Connecting Hodge integrals to Gromov-Witten invariants by Virasoro operators (Q2035427)

Gromov-Witten invariants are important symplectic invariants for a nonsingular projective variety \(X\). They are defined to be certain intersection numbers over the moduli spaces of stable maps \(\overline{\mathcal{M}}_{g,n}(X,A)\), where \(A\in H_2(X,\mathbb{Z})\). The Hodge integrals are generalizations of Gromov-Witten invariants. The paper under review constructs a series of differential operators \(\{L_k\}_{k\geq1}\), and proves that these operators connect the generating functions for linear Hodge integrals and the generating functions for Gromov-Witten invariants after a change of variables. Moreover, these operators satisfy the Virasoro bracket relations. Their work is new and extends the result in [\textit{X. Liu} et al, Comm. Math. Phys., 346, 1, 143--190 (2016; Zbl 1418.37117)] for the point case, which was originally conjectured in [\textit{A. Alexandrov}, Lett. Math. Phys. 104, 1, 75--87 (2014; Zbl 1342.37066)]. The main method of this paper consists of the usage of the existing relation between these two generating functions in [\textit{C. Faber} et al, Invent. Math. 139, 1, 173--199 (2000; Zbl 0960.14031)] and the Zassenhaus formula.