Polynomiality of Hurwitz numbers, Bouchard-Mariño conjecture, and a new proof of the ELSV formula (Q2344265)

Hurwitz numbers \(h^\circ_{g,\mu}\) count ramified coverings of the \(2\)-sphere by a connected genus \(g\) surface with ramification profile at \(\infty\) given by a partition \(\mu\). The ELSV formula expresses them in terms of the intersection numbers on the moduli space of curves, and the Bouchard-Mariño conjecture relates them to matrix models. Both are combinatorial in nature and are known to be equivalent, but all known (rigorous) proofs of the conjecture are based on deriving it from the ELSV formula, and all known proofs of the ELSV formula are based directly or indirectly on computing the Euler class of the fixed locus of the \(\mathbb{C}^*\) action on the space of relative stable maps to \(\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}^1\). In other words, all known proofs are non-combinatorial. In this paper the authors remedy this in three main steps. First, they prove the ``polynomiality'' of Hurwitz numbers directly from the infinite wedge formalism, independently of the ELSV formula, by refining an argument of Okounkov-Pandharipande. Second, they use the polynomiality together with the cut-and-join equation for Hurwitz numbers to prove the Bouchard-Mariño conjecture. And third, they derive the ELSV formula from it using the known equivalence, without the Euler class computation, thus providing a combinatorial proof of both. A refined proof of the equivalence is also given based on the correspondence between the topological recursion and the Givental theory.