Mirror principle. I (Q1127923)

This paper deals with a complete proof of the computation of the number \(n_d\) of rational curves of degree \(d\) on a general quintic in the 4-dimensional complex projective space \({\mathbb P}^4\), for any \(d\). In an earlier paper [\textit{P. Candelas, X. de la Ossa, P. Green} and \textit{L. Parkes}, Nucl. Phys. B 359 21-47 (1991)] there was conjectured a formula giving a generating function for the numbers \(n_d\) explicitly in terms of some hypergeometric functions. This computation is based on the existence of the so-called ``mirror manifolds''. \textit{B. Greene} and \textit{R. Plesser} [Nucl. Phys. B 338, 15-37 (1990)] proved the existence of mirror manifolds for a particular case of Calabi-Yau threefolds and this class contains the general quintic. The paper under review contains the first complete proof of the generating formula for the numbers \(n_d\) and the authors say that their ``mirror principle'' can be applied to compute other multiplicative equivariant characteristic classes on stable map moduli space. They announce the now published paper: ``Mirror principle. II'' [Asian J. Math. 3, No. 1, 109-146 (1999)] which contains the case of toric varieties and homogeneous manifolds.