Quantum difference equation for Nakajima varieties (Q2701516)

Associated to the quantum multiplication in the quantum cohomology of, say, a Nakajima quiver variety there is a flat connection called the quantum connection (a.k.a. Dubrovin connection or quantum differential equation). The paper under review constructs and studies the \(K\)-theoretic analog of the quantum connection. Namely, the authors describe the quantum differential equations that arise in the enumerative \(K\)-theory of ``quasimap'' counts of curves in Nakajima quiver varieties. The centrality of this concept is illustrated by the following relations. (a) For certain choices of the quiver the varieties are Hilbert schemes of points on a surface, and the resulting quantum connection plays a key role in comparing the corresponding Gromov-Witten and Donaldson-Thomas theories. (b) The quantum connection should also be interpreted as the (\(K\)-theoretic version of the) generalized Casimir connection of the Maulik-Okounkov Yangian associated to the quiver. (c) The quantum differential equations commute with another set of differential equations, the quantum Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equations. The actual path the authors follow to describe the quantum difference equations is also remarkable. First they define a ``quantum dynamical Weyl group(oid)'', acting on the torus equivariant \(K\)-theory. This Weyl group naturally contains a lattice and the action of this lattice is identified with the sought after quantum differential equations.