The rôle of Coulomb branches in 2D gauge theory (Q824403)

Summary: I give a simple construction of the \textit{Coulomb branches} \(\mathscr{C}_{3,4}(G;E)\) of gauge theory in three and four dimensions, defined by \textit{H. Nakajima} [Adv. Theor. Math. Phys. 20, No. 3, 595--669 (2016; Zbl 1433.81121)] and \textit{A. Braverman} et al. [Adv. Theor. Math. Phys. 22, No. 5, 1071--1147 (2018; Zbl 1479.81043)] for a compact Lie group \(G\) and a polarizable quaternionic representation \(E\). The manifolds \({\mathscr{C}(G;\mathbf{0})}\) are abelian group schemes over the bases of regular adjoint \({G_\mathbb{C}} \)-orbits, respectively conjugacy classes, and \({\mathscr{C}(G;E)}\) is glued together over the base from two copies of \({\mathscr{C}(G;\mathbf{0})}\) shifted by a rational Lagrangian section \({\varepsilon_V} \), representing the Euler class of the \textit{index} bundle of a polarization \({V}\) of \({E} \). Extending the interpretation of \({\mathscr{C}_3(G;\mathbf{0})}\) as ``classifying space'' for topological 2D gauge theories, I characterize functions on \({\mathscr{C}_3(G;E)}\) as operators on the equivariant quantum cohomologies of \({M\times V} \), for compact symplectic \({G}\)-manifolds \({M}\). The non-commutative version has a similar description in terms of the \({\Gamma}\)-class of \({V}\).