Betti numbers of parabolic \(U (2,1)\)-Higgs bundles moduli spaces (Q884780)

Let \(X\) be a compact Riemann surface with a divisor \(D\) consisting of finitely many marked points. Denote by \(K\) the cotangent bundle of \(X\). A \(U(2,1)\) parabolic Higgs bundle on \(X\) is a pair \((E,\phi)\) where \(E=V\oplus W, \, V, W\) being parabolic vector bundles of ranks \(2, 1\) respectively and a morphism \(\phi= \gamma \oplus \beta\) with \(\gamma: V \to W\otimes K(D)\) and \(\beta: W \to V\otimes K(D)\) strongly parabolic morphisms. Fixing the rank, degree and (generic) parabolic weights of \(E\), the author computes the Betti numbers of the moduli space \({\mathcal U}\) of stable \(U(2,1)\) parabolic Higgs bundles using the standard technique of Bott-Morse theory. The moduli space \({\mathcal U}\) is a submanifold of the moduli space \({\mathcal M}\) of stable rank \(3\) parabolic Higgs bundles. It is known that the moduli spaces \({\mathcal M}\) for different choices of generic parabolic weights have the same Betti numbers [\textit{O. Garcia-Prada, P. B. Gothen} and \textit{V. Muñoz}, ``Betti numbers of the moduli space of rank 3 parabolic Higgs bundles.'' Mem. Am. Math. Soc. 879 (2007; Zbl 1132.14031)], this is not true for \({\mathcal U}\). The author constructs explicit examples for one marked point showing that the Poincaré polynomials of \({\mathcal U}\) depend on the choice of parabolic weights.