Donaldson-Thomas invariants of Calabi-Yau orbifolds under flops (Q669473)

Let \(X\) be a Calabi-Yau threefold. A longstanding problem, solved in many cases, is to understand how the enumerative geometry of \(X\) changes through birational transformations of \(X\). For example, it was proven by \textit{T. Bridgeland} [Invent. Math. 147, No. 3, 613--632 (2002; Zbl 1085.14017)] that the derived categories \(D(X)\) and \(D(X')\) are equivalent if \(X\) and \(X'\) are related by a flop. In the paper under review, the author is concerned with \(\mathcal{X}\) and \(\mathcal{X}'\) two Calabi-Yau threefold Deligne-Mumford stacks related by an orbifold flop. A first result proven in the paper is to extend Bridgeland's result to this more general setting. The enumerative theory considered in the paper is the Donaldson-Thomas (DT) theory of \(\mathcal{X}\). Let \(\alpha\in F_1 K(\mathcal{X})\) be a numerical \(K\)-class with support in dimension \(\leq1\) and consider the Behrend function \(\nu_H\) on the Hilbert scheme \(\mathrm{Hilb}^\alpha(\mathcal{X})\) of substacks of class \(\alpha\). Define \(\mathrm{DT}_\alpha(\mathcal{X})\) as the weighted Euler characteristics \(\chi\left( \mathrm{Hilb}^\alpha(\mathcal{X}) , \nu_H \right)\) and consider the generating function \[ \mathrm{DT}(\mathcal{X}) := \sum_{\alpha \in F_1 K(\mathcal{X})} \mathrm{DT}_\alpha(\mathcal{X})q^\alpha. \] Moreover, define a generating function \(\mathrm{DT}'(\mathcal{X})\) as the product of \(\mathrm{DT}(\mathcal{X})\) with (roughly speaking) the generating function of classes that are contracted by the flop divided by the generating function of invariants in classes supported in dimension 0. Admitting a result announced by Arend Bayer proving the DT/PT (Pandharipande-Thomas) correspondence for Calabi-Yau orbifolds, the main result of the paper (Theorem 1.3) states that \(\mathrm{DT}'(\mathcal{X})\) is invariant by flop. The proof relies on working in the motivic Hall algebra of the category of perverse sheaves on \(\mathcal{X}\).