Polynomial recursion formula for linear Hodge integrals (Q543994)

The moduli space \(\mathcal{M}_{g,n}\) of non-singular complex algebraic curves of genus \(g\) (equivalently, of Riemann surfaces of genus \(g\) with \(n\) marked points) has a natural compactification \(\overline{\mathcal{M}}_{g,n}\), the moduli space of stable curves. In the cohomology of \(\overline{\mathcal{M}}_{g,n}\) a special role is played by the so-called tautological classes. Among them there are the classes \(\psi_i\) (\(i=1,\dots,n\)) given by the first Chern class of the cotangent bundle at the \(i\)th marked point, and the Hodge classes \(\lambda_j\), defined as the \(j\)th Chern class of the Hodge bundle on \(\overline{\mathcal{M}}_{g,n}\). The paper under review deals with linear Hodge integrals, i.e., integrals over \(\overline{\mathcal{M}}_{g,n}\) of the product of a monomial in the \(\psi\)-classes with one class \(\lambda_j\). The main result of the paper is an explicit formulation of the topological recursion formula for linear Hodge integrals in terms of polynomial generating functions. The topological complexity in the recursion is given by the integer \(m=2g-2+n\), i.e., the topological genus of an \(n\)-punctured Riemann surface of genus \(g\). In the recursive formula, integrals with complexity \(m\) are expressed as polynomials in integrals of complexity \(m-1\). The approach that leads to this formula is based on the connection between linear Hodge integrals and Hurwitz numbers, given by the ELSV-formula [\textit{T. Ekedahl, S. Lando, S. Shapiro} and \textit{A. Vainshtein}, Invent. Math. 146, No. 2, 297--327 (2001; Zbl 1073.14041)]. For genus \(g\) and a partition \(\mu\), the Hurwitz number \(h_{g,\mu}\) is defined as the number of branched genus \(g\) covers of the projective line simply ramified outside \(\infty\in{\mathbb P}^1\) and with branching behaviour specified by \(\mu\) over \(\infty\in{\mathbb P}^1\). Hurwitz numbers are classical combinatorial invariants whose structure has been a subject of intensive study. The proof of the main result is based on a computation of the Laplace transform of the Hurwitz number \(h_{g,\mu}\) considered as a function of the partition \(\lambda\). Then the the polynomial recursion formula follows from applying to this Laplace transform the celebrated cut-and-joint equation for Hurwitz numbers of \textit{I. P. Goulden, D. M. Jackson} and \textit{R. Vakil} [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc., III. Ser. 83, No. 3, 563--581 (2001; Zbl 1074.14520)]. The study of the Laplace transform used in this paper is further developed in [\textit{B. Eynard, M. Mulase} and \textit{B. Safnuk}, Publ. Res. Inst. Math. Sci. 47, No. 2, 629--670 (2011; Zbl 1225.14022)].