Refined node polynomials via long edge graphs (Q311075)

Given a complex algebraic surfaces \(S\), a line bundle \(L\) on \(S\), and integer \(\delta\), the Severi degree \(n^{(S,L),\delta}\) counts the number of \(\delta\)-nodal curves in the linear system \(|L|\) passing through \(\dim|L|-\delta\) general points. The Göttsche multiplicativity conjecture says that for \(L\) sufficiently ample with respect to \(\delta\), the Severi degrees \(n^{(S,L),\delta}\) are coefficients of \(t^\delta\) in the product \(a_1(t)^{L^2}a_2(t)^{LK_S}a_3(t)^{K^2_S}a_4(t)^{\chi({\mathcal O}_S}\), where \(a_1(t),a_2(t),a_3(t),a_4(t)\) are some universal power series. The authors analyze recent proofs of this conjecture for the plane and some other toric surfaces given by \textit{F. Block} et al. [Bull. Braz. Math. Soc. (N.S.) 45, No. 4, 625--647 (2014; Zbl 1323.14027)] and by \textit{F. Liu} and \textit{B. Osserman} [``Severi degrees on toric surfaces'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:1401.7023}], and which are based on the tropical geometry techniques (so-called long-edge graphs, or floor diagrams). In these proofs, the Severi degrees are expressed as the sums of weights of suitable long-edge graphs, where the weight of a long-edge graph turns to be the product of multiplicities of its edges. In the present paper, the authors replace the integer multiplicities \(m\) of the edges by refined multiplicities \(\frac{y^{m/2}-y^{-m/2}}{y^{1/2}-y^{-1/2}}\) (as it was done before for refined counting of plane tropical curves by \textit{F. Block} and \textit{L. Göttsche} [Compos. Math. 152, No. 1, 115--151 (2016; Zbl 1348.14125)] and introduce refined Severi degrees \(N_\delta((S,L),y)\) that appear to be Laurent polynomials in \(y\). The main result states the Göttsche multiplicativity of the refined Severi degrees for the plane and for ruled toric surfaces. For example, in the planar case, the generating function for the refined Severi degrees is the product \(a_1(y,t)a_2(y,t)^da_3(y,t)^{d^2}\), where \(a_1,a_2,a_3\in{\mathbb Q}[y,y^{-1}][[t]]\), and \(d\) the given degree of curves. At \(y=1\) this formula turns into the multiplicativity formula for the usual plane Severi degrees. At \(y=-1\) one obtains a generating function for Welschinger numbers that count real plane \(\delta\)-nodal curves of degree \(d\) passing through specific configurations of real points in the plane. The authors also discuss possible generalizations of the main result to counting curves on singular surfaces and to counting curves with prescribed multiple points.