The Topology of Equivariant Hilbert Schemes

Abstract

For $G$ a finite group acting linearly on $\mathbb{A}^2$, the equivariant Hilbert scheme $\operatorname{Hilb}^r[\mathbb{A}^2/G]$ is a natural resolution of singularities of $\operatorname{Sym}^r(\mathbb{A}^2/G)$. In this paper we study the topology of $\operatorname{Hilb}^r[\mathbb{A}^2/G]$ for abelian $G$ and how it depends on the group $G$. We prove that the topological invariants of $\operatorname{Hilb}^r[\mathbb{A}^2/G]$ are periodic or quasipolynomial in the order of the group $G$ as $G$ varies over certain families of abelian subgroups of $GL_2$. This is done by using the Bialynicki-Birula decomposition to compute topological invariants in terms of the combinatorics of a certain set of partitions.