Cluster configuration spaces of finite type (Q2665994)

Given a Dynkin Diagram \(D\) of finite type, authors construct an affine algebraic variety \(\mathcal{M}_D\), called cluster configuration space of type \(D\), and its partial conmpactification \(\widetilde{\mathcal{M}}_D\), in analogy to what was done in [\textit{F. C. S. Brown}, Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér. (4) 42, No. 3, 371--489 (2009; Zbl 1216.11079)] for the partial compactification of \(\mathcal{M}_{0,n}\) (recovering this case as a special case when the Dynkin diagram \(D\) is \(A_n\)). They show that \(\mathcal{M}_D\) and \(\widetilde{\mathcal{M}}_D \) are smooth affine algebraic varieties and that the boundary stratification of \(\widetilde{\mathcal{M}}_D\) is simple normal-crossing. They show also that \(\mathcal{M}_D\) can be obtained as a quotient of a cluster variety by the action of the cluster automorphism torus \(T\) considered in [\textit{T. Lam} and \textit{D. E. Speyer}, Algebra Number Theory 16, No. 1, 179--230 (2022; Zbl 1498.13062)], and that \(\widetilde{\mathcal{M}}_D \) can be viewed as an affine open in a projective toric variety. Exploiting the analogy with \((\mathcal{M}_{0,n})\), the authors show some properties and features about \(\mathcal{M}_D\) and \(\widetilde{\mathcal{M}}_D\). First, they consider the distinguished nonnegative part \(\mathcal{M}_{D,\geq 0}\) observing that is a stratified space homeomorphic to the face stratification of the generalized associahedron, and then show that the positive part \(\mathcal{M}_{D,>0}\subset \mathcal{M}_D(\mathbb{R})\) is a distinguished connected component which satisfies the other properties of a positive geometry in the sense of \textit{N. Arkani-Hamed} et al. [J. High Energy Phys. 2017, No. 11, Paper No. 39, 124 p. (2017; Zbl 1383.81273)]. Let \(\tilde{B}\) be a full rank acyclic extended exchange matrix of type \(D\), \(\mathcal{A}(\tilde{B})\) its cluster algebra. Then they show that \(\mathcal{M}_D\) is isomorphic to the (free) quotient of the locus where all cluster variables are non-vanishing inside \(\mathrm{Spec}(\mathcal{A}(\tilde{B}))\) by the cluster automorphism group, generalizing the construction of \(\mathcal{M}_{0,n}\) from the Grassmannian \(Gr(2, n)\). As an application of their results on quotients of cluster varieties and on \(F\)-polynomials, The positive tropicalization of the cluster configuration space \(\mathrm{Trop}_{>0} \mathcal{M}_D\) is identified with the cluster fan \(\mathcal{N}(D^{\vee})\). This answers positive Conjecture 8.1 in the work [\textit{D. Speyer} and \textit{L. Williams}, J. Algebr. Comb. 22, No. 2, 189--210 (2005; Zbl 1094.14048)] on positive tropicalizations of cluster varieties of finite type. Namely from this they show as a corollary that if \(\tilde{B}\) is of full rank and has finite type, then \(\mathrm{Trop}_{>0}X(\tilde{B})/L\) is combinatorially isomorphic to the complete fan \(\mathcal{N}(B)\), \(X(\tilde{B})\) being the cluster variety of \(\mathcal{A}(\tilde{B})\), \(L\) the lineality space of its tropicalization. They proceed with studying the topology of \(\mathcal{M}_D(\mathbb{C})\) and \(\mathcal{M}_D(\mathbb{R})\), ending in the computation of point counts over finite fields, and the Euler characteristics of \(\mathcal{M}_{B_n}(\mathbb{R})\) and \(\mathcal{M}_{B_n}(\mathbb{C})\)). In the end they define the cluster string amplitude in analogy with superstring amplitudes on \(\mathcal{M}_{0,n}\), opening to further directions.