Note on a conjecture of Gopakumar-Vafa (Q2431991)

Based on the duality between type IIA string theory and M-Theory, Gopakumar and Vafa conjectured that the generating function \({\mathcal F}_X(q,\lambda)\) of Gromov-Witten invariants of a smooth Calabi-Yau threefold \(X\) can be written as \[ {\mathcal F}_X(q,\lambda)=\sum_{h\geq 0,k>0,\beta\in H_2(X;{\mathbb Z})}n_h(\beta)\frac{1}{k}\left( 2\sin\frac{k\lambda}{2} \right)^{2h-2}q^{k\beta}, \] where the integers \(n_h(\beta)\) encode basic geometrical properties of suitable spaces of D-branes, e.g., their Euler characteristics. A rigorous mathematical version of the spaces of D-branes appearing in the Gopakumar-Vafa conjecture is given by the moduli spaces \({\mathcal M}_X(\beta,1)\) of pure dimension one stable sheaves \(\mathcal E\) on \(X\) with \(c_2({\mathcal E})=-\beta\) and \(\chi({\mathcal E})=1\). The genus zero Gopakumar-Vafa conjecture can then be rephrased as follows: Let \(n_0(\beta)=\deg[{\mathcal M}_X(\beta,1)]^{\text{vir}}\); then the generating function of genus zero Gromov-Witten invariants of \(X\) has the form \[ {\mathcal F}_{X,0}(q)=\sum_{\beta\in H_2(X;{\mathbb Z})}\left(\sum_{k| \beta}\frac{1}{k^3}n_0(\beta/k)\right)q^\beta. \] In case \(X\) is projective and all rational curves in \(X\) are rigid, the above formula can be seen as a version of the Aspinwall-Morrison multicover formula [\textit{P.~S.~Aspinwall} and \textit{D.~R.~Morrison}, Commun. Math. Phys. 151, No. 2, 245--262 (1993; Zbl 0776.53043)]. This means that (in this case) the Gopakumar-Vafa invariant \(n_0(\beta)\) counts the expected number of rational curves in \(X\) (rather than genus zero maps to \(X\)). And indeed, there is an \(S^1\)-action with finite stabilizers on the component of \({\mathcal M}_X(\beta,1)\) consisting of sheaves supported on high genus curves, so that only sheaves supported on rational curves contribute to the degree of the virtual fundamental class \([{\mathcal M}_X(\beta,1)]^{\text{vir}}\). The authors investigate the genus zero Gopakumar-Vafa conjecture for \(K3\) fibred local Calabi-Yau threefolds, namely threefolds \(X\) endowed with a proper submersive holomorphic map \(\pi: X\to \Delta\), where \(\Delta\) denotes the complex disk. Denote by \(X_0\) the central fiber \(\pi^{-1}(0)\); it is a compact smooth \(K3\) surface. An homology class \(\beta\in H_2(X;{\mathbb Z})\) is called a curve class if it can be represented by a proper one-dimensional subscheme \(D\) of \(X\); it is called a curve class in \(X_0\) if the subscheme \(D\) can be chosen to be a subscheme of \(X_0\); finally, a curve class \(\beta\) is called fibrewise rigid if all infinitesimal deformations of \(D\) in \(X\) which represent the class \(\beta\) must be contained in \(X_0\). Fibrewise rigidity, in a certain sense, constrains the relevant geometry on the central fibre. More precisely, the moduli space \({\mathcal M}_X(\beta,1)\) is isomorphic to the moduli space \({\mathcal M}_{X_0}(\beta,1)\) of pure dimension one stable sheaves of \({\mathcal O}_{X_0}\)-modules with first Chern class \(\beta\) and Euler characteristic 1. Also, the moduli stack \({\mathcal M}_0(X_0,\beta)\) of genus zero stable maps to \(X_0\) whose image represents the class \(\beta\) is isomorphic, via the canonical inclusion, to the moduli stack \({\mathcal M}_0(X,\beta)\). The main result of the paper can then be stated as follows: Let \(X\) be a \(K3\) fibred local Calabi-Yau threefold, and let \(\beta_0\) be a fiberwise rigid curve class in \(X_0\); suppose that \(\text{ Pic}(X_0)={\mathbb Z}\cdot \beta_0\) and that, for some integer \(d\leq 5\) all (reduced) rational curves in the linear series \(| k\beta_0| \) are nodal, for \(k\leq d\); then the genus zero Gopakumar-Vafa conjecture for \(X\) holds up to \(q^{d\beta_0}\): \[ {\mathcal F}_{X,0}(q)\equiv\sum_{\beta\in H_2(X;{\mathbb Z})}\left(\sum_{k| \beta}\frac{1}{k^3} n_0(\beta/k)\right)q^\beta\mod q^{(d+1)\beta_0}. \] A sequel paper is announced, in which it will be shown how a deformation argument allows to remove the technical condition on the nodal rational curves in the linear series.