Kähler moduli space for a D-brane at orbitfold singuarlities (Q1297671)

In the study of \(D\)-brane configuration spaces in string theories, physicists and geometers are led to describe the orbifold singularities of a Calabi-Yau \(d\)-fold of the form \(\mathbb{C}^d/G\), where \(G\) is a finite subgroup of \(SU(d)\). Mathematically, the \(D\)-brane configuration space corresponds to a generalization of the construction of the ADE-type hyper-Kähler manifolds due to \textit{P. B. Kronheimer} [J. Differ. Geom. 665-683 (1989; Zbl 0671.53045)] to higher dimensions, which has been studied recently by \textit{A. V. Sardo-Infirri} [electronic preprints alg-geom/9610004 and 9610005 (\url{http://font.math.ucdavis.edu})]. The case in which the group \(G\) is abelian is of particular significance, because then the \(D\)-brane configuration space appears as a toric variety obtained as a blow-up of the orbifold \(\mathbb{C}^d /G\), and it is precisely that case which the author studies in the paper under review. Based upon the theory of toric quotients developed by \textit{M. Thaddeus} [in: Topology, geometry and field theory, Proc. 31st Int. Symp. 1993 and Kyoto 1993 Singapore: World Scientific. 193-213 (1994; Zbl 0887.14028)], the author extends the approach of A. V. Sardo Infirri to investigate \(D\)-brane configuration spaces for cyclic groups in greater detail. Along with a remarkable variety of typical examples of phases of the \(D\)-brane configuration spaces for Calabi-Yau four-fold models comes an application to a particular \(G\)-Hilbert scheme, which is roughly the moduli space of points in \(\mathbb{C}^d\) invariant under the action of the group \(G\). The philosophy behind this detailed investigation is that the study of various Hilbert schemes, in this context, might shed some light on the geometrical aspects of \(D\)-branes on Calabi-Yau varieties. This philosophy has also been the strategy of study of several other authors in the recent past, for instance in the paper ``\(D\)-branes on Calabi-Yau spaces and their mirrors'' by \textit{H. Ooguri}, \textit{Y. Oz} and \textit{Z. Yin} [Nucl. Phys. B 477, 407-430 (1996; Zbl 0925.14008)], and the author's present work certainly constitutes a valuable enhancement along this line. The methods used in this work are basically of algebro-geometric nature (toric algebraic geometry) and, therefore, interesting for algebraic geometers, too. Although written in the typically narrative style of physicists, the author's exposition is well-structured, very clear and mathematically highly substantial, let alone its apparent significance for the physical theory of \(D\)-branes.