On symplectically rigid local systems of rank four and Calabi-Yau operators (Q1760100)

The paper under review characterizes differential operators which are geometrically constructible. This is done by studying whether a monodromy tuple (which determines completely the monodromy group of a differential operator) is of geometric origin or not. It is known that a subclass of monodromy tuples of geometric origin are the linearly rigid ones with quasi-unipotent monodromy, i.e., those, whose elements are quasi-unipotent, generate all irreducible subgroup in \(\mathrm{GL}_n({\mathbb{C}})\) and which are, up to simultaneous conjugation, completely determined by the Jordan forms of their elements. The notion of rigidity can be extend from \(\mathrm{GL}_n({\mathbb{C}})\) to any reductive complex algebraic group, e.g., to \(\mathrm{Sp}_4({\mathbb{C}})\). Then the elements of the monodromy tuples induced by a fourth order differential Calabi-Yau operator are known to lie in \(\mathrm{Sp}_4({\mathbb{C}})\). The main result of the paper is the classification of \(\mathrm{Sp}_4({\mathbb{C}})\)-rigid, quasi-unipotent local systems and show that all of them have geometric origin. It is formulated in the following theorem. Theorem. Each \(\mathrm{Sp}_4({\mathbb{C}})\)-rigid tuple consisting of quasi-unipotent elements can be reduced to a tuple of rank one via geometric operations. In particular, it is geometrically constructible using only tuples of rank one and thus of geometric origin. Furthermore, the question of which of those having a maximal unipotent elements are induced by fourth order Calabi-Yau operators, is addressed, with the formulation of a conjecture. Conjecture. An \(\mathrm{SO}_4({\mathbb{C}})\)-rigid tuple consisting of quasi-unipotent elements and having a maximally unipotent element is induced by a differential Calabi-Yau operator if and only if the elements of its second exterior power lie up to simultaneous conjugation in \(\mathrm{SO}_5({\mathbb{Z}})\). Furthermore, the inducing operator is unique.