The local Gromov-Witten theory of \({\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}^1}\) and integrable hierarchies (Q444074)

The aim of this work is to identify as explicitly as possible an integrable hierarchy capturing the full equivariant Gromov-Witten theory of the ``local projective line'' (the total space of rank-two bundles \({\mathcal O}_{{\mathbb C} {\mathbb P}^1}(-k)\oplus{\mathcal O}_{{\mathbb C}{\mathbb P}^1}(k-2)\)). The existence of such a hierarchy is expected on formal grounds, by analogy with lower-dimensional Fano examples, as well as certain developments in topological strings over the past decade. The main novelty of the present contribution is the ambition to consider the full-fledged Gromov-Witten theory, including descendents, in the three-dimensional Calabi-Yau case. The calculations are informed mostly by the Dubrovin-Zhang formalism. The main results are the conjectureal identification of the hierarchy relevant for \(k=1\) (the resolved conifold) as the Ablowitz-Ladik lattice, and the verification of the conjecture up to genus 1 for the descendent theory, and up to genus 2 for the primary sector. The paper is readable with a working knowledge of basic definitions of Gromov-Witten theory, and an acquaintance with the Dubrovin formalism. The point of view of integrable PDEs is emphasized over the geometric aspects (which are mostly borrowed from the literature).