Yau 4-folds are solved exactly. Compact cases, including the sextic Calabi-Yau in CP5, are also studied. A complete solution of the Gromov-Witten theory of the sextic is conjecturally obtained by the holomorphic anomaly equation.Comment: 44 page

The moduli space of hyper-K{\"a}hler four-fold compactifications

I discuss some aspects of the moduli space of hyper-K{\"a}hler four-fold compactifications of type II and ${\cal M}$- theories. The dimension of the moduli space of these theories is strictly bounded from above. As an example I study Hilb$^2(K3)$ and the generalized Kummer variety $K^2(T^4)$. In both cases RR-flux (or $G$-flux in ${\cal M}$-theory) must be turned on, and we show that they give rise to vacua with ${\cal N}=2$ or ${\cal N}=3$ supersymmetry upon turning on appropriate fluxes. An interesting subtlety involving the symmetric product limit $S^2(K3)$ is pointed out.Comment: 42 pages, discussion of ${\cal N}=3$ supersymmetry preserving fluxes added, acknowledegement adde

Equivariant Riemann-Roch theorems for curves over perfect fields

We prove an equivariant Riemann-Roch formula for divisors on algebraic curves over perfect fields. By reduction to the known case of curves over algebraically closed fields, we first show a preliminary formula with coefficients in Q. We then prove and shed some further light on a divisibility result that yields a formula with integral coefficients. Moreover, we give variants of the main theorem for equivariant locally free sheaves of higher rank