Rank-one sheaves and stable pairs on surfaces

We study rank-one sheaves and stable pairs on a smooth projective complex surface. We obtain an embedding of the moduli space of limit stable pairs into a smooth space. The embedding induces a perfect obstruction theory, which, over a surface with irregularity 0, agrees with the usual deformation-obstruction theory. The perfect obstruction theory defines a virtual fundamental class on the moduli space. Using the embedding, we show that the virtual class equals the Euler class of a vector bundle on the smooth ambient space. As an application, we show that on $\mathbb{P}^2$, the expected count of the finite Quot scheme in arXiv:1610.04185 is its actual length. We also obtain a universality result for tautological integrals on the moduli space of stable pairs.Comment: 29 pages. In this new version, we extend one of our main theorems to more cases. Hence, we have changed the title. We also fix a mistake in Proposition 7.2 and one in the proof of Proposition 4.1 in the first version. Comments are welcome

Gromov--Witten/Pandharipande--Thomas correspondence via conifold transitions

Given a (projective) conifold transition of smooth projective threefolds from $X$ to $Y$, we show that if the Gromov--Witten/Pandharipande--Thomas descendent correspondence holds for the resolution $Y$, then it also holds for the smoothing $X$ with stationary descendent insertions. As applications, we show the correspondence in new cases.Comment: 23 pages. Comments are welcome