Riemann-Hilbert problems from Donaldson-Thomas theory (Q1741572)

The article under review proposes a framework of a class of Riemann-Hilbert problems arising naturally in the Donaldson-Thomas theory, and such framework is related to the Riemann-Hilbert problems considered by Gaiotto, Moore and Neitzke [\textit{D. Gaiotto} et al., Commun. Math. Phys. 299, No. 1, 163--224 (2010; Zbl 1225.81135)]. The author introduces the notion of a BPS structure, which is a special case of Kontsevich and Soibelman's notion of a stability structure [\textit{M. Kontsevich} and \textit{Y. Soibelman}, ``Stability structures, motivic Donaldson-Thomas invariants and cluster transformations'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:0811.2435}]. A BPS structure is a triple \((\Gamma, Z, \Omega)\), where the charge lattice \(\Gamma\) is a finite rank free abelian group with a skew symmetric form, the central charge \(Z:\Gamma \rightarrow \mathbb{C}\) is a homomorphism of abelian groups , and the BPS invariants \(\Omega:\Gamma \rightarrow \mathbb{Q}\) is a map of sets, and the triple satisfies symmetry and support properties. One can define the (unrefined) Donladson-Thomas (DT) invariants of a BPS structure by using BPS invariants, and one can also rewrite BPS invariants in terms of DT invariants. The Riemann-Hilbert problem (depending on a choice of a point \(\xi\in \mathbb{T}\), where \(\mathbb{T}\) is an associated torsor of \(\Gamma\)) is to find a piecewise holomorphic map \[ X: \mathbb{C}^*\rightarrow \mathbb{T} \] satisfying (a) jumping property which encodes the wall-crossing formula by Stokes data (b) finite limit for \(t\in\mathbb{C}^*\) as \(t\to 0\) depending on \(\xi\) and (c) polynomial growth as \(t\to \infty\). The author then introduces the notion of variation of BPS structure over a complex manifold \(M\), which is a family version of BPS structure and \(M\) is usually taken to be the Bridgeland stability manifolds [\textit{T. Bridgeland}, Ann. Math. (2) 166, No. 2, 317--345 (2007; Zbl 1137.18008)]. The author updates a convention of ``anti-clockwise product'' in the arXiv version, see Definition 3.3 (d) and Remark 4.6 (i) of [\url{arXiv:1611.03697}]. Main examples of variation of BPS structure include (i) theories from topological strings where \(M\) is the complexified Kähler cone (or Bridgeland stability manifold) over a compact Calabi-Yau threefold and (ii) theories of class \(S\) where \(M\) is a complex orbifold \(\mathrm{Quad}(g,m)\) as a discrete quotient of stability manifold over a Calabi-Yau category [\textit{T. Bridgeland} and \textit{I. Smith}, Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 121, 155--278 (2015; Zbl 1328.14025)]. The corresponding a family of solutions of Riemann-Hilbert problems is then a piecewise holomorphic map \[ X: M\times\mathbb{C}^*\rightarrow \mathbb{T}. \] A \(\tau\)-function for the given family of solutions is defined to be a piecewise holomorphic function \[ \tau: M\times \mathbb{C}^*\rightarrow \mathbb{C}^* \] satisfying some partial differential equation. The \(\tau\)-function serves as a technical tool to solve the Riemann-Hilbert problems. The author provides a solution of Riemann-Hilbert problem when the BPS structure is uncoupled and finite (Theorem 3.2 and Theorem 5.3) and provides a family of solutions for the corresponding framed miniversal variation of BPS structure over \(M\) (Theorem 3.4 and Theorem 5.5. The Barnes \(G\)-function and Riemann zeta function appear in the expression of \(\tau\)-function. In section 6, the author considers a geometric example where \(M\) is the Bridgeland stability manifold on the category of coherent sheaves supported in dimension \(\leq 1\) on a compact Calabi-Yau threefold \(X\). The BPS structures are uncoupled but not finite. The BPS invariants are conjectured to be given by genus \(0\) Gopakumar-Vafa invariants, see Conjecture 6.20 of [\textit{D. Joyce} and \textit{Y. Song}, Mem. Am. Math. Soc. 1020, iii-v, 199 p. (2012; Zbl 1259.14054)]. A formal computation of the logarithm of \(\tau\)-function reproduces the genus \(0\) degenerate contributions to the Gromov-Witten generating function. In section 7, the author explains the connection of Riemann-Hilbert problems (by taking \(M=\mathrm{Quad}(g,m)\)) with the exact WKB analysis. In [\textit{T. Bridgeland}, ``Riemann-Hilbert problems for the resolved conifold'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:1703.02776}], the author further studies the Riemann-Hilbert problems when \(X\) is the resolved conifold, and the solutions are given explicitly in terms of the Barnes double and triple sine functions. In [\textit{A. Barbieri}, ``A Riemann-Hilbert problem for uncoupled BPS structures'', Manuscripta Math. (2019), \url{doi:10.1007/s00229-019-01115-y}], Barbieri studies the Riemann-Hilbert problem attached to an uncoupled BPS structure. The author, joint with A. Barbieri and J. Stoppa, further propose and study a quantized Riemann-Hilbert problem in the refined Donaldson-Thomas theory [\textit{A. Barbieri} et al., ``A quantized Riemann-Hilbert problem in Donaldson-Thomas theory'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:1905.00748}].