Virtual refinements of the Vafa-Witten formula

We conjecture a formula for the generating function of virtual $\chi_y$-genera of moduli spaces of rank 2 sheaves on arbitrary surfaces with holomorphic 2-form. Specializing the conjecture to minimal surfaces of general type and to virtual Euler characteristics, we recover (part of) a formula of C. Vafa and E. Witten. These virtual $\chi_y$-genera can be written in terms of descendent Donaldson invariants. Using T. Mochizuki's formula, the latter can be expressed in terms of Seiberg-Witten invariants and certain explicit integrals over Hilbert schemes of points. These integrals are governed by seven universal functions, which are determined by their values on $\mathbb{P}^2$ and $\mathbb{P}^1 \times \mathbb{P}^1$. Using localization we calculate these functions up to some order, which allows us to check our conjecture in many cases. In an appendix by H. Nakajima and the first named author, the virtual Euler characteristic specialization of our conjecture is extended to include $\mu$-classes, thereby interpolating between Vafa-Witten's formula and Witten's conjecture for Donaldson invariants.Comment: 44 pages. Published version. Appendix C by first named author and H. Nakajim

Donaldson-Thomas invariants of local elliptic surfaces via the topological vertex

We compute the Donaldson-Thomas invariants of a local elliptic surface with section. We introduce a new computational technique which is a mixture of motivic and toric methods. This allows us to write the partition function for the invariants in terms of the topological vertex. Utilizing identities for the topological vertex proved in arXiv:1603.05271, we derive product formulas for the partition functions. The connected version of the partition function is written in terms of Jacobi forms. In the special case where the elliptic surface is a K3 surface, we get a derivation of the Katz-Klemm-Vafa formula for primitive curve classes which is independent of the computation of Kawai-Yoshioka.Comment: 43 pages, 3 figures. Formal methods replaced by much simpler stratification according to location of embedded points. Published versio

Higher rank sheaves on threefolds and functional equations

We consider the moduli space of stable torsion free sheaves of any rank on a smooth projective threefold. The singularity set of a torsion free sheaf is the locus where the sheaf is not locally free. On a threefold it has dimension $\leq 1$. We consider the open subset of moduli space consisting of sheaves with empty or 0-dimensional singularity set. For fixed Chern classes $c_1,c_2$ and summing over $c_3$, we show that the generating function of topological Euler characteristics of these open subsets equals a power of the MacMahon function times a Laurent polynomial. This Laurent polynomial is invariant under $q \leftrightarrow q^{-1}$ (upon replacing $c_1 \leftrightarrow -c_1$). For some choices of $c_1,c_2$ these open subsets equal the entire moduli space. The proof involves wall-crossing from Quot schemes of a higher rank reflexive sheaf to a sublocus of the space of Pandharipande-Thomas pairs. We interpret this sublocus in terms of the singularities of the reflexive sheaf.Comment: 29 pages. Published versio

A rank 2 Dijkgraaf-Moore-Verlinde-Verlinde formula

We conjecture a formula for the virtual elliptic genera of moduli spaces of rank 2 sheaves on minimal surfaces $S$ of general type. We express our conjecture in terms of the Igusa cusp form $\chi_{10}$ and Borcherds type lifts of three quasi-Jacobi forms which are all related to the Weierstrass elliptic function. We also conjecture that the generating function of virtual cobordism classes of these moduli spaces depends only on $\chi(\mathcal{O}_S)$ and $K_S^2$ via two universal functions, one of which is determined by the cobordism classes of Hilbert schemes of points on $K3$. We present generalizations of these conjectures, e.g. to arbitrary surfaces with $p_g>0$ and $b_1=0$. We use a result of J. Shen to express the virtual cobordism class in terms of descendent Donaldson invariants. In a prequel we used T. Mochizuki's formula, universality, and toric calculations to compute such Donaldson invariants in the setting of virtual $\chi_y$-genera. Similar techniques allow us to verify our new conjectures in many cases.Comment: 24 pages. In order to keep the paper self-contained, we recall the necessary material from the prequel arXiv:1703.07196, which results in some overlap. Published version. Typo fixe

Stable reflexive sheaves and localization

We study moduli spaces $\mathcal{N}$ of rank 2 stable reflexive sheaves on $\mathbb{P}^3$. Fixing Chern classes $c_1$, $c_2$, and summing over $c_3$, we consider the generating function $\mathsf{Z}^{\mathrm{refl}}(q)$ of Euler characteristics of such moduli spaces. The action of the torus $T$ on $\mathbb{P}^3$ lifts to $\mathcal{N}$ and we classify all sheaves in $\mathcal{N}^T$. This leads to an explicit expression for $\mathsf{Z}^{\mathrm{refl}}(q)$. Since $c_3$ is bounded below and above, $\mathsf{Z}^{\mathrm{refl}}(q)$ is a polynomial. We find a simple formula for its leading term when $c_1=-1$. Next, we study moduli spaces of rank 2 stable torsion free sheaves on $\mathbb{P}^3$ and consider the generating function of Euler characteristics of such moduli spaces. We give an expression for this generating function in terms of $\mathsf{Z}^{\mathrm{refl}}(q)$ and Euler characteristics of Quot schemes of certain $T$-equivariant reflexive sheaves, which are studied elsewhere. Many techniques of this paper apply to any toric 3-fold. In general, $\mathsf{Z}^{\mathrm{refl}}(q)$ depends on the choice of polarization which leads to wall-crossing phenomena. We briefly illustrate this in the case of $\mathbb{P}^2 \times \mathbb{P}^1$.Comment: 27 pages. Published version. Typo's correcte

Curve counting and DT/PT correspondence for Calabi-Yau 4-folds

Recently, Cao-Maulik-Toda defined stable pair invariants of a compact Calabi-Yau 4-fold $X$. Their invariants are conjecturally related to the Gopakumar-Vafa type invariants of $X$ defined using Gromov-Witten theory by Klemm-Pandharipande. In this paper, we consider curve counting invariants of $X$ using Hilbert schemes of curves and conjecture a DT/PT correspondence which relates these to stable pair invariants of $X$. After providing evidence in the compact case, we define analogous invariants for toric Calabi-Yau 4-folds using a localization formula. We formulate a vertex formalism for both theories and conjecture a relation between the (fully equivariant) DT/PT vertex, which we check in several cases. This relation implies a DT/PT correspondence for toric Calabi-Yau 4-folds with primary insertions.Comment: 28 pages. Published versio

Trace Identities for the Topological Vertex

The topological vertex is a universal series which can be regarded as an object in combinatorics, representation theory, geometry, or physics. It encodes the combinatorics of 3D partitions, the action of vertex operators on Fock space, the Donaldson-Thomas theory of toric Calabi-Yau threefolds, or the open string partition function of $\mathbb{C}^3$. We prove several identities in which a sum over terms involving the topological vertex is expressed as a closed formula, often a product of simple terms, closely related to Fourier expansions of Jacobi forms. We use purely combinatorial and representation theoretic methods to prove our formulas, but we discuss applications to the Donaldson-Thomas invariants of elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau threefolds at the end of the paper.Comment: 21 pages. Published versio