Twisted sheaves and \(\text{SU}(r) / {\mathbb{Z}}_r\) Vafa-Witten theory (Q2134201)

In this paper, the authors study the S-duality conjecture of Vafa and Witten. Let \(S\) be a smooth projective complex surface satisfying \(H_1(S, \mathbb Z) = 0\). Fix a Chern class \(c_1 \in H_2(S, \mathbb Z)\). The S-duality conjecture predicts a modular transformation between the \(\text{SU}(r)\) partition function \(Z_{c_1}^{\text{SU}(r)}(\tau)\) and the partition function \(Z_{c_1}^{\text{SU}(r)/{\mathbb{Z}}_r}(\tau)\) for the Langlands dual group \(\text{SU}(r)/{\mathbb{Z}}_r\). Via the moduli space of Higgs pairs, Y.~Tanaka and R. P.~Thomas have defined and investigated the \(\text{SU}(r)\) partition function \(Z_{c_1}^{\text{SU}(r)}(\tau)\). The main results of the present paper are to give a mathematical definition of the \(\text{SU}(r)/{\mathbb{Z}}_r\) Vafa-Witten partition function \(Z_{c_1}^{\text{SU}(r)/{\mathbb{Z}}_r}(\tau)\) when \(r\) is prime, to formulate the S-duality conjecture when the surface \(S\) contains an effective canonical divisor, and to verify the S-duality conjecture when \(S\) is a \(K3\) surface. The ideas in the proofs are to use the moduli space of twisted sheaves whose Chern characters are twisted by rational \(B\)-fields, to utilize the symmetric perfect obstruction theory, and to apply Tanaka-Thomas' formula for \(Z_{c_1}^{\text{SU}(r)}(\tau)\) when \(S\) is a \(K3\) surface.