5
$\begingroup$

Suppose I fix a smooth projective curve $C$ of positive genus, and I have a smooth projective variety $X$. Do standard tools from GW theory (or any curve-counting theory for that matter) allow me to compute the (virtual) number of maps $C\to X$ with incidence conditions? I have only ever seen GW invariants defined to be zero when the expected homological dimension is positive. But do the usual techniques (e.g. localization if $X$ is toric) allow me to do something like take the forgetful map $\overline{M_{g,n}}(X,\beta)\to \overline{M_{g}}$ and intersect a positive (virtual-) dimensional locus with a fiber and hope to get a number out?

Apologies if this is a very naive question; I am not an expert in curve-counting by any means.

$\endgroup$
2
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ The general construction of Gromov-Witten invariants allows to pullback a class from $\overline{M}_g$. If that class is the Poincare dual class of a point in $\overline{M}_g$, then the associated Gromov-Witten invariants are the "virtual counts" of maps from a specified curve of genus $g$ to the target. $\endgroup$ Commented Oct 27, 2018 at 21:54
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ To be able to define invariants it is necessary to let $C$ degenerate (and acquire rational tails). The moduli of maps from a fixed curve $C$ is not proper (unless the curve class $\beta$ is zero). $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 1, 2018 at 21:32

1 Answer 1

3
$\begingroup$

You can compute the GW invariants associated to maps with fixed domain curve $C$ of genus $g$ in terms of genus 0 invariants. The conceptual idea is that the invariants are independent of the choice of the fixed curve $C$, and so one can choose $C$ to be a rational curve with $g$ nodes, and then use the usual gluing axioms to rewrite the invariant as a genus 0 invariant with $2g$ additional insertions.

Let $X$ be the target, let $C$ be a fixed curve of genus $g$, $\beta\in H_2(X)$, and let $\gamma_i\in H^*(X)$. Then the fixed domain Gromov-Witten invariant would be defined as $$\langle \gamma_1,\ldots,\gamma_n\rangle_{\beta,C}^X = \int _{[\overline{M}_{g,n} \, (X,\, \beta)]^{vir}} ev_1^*(\gamma_1)\cdots ev_n^* (\gamma_n) \cdot ct^*([C]^\vee)$$ where $ct: \overline{M}_{g,n} \, (X,\, \beta)\to \overline{M}_g$ takes a stable map to its domain curve, with marked points forgotten and unstable components contracted. Here $[C]^\vee \in H^*(\overline{M}_g)$ is the class of the point associated to $C$. Then we can rewrite this in terms of usual genus 0 invariants by the following:

$$ \langle \gamma_1,\ldots,\gamma_n\rangle_{\beta,C}^X = \frac{1}{g!2^g}\sum_{k_1,\ldots,k_g} \langle \eta_{k_1},\eta^{k_1},\ldots,\eta_{k_g},\eta^{k_g},\,\gamma_1,\ldots,\gamma_n\rangle_{\beta,0}^X $$ where $\eta_k$ is a basis for $H^*(X)$ and $\eta^k$ is the dual basis so that in particular the class of the diagonal in $H^*(X\times X)$ is given by $\sum_k \eta_k \otimes \eta^k$.

My combinatorial factor out front might not be right. Your mileage may vary.

$\endgroup$

You must log in to answer this question.

Start asking to get answers

Find the answer to your question by asking.

Ask question

Explore related questions

See similar questions with these tags.