Vector bundles and \(F\) theory (Q1379535)

In this paper, the authors develop techniques to describe the constructions of holomorphic \(G\) bundles over elliptic Calabi-Yau manifolds for various groups \(G\), and make detailed comparisons between the heterotic string and \(F\) theory. \textit{E. Looijenga} [Invent. Math. 38, 17-32 (1976; Zbl 0358.17016) and 61, 1-32 (1980; Zbl 0436.17005)] determined the moduli space \({\mathcal M}\) of \(G\) bundles on an elliptic curve \(E\) for any simple, connected, and simply-connected group \(G\) of rank \(r\). The moduli space \({\mathcal M}\) is always a weighted projective space \(W\mathbb{P}^r\). In this paper, the authors present four approaches to understanding the moduli space \({\mathcal M}\) for different classes \(G\): (1) For \(G=SU(n)\) or \(G=Sp(n)\), the moduli spaces are determined by a completely direct computation. (2) For a not necessarily simple-laced group \(G\) one explains two different reductions to the simple-laced case. (3) For \(E_6\), \(E_7\), \(E_8\), and certain subgroups one relates \(G\) bundles to del Pezzo surfaces. (4) The most general and powerful approach is by constructing a distinguished unstable \(G\) bundle on \(E\), which has the property that it can be deformed in a canonical way to any semistable \(G\) bundle (this construction always produces the regular representative of every \(S\)-equivalence class). For applications, it is necessary to understand \(G\) bundles not just on a single elliptic curve \(E\), but on a complex manifold \(Z\) that is elliptically fibered over a base \(B\). The fiber of \(Z\) over a point \(b \in B\) is an ellipic curve \(E_b\) (perhaps singular). The moduli space of \(G\) bundles on \(E_b\) is a weighted projective space \(W\mathbb{P}_b\). The spaces \(W\mathbb{P}_b\) fit together, as \(b\) varies, to a bundle \({\mathcal W}\) of weighted projective spaces. Any \(G\) bundle over \(Z\) that is sufficiently generic on each fiber determines a section of \({\mathcal W}\), and in many situations the bundles associated with a given section can be effectively described. One of the main goals of the paper is to obtain a description of \({\mathcal W}\). This determination of \({\mathcal W}\) serves as the basis for an extensive comparison of the moduli spaces of \(G\) bundles on \(Z\) to appropriate \(F\) theory moduli spaces (i.e. the duality between the heterotic string and \(F\) theory). Another application of the construction of \(G\) bundles is the computation of the basic characteristic class of these bundles, which leads to an important comparison between the heterotic string and \(F\) theory (for example, in the case of compactification of the heterotic string on a Calabi-Yau threefold). Finally, one compares the explicit construction of \(G\) bundles to what could be predicted a priori from index theory.