Quasi-polynomiality of monotone orbifold Hurwitz numbers and Grothendieck's dessins d'enfants (Q2003501)

Orbifold Hurwitz numbers are the weighted count of connected genus \(g\) covers of the projective line with specific ramification behavior over \(0\) and \(\infty\) and simple ramification elsewhere, if any. These numbers appear in many different contexts with many different disguises, such as the intersection theory of moduli space of curves, low dimensional topology, topological recursion and matrix models, etc. Among many such instances, the authors use the reincarnation of Hurwitz numbers in the context of semi-infinite wedge formalism, [\textit{A. Alexandrov} et al., J. High Energy Phys. 2016, No. 5, Paper No. 124, 31 p. (2016; Zbl 1388.81016)]. In this interpretation, the authors verify the conjectures of \textit{N. Do} and \textit{M. Karev}, [J. Math. Sci., New York 226, No. 5, 568--587 (2017; Zbl 1388.14097)], and \textit{N. Do} and \textit{D. Manescu}, [Commun. Number Theory Phys. 8, No. 4, 677--701 (2014; Zbl 1366.14034)]. More precisely, they show that the dependence of various versions of Hurwitz numbers on the ramification parameters is polynomial. The proof is combinatorial and obtained by defining analogues of \(\mathcal{A}\) operators of \textit{A. Okounkov} and \textit{R. Pandharipande}, [Ann. Math. (2) 163, No. 2, 561--605 (2006; Zbl 1105.14077)], in the context of semi-infinite wedge formalism. It must be noted that their result in the context of ordinary orbifold Hurwitz numbers exists already in literature, see [\textit{N. Do} et al., Math. Res. Lett. 23, No. 5, 1281--1327 (2016; Zbl 1371.14061)].