On the spaces of Dotsenko-Fateev integrals (Q1902457)

The paper concerns the calculation of period integrals relevant to conformal blocks of primary fields. If \(z_1,\dots,z_n\) are complex variables, \(\omega_1,\dots, \omega_{k-1}\) are given distinct points of the complex plane and \(\mu,\mu_1,\dots, \mu_{k-1}\) are complex parameters then by \(\phi\) we denote the following function: \[ \phi= \prod_{1\leq i\leq n} \prod_{1\leq a\leq k-1}(\omega_a-z_i)^{-\mu_a} \prod_{1\leq i<j\leq n}(z_i-z_j)^\mu. \] For the \(n\)-form \(\Phi=\phi dz_1 \wedge\cdots\wedge dz_n\) one can define the space \(V(\Phi)\) of the periods of \(\Phi\). By a period integral of the form \(\Phi\) one understands a map \(I(\Phi)\) from a suitable homology space \(H_n\) of closed domains of integration \(c\) to functions of the points \(\omega_a\), defined by the integral \[ I_c(\Phi)=\int_c\phi dz_1\cdots dz_n. \] The space \(V(\Phi)\) can be identified with the quotient space of \(H_n\) given by \(H_n\) modulo those \(c\) for which \(I_c(\Phi)=0\), i.e., \(V(\Phi)= H_n/\ker I(\Phi)\). The author shows that the space of periods \(V(\Phi)\) is a quotient space of twisted homology of configuration spaces by a certain subgroup of ``local cycles''. The author claims that his result leads to a description of conformal field theory which is free of representation theoretical data. In particular, fusion rules have to appear as the necessary and sufficient conditions for the form \(\Phi\) to be cohomologically non-trivial.