Enumeration of genus-two curves with a fixed complex structure in \(\mathbb{P}^2\) and \(\mathbb{P}^3\) (Q1880407)

The Ruan-Tian invariants of a symplectic manifold defined in [ \textit{Y. Ruan} and \textit{G. Tian}, J. Differ. Geom. 42, 259--367 (1995; Zbl 0860.58005)] are invariants of its symplectic structure; they count the number of (possibly perturbed) pseudo-holomorphic curves which satisfy appropriate incidence conditions. On the other hand, the enumerative problems in algebraic geometry ask for the number of algebraic curves which pass through subvarieties of a given projective variety. In the paper under review, the author continues his program of comparing the Ruan-Tian-invariants to the enumerative invariants of \(\mathbb P^n\), for \(n=2,3\) [see Topology 43, 793--829 (2004; Zbl 1060.53081) and J. Algebr. Geom. 13, 547--561 (2004; Zbl 1063.14038) for his related work on the subject]. The invariants of genus \(g\) for \(\mathbb P^n\) defined by Ruan and Tian are obtained as follows: consider the moduli space of \(\nu\)-perturbed, \(J\)-holomorphic curves \[ \mathcal M_{\Sigma,\nu,d}:= \{u:\Sigma\rightarrow\mathbb P^n\mid\bar\partial u=\nu(u)\} \] and let \(\mu=(\mu_1,\ldots,\mu_N)\) be a tuple of complex submanifolds of \(\mathbb P^n\). If \[ \sum_{l=1}^N\text{codim}_{\mathbb C}\mu_l=d(n+1)-n(g-1)+N, \] and the \(\mu_l\)'s are chosen generically, then \[ \mathcal M_{\Sigma,\nu,d}(\mu):=\{u\in\mathcal M_{\Sigma,\nu,d}\mid\exists y_l\in\Sigma\text{ s.t. } u(y_l)\in\mu_l,\;\forall\,l=1,\ldots,N\} \] consists of a finite number of (oriented) points. The signed number of these points is the symplectic invariant \(\text{RT}(\mu)\) of \(\mathbb P^n\) of Ruan and Tian. The approach to the comparison problem consists in studying the behaviour of the spaces \(\mathcal M_{\Sigma,t\nu,d}\) as \(t\rightarrow 0\). In the degeneration process one obtains, besides the simple curves which are the ones of interest, stable maps; these are defined on \(\Sigma\) with a finite number of bubble trees attached to it. The \(n=2,3\) and \(g=2\) assumptions are used to deduce that only stable maps which are constant on a \(\Sigma\)-component contribute to the Ruan-Tian invariant. From this one deduces the number \(n_{2,d}\) of curves of genus \(2\) and degree \(d\) in \(\mathbb P^n\), \(n=2,3\), which pass through appropriate subvarieties of \(\mathbb P^n\): \[ 2n_{2,d}(\mu)=\text{RT}(\mu)-\text{CR}(\mu). \] The factor of \(2\) in the formula counts for the hyperelliptic involution, while \(\text{CR}(\mu)\) represents the contribution from the rational curves in \(\mathbb P^n\). It is shown to be computable in terms of the number of rational curves in \(\mathbb P^n\). The difficulty of the paper, which explains its length, consists in establishing a bijection between the curves in \(\mathbb P^n\) (in the algebro-geometric sense) on one hand, and the maps which are obtained during the degeneration process on the other hand.