Residue theorem for rational trigonometric sums and Verlinde's formula (Q1425561)

About fifteen years ago, the physicist E. Verlinde proposed a stunning formula for the dimension of the space of conformal blocks within the Wess-Zumino-Witten model of conformal quantum field theory. Verlinde's formula involves certain rational trigonometric sums of highly complicated combinatorial structure, whose effective computation represents a real mathematical challenge. On the other hand, this formula turned out to have a close relationship to the geometry of the moduli spaces of flat connections over compact Riemann surfaces, and it was this spectacular, utmost striking discovery that opened the way to computing various intersection numbers in the enumerative geometry of such moduli spaces. The paper under review makes another step forward in this direction. Namely, in order to help to uncover the geometric information hidden in Verlinde's formula, the author derives a compact polynomial formula computing certain rational trigonometric sums occuring in this context. Building upon his earlier results on rational sums and Bernoulli polynomials corresponding to central hyperplane arrangements [\textit{A. Szenes}, Int. Math. Res. Not. 1998, No. 18, 937-956 (1998; Zbl 0968.11015)], the author extends these investigations to affine hyperplane arrangements, obtains then a local formula for rational trigonomteric sums of ``Verlinde-type'', and compares his formula to a related result in the work of \textit{J.-M. Bismut} and \textit{F. Labourie} [Symplectic geometry and the Verlinde formulas, Surv. Differ. Geom., Suppl. J. Differ. Geom. 5, 97--311 (1999; Zbl 0997.53066)]. In fact, and as the author points out, one of the main goals of his paper under review is to prove the equality of the two formulas, which is achieved in great generality. Finally, the author's local sum formula is also related to the results of \textit{M. Brion} and \textit{M. Vergne} on vector partition functions [J. Am. Math. Soc. 10, 797--833 (1997; Zbl 0926.52016)]. However, this particular relationship is still in the process of closer inspection [\textit{A. Szenes} and \textit{M. Vergne}, Adv. Appl. Math. 30, 295--342 (2003; Zbl 1067.52014)]. No doubt, the paper under review is an important contribution to the current research on the combinatorics and geometry of the Verlinde formulas.