Aspects of Calabi-Yau integrable and Hitchin systems (Q2633014)

The aim of this paper is to explain the relationship between Calabi-Yau integrable systems and Hitchin systems based on work by Diaconescu-Donagi-Pantev and the author. Besides a review of these integrable systems, the author highlights related topics, for example variations of Hodge structures, cameral curves and Slodowy slices, along the way. \par This paper is organized as follows: the first section is an introduction to the subject. In the second section the author begins by introducing complex integrable systems and studies them from a Hodge-theoretic viewpoint. He defines non-degenerate complex tori and gives the intermediate Jacobian $J^2(X)$ of a compact Calabi-Yau threefold $X$ as an example. The former are equivalent to certain Hodge structures of weight $1$. Generalizing to the relative setting, he arrives at variations of Hodge structures of weight $1$. These give rise to complex integrable systems if they admit a special section, namely an abstract Seiberg-Witten differential. With these methods he constructs Calabi-Yau integrable systems from complete families of compact Calabi-Yau threefolds in a different way than originally done by \textit{R. Donagi} and \textit{E. Markman} [in: Proceedings of the Hirzebruch 65 conference on algebraic geometry. Ramat-Gan: Bar-Ilan University. 199--221 (1996; Zbl 0878.14031)]. \par In the third section, the author introduces the second prime examples of integrable systems, $G$-Hitchin systems for any general semi-simple complex Lie group $G$. This requires some background material, in particular the introduction of the adjoint quotient of a semisimple complex Lie algebra and cameral curves. The latter are a necessary tool to determine the isogeny and isomorphism classes of generic fibers of $G$-Hitchin systems in general. When $G\subset GL(n, \mathbb{C})$ is a classical semi-simple complex Lie group, they are closely related to the spectral curves introduced by \textit{N. Hitchin} [Duke Math. J. 54, 91--114 (1987; Zbl 0627.14024); Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 55, 59--126 (1987; Zbl 0634.53045)] for the same purpose. He gives a detailed comparison between the two notions based on [\textit{R. Donagi}, Astérisque. 218, 145--175 (1993; Zbl 0820.14031)]. \par Section four is devoted to Calabi-Yau integrable systems which are related to Hitchin systems. The corresponding families of non-compact Calabi-Yau three folds are constructed via Slodowy slices. The author reviews them together with their relation to so-called $\Delta$-singularities where $\Delta$ is an irreducible Dynkin diagram. Finally, he states the precise relationship between non-compact Calabi-Yau integrable systems and $G$-Hitchin systems where the simple complex Lie group $G$ has Dynkin diagram $\Delta$. Moreover, he recovers the above mentioned Langlands duality statement of Hitchin systems via Poincaré duality applied to the families of non-compact Calabi-Yau threefolds.