E-polynomials of SL(2,C)-character varieties of complex curves of genus 3

Authors Vicente Muñoz, Javier Martínez-Martínez

Publication date 26 September 2016

Published in Osaka Journal of Mathematics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1405.7120, https://projecteuclid.org/euclid.ojm/1470413983

Betti moduli space character variety complex projective curve Hodge-Deligne polynomial

Transcendental methods, Hodge theory (algebro-geometric aspects) (14C30) Algebraic moduli problems, moduli of vector bundles (14D20) Geometric invariant theory (14L24) Transcendental methods of algebraic geometry (complex-analytic aspects) (32J25)

Abstract: We compute the E-polynomials of the moduli spaces of representations of the fundamental group of a complex curve of genus g=3 into $ SL(2,C), and also of the moduli space of twisted representations. The case of genus g=1,2 has already been done in [1]. We follow the geometric technique introduced in [2], based on stratifying the space of representations, and on the analysis of the behaviour of the E-polynomial under fibrations.

Review text

Let $X$ be a smooth complex projective curve of genus $g\geq1$ and $G$ a complex reductive group. The moduli space $\mathcal{M}(G)$ of semisimple representations of $\pi_1(X)$ into $G$ is called the $G$-character variety of $X$ and is given explicitly as the GIT quotient NEWLINE\[NEWLINE\mathcal{M}(G)=\left\{(A_1,B_1,\cdots,A_g,B_g)\in G^{2g}\left|\prod_{j=1}^g[A_j,B_j]=\text{Id}\right.\right\}\Bigg/\!\Bigg/G,NEWLINE\]NEWLINE where $G$ acts by simultaneous conjugation. More generally, when $G$ is $\text{GL}(n,\mathbb{C})$ or $\text{SL}(n,\mathbb{C})$, one can consider the twisted $G$-character varieties NEWLINE\[NEWLINE\mathcal{M}^d(G)=\left\{(A_1,B_1,\cdots,A_g,B_g)\in G^{2g}\left|\prod_{j=1}^g[A_j,B_j]=e^{2\pi i/n}\text{Id}\right.\right\}\Bigg/\!\Bigg/G.NEWLINE\]NEWLINE The space $\mathcal{M}^d(G)$ is also known as the Betti moduli space. Recall that the complex cohomology groups with compact supports of any complex quasi-projective variety $Z$ possess mixed Hodge structures, leading to the definition of the Hodge numbers $h^{k,p,q}_c(Z)=h^{p,q}(H^k_c(Z))$. The Hodge-Deligne polynomial (or E-polynomial) of $Z$ is then defined by $e(Z)(u,v):=\sum_{p,q,k}(-1)^kh_c^{k,p,q}(Z)u^pv^q$. One can recover both topological and geometrical information about $Z$ from $e(Z)$. A key fact about the E-polynomials, which assists in computing them, is that, if $Z$ is expressed as a disjoint union of locally closed subvarieties $Z_i$, then $e(Z)=\sum e(Z_i)$. When $h_c^{k,p,q}(Z)=0$ for $p\neq q$, $e(Z)$ is expressible as a polynomial in the single variable $q:=uv$; this is the case with all the varieties considered in this paper.NEWLINENEWLINE\textit{T. Hausel} and \textit{F. Rodriguez-Villegas} [Invent. Math. 174, No. 3, 555--624 (2008; Zbl 1213.14020)] began the study of the E-polynomials of $G$-character varieties and in particular calculated $e(\mathcal{M}(G))$ for $G=\text{GL}(n,\mathbb{C})$. Following this, \textit{M. Mereb} [Math. Ann. 363, No. 3--4, 857--892 (2015; Zbl 1333.14041)] studied the case $G=\text{SL}(n,\mathbb{C})$ and obtained in particular an explicit formula for $e(\mathcal{M}^1(\text{SL}(2,\mathbb{C}))$. The methods employed were arithmetic. The authors of the current paper and the reviewer [Rev. Mat. Complut. 26, No. 2, 635--703 (2013; Zbl 1334.14006)] used geometric arguments to obtain formulae for the E-polynomials of character varieties for $g=1$ and $g=2$. For the same values of the genus, they also computed the E-polynomials for the twisted character varieties of $\mathcal{M}^\xi(\text{SL}(2,\mathbb{C}))$ (corresponding to representations for which $\prod_{j=1}^g[A_j,B_j]=\xi$, where $\xi$ is an arbitrary element of $\text{SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$). The methods were geometric, using stratifications and explicit matrix formulae for elements of each stratum.NEWLINENEWLINEIn the present paper, the authors use these geometric methods to calculate the E-polynomials of $\mathcal{M}(\text{SL}(2,\mathbb{C}))$ and $\mathcal{M}^1(\text{SL}(2,\mathbb{C}))$. The stratification employed is similar to that of the previous paper, but the arguments involving Hodge monodromy fibrations have to be extended to a more complicated situation (the earlier paper required only fibrations over one-dimensional bases, whereas here the bases can be two-dimensional). For $\mathcal{M}(\text{SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$, one also has to deal with reducible representations. Here the method of the earlier paper involves a large number of strata and it turns out to be easier to obtain the E-polynomial of the irreducible locus by subtracting that of the reducible locus from that of the whole. As a byproduct of the analysis, the authors are able to compute the E-polynomial of $\mathcal{M}^\xi(\text{SL}(2,\mathbb{C}))$ when $\xi=\begin{pmatrix} \lambda & 0\\ 0 & \lambda^{-1} \end{pmatrix}$.NEWLINENEWLINESince completing this paper, the authors have succeeded in computing the E-polynomials of $\text{SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$-character varieties for all $g\geq3$ and all $\xi$ [the authors, Int. Math. Res. Not. 2016, No. 3, 926--961 (2016; Zbl 1353.14013)]. This does not supersede the current paper as the case $g=3$ presents special features and also serves as the basis for an induction on $g$.

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