Hodge correlators (Q667996)

This remarkable article deals with the geometry associated with an irreducible regular projective curve $X$ together with a finite subset $S$ of $X$. Over a field $F$ there should exist, conjecturally, the motivic fundamental Lie algebra ${\mathrm{L}}(X-S, v_0)$ of the curve $X-S$ with a distinguished tangential base point $v_0$ at $s_0$, see [\textit{P. Deligne} and \textit{A. B. Goncharov}, Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér. (4) 38, No. 1, 1--56 (2005; Zbl 1084.14024)]. Let $S^*:= S-\{s_0\}$, consider the Hodge realization ${\mathrm{V}}_{X, S^*} := H_1(X, \mathbb{C}) \oplus \mathbb{C} [S^*]$ and the corresponding free algebra $\mathrm{L}_{X, S^*}$ generated by ${\mathrm{V}}_{X, S^*}$. Now $\mathrm{L}_{X, S^*}$ carries a pure Hodge structure and it is known to be canonically isomorphic to the weighted graded object associated with $\pi^{\mathrm{nil}}_1(X -S, v_0)$, the Lie algebra which is the pronilpotent completion of the fundamental group of $X-S$. \par One of the aims of the present article is to produce a mixed $\mathbb{R}$-Hodge structure for $\pi^{\mathrm{nil}}_1(X -S, v_0)$. The starting point is Deligne's theorem that the Tannakian category of mixed $\mathbb{R}$-Hodge structures is equivalent to representations of the Hodge Galois group ${\mathrm{G}}_{\mathrm{Hod}}$ [\textit{P. Deligne}, Proc. Symp. Pure Math. 55, 509--514 (1994; Zbl 0824.14005)]. The Lie algebra ${\mathrm{L}}_{\mathrm{Hod}}$ of the unipotent kernel ${\mathrm{U}}_{\mathrm{Hod}}$ has the structure of a Lie algebra in the category of pure real Hodge structures, and it is free graded. The required mixed Hodge structure shall be determined by giving a morphism from ${\mathrm{L}}_{\mathrm{Hod}}$ to ${\mathrm{Der}}^S{\mathrm{L}}_{X,S^*} $, this is the algebra of special derivations of $\mathrm{L}_{X, S^*}$. \par To perform this job, the author introduces a certain explicit cyclic algebra $\mathcal{C}{\mathcal{L}ie}_{X, S^*}$, which he proves to be isomorphic with ${\mathrm{Der}}^S{\mathrm{L}}_{X,S^*} $. The dual $\mathcal{C}{\mathcal{L}ie}^\vee_{\mathcal{H}; X, S^*}$ is the cyclic Lie coalgebra assigned to the $\mathbb{R}$-Hodge structure ${\mathrm{gr}}^WH^1(X-S;\mathbb{R})$. The task is therefore equivalent to the construction of a dual map $\mathcal{C} {\mathcal{L}ie}^{\vee}_{X, S^*} \longrightarrow \mathcal{L}ie_{\mathrm{Hod}}$. To this aim, the author produces a natural set of graded generators for ${\mathrm{L}}_{\mathrm{Hod}}$, called the Green operators $G_{p,q}$, different from the ones of Deligne. \par The notable fact is that they are found by working with variations of mixed $\mathbb{R}$-Hodge structures. Specifically, the paper proves that such a variation is equivalent to the information carried by a variation of pure Hodge structures together with a new object invented here and called the \textit{Green datum} $\{G_{p,q}, \nu\}$. This is accomplished by means of a highly surprising procedure which requires the use of a Feynman like integral construction. As the author explains the Green generators determines a period map $p: \mathcal{L}ie_{\mathrm{Hod}} \to i \mathbb{R}. $ The \textit{Hodge correlator} of an element in $\mathcal{C}{\mathcal{L}ie}^{\vee}_{X, S^*}$ is the period of its image under the dual map to $\mathcal{L}ie_{\mathrm{Hod}}$. The value is computed precisely according to the machinery of the integral construction said above. \par The author proves also that his method gives the standard mixed $\mathbb{R}$-Hodge structure on the pronilpotent completion, the same one as in [\textit{J. W. Morgan}, Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 48, 137--204 (1978; Zbl 0401.14003)], [\textit{R. M. Hain}, Proc. Symp. Pure Math. 46, 247--282 (1987; Zbl 0654.14006)] and A. A. Beilinson. The novel thing is that the method of Hodge correlators admits a lifting to the motivic fundamental group and therefore carries richer information. This idea is pursued extensively next, motivic correlators are produced, they are elements of the motivic Lie algebra and their periods are the Hodge correlators. In this way the motivic fundamental group of the curve is described in a similar manner as for the Hodge realization. \par The paper contains much more, for instance several intriguing computations. This is the list from the abstract: ``Examples of the Hodge correlators include classical and elliptic polylogarithms, and their generalizations. The simplest Hodge correlators on the modular curves are the Rankin-Selberg integrals. Examples of the motivic correlators include Beilinson's elements in the motivic cohomology, e.g. the ones delivering the Beilinson--Kato Euler system on modular curves.'' \par There is a sequel to the present article [``Hodge correlators. II'', Mosc. Math. J. 10, No. 1, 139--188 (2010; Zbl 1217.14007)], Hodge correlators are investigated there more in general, i.e. for a compact connected Kähler manifold $X$ of arbitrary dimension.