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David Ben-Zvi

Publications and source records attributed to David Ben-Zvi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

A spectral incarnation of affine character sheaves

We present a Langlands dual realization of the putative category of affine character sheaves. Namely, we calculate the categorical center and trace (also known as the Drinfeld center and trace, or categorical Hochschild cohomology and homology) of the affine Hecke category starting from its spectral presentation. The resulting categories comprise coherent sheaves on the commuting stack of local systems on the two-torus satisfying prescribed support conditions, in particular singular support conditions as appear in recent advances in the Geometric Langlands program. The key technical tools in our arguments are: a new descent theory for coherent sheaves or D-modules with prescribed singular support; and the theory of integral transforms for coherent sheaves developed in the companion paper [BNP].

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Secondary Traces

We study an invariant, the secondary trace, attached to two commuting endomorphisms of a 2-dualizable object in a symmetric monoidal higher category. We establish a secondary trace formula which encodes the natural symmetries of this invariant, identifying different realizations as an iterated trace. The proof consists of elementary Morse-theoretic arguments (with many accompanying pictures included) and may be seen as a concrete realization of the cobordism hypothesis with singularities on a marked 2-torus. From this perspective, our main result identifies the secondary trace with two alternative presentations coming from the standard generators S and T of the mapping class group SL_2(Z). We include two immediate consequences of the established invariance. The first is a modular invariance property for the 2-class function on a group arising as the 2-character of a categorical representation. The second is a generalization (for coherent sheaves or D-modules) of the Atiyah-Bott-Lefschetz formula conjectured by Frenkel-Ngô in the case of a self-map of a smooth and proper stack over a general base.

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Elliptic Springer Theory

We introduce an elliptic version of the Grothendieck-Springer sheaf and establish elliptic analogues of the basic results of Springer theory. From a geometric perspective, our constructions specialize geometric Eisenstein series to the resolution of degree zero, semistable G-bundles by degree zero B-bundles over an elliptic curve E. From a representation theory perspective, they produce a full embedding of representations of the elliptic or double affine Weyl group into perverse sheaves with nilpotent characteristic variety on the moduli of G-bundles over E. The resulting objects are principal series examples of elliptic character sheaves, objects expected to play the role of character sheaves for loop groups.

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Morita equivalence for convolution categories: Appendix to arXiv:0805.0157

In this brief postscript to our paper "Integral transforms and Drinfeld centers in derived algebraic geometry", we describe a Morita equivalence for derived, categorified matrix algebras implied by theory developed since its appearance. We work in the setting of perfect stacks X and their stable infinity-categories Q(X) of quasicoherent sheaves. Perfect stacks include all varieties and common stacks in characteristic zero, and their stable infinity-categories of sheaves are well behaved refinements of their quasicoherent derived categories, satisfying natural analogues of common properties of function spaces. To a morphism of perfect stacks pi:X-->Y, we associate the categorified matrix algebra Q(X x_Y X) of sheaves on the derived fiber product equipped with its monoidal convolution product. We show that for pi faithfully flat (as a corollary of the 1-affineness theorem of Gaisgory) or for pi proper and surjective and X,Y smooth (as an application of proper descent, cf. Gaitsgory and Preygel), there is a Morita equivalence between Q(X x_Y X) and Q(Y), that is, an equivalence of their infinity-categories of stable module infinity-categories. In particular, this immediately implies an identification of their Drinfeld centers (as previously established in 0805.0157), and more generally, an identification of their associated topological field theories. Another consequence is that for an affine algebraic group G in characteristic zero and an algebraic subgroup K, passing to K-invariants induces an equivalence from stable infinity-categories with algebraic G-action to modules for the Hecke category Q(K\G/K).

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Loop Spaces and Representations

We introduce loop spaces (in the sense of derived algebraic geometry) into the representation theory of reductive groups. In particular, we apply the theory developed in our previous paper arXiv:1002.3636 to flag varieties, and obtain new insights into fundamental categories in representation theory. First, we show that one can recover finite Hecke categories (realized by D-modules on flag varieties) from affine Hecke categories (realized by coherent sheaves on Steinberg varieties) via S^1-equivariant localization. Similarly, one can recover D-modules on the nilpotent cone from coherent sheaves on the commuting variety. We also show that the categorical Langlands parameters for real groups studied by Adams-Barbasch-Vogan and Soergel arise naturally from the study of loop spaces of flag varieties and their Jordan decomposition (or in an alternative formulation, from the study of local systems on a Moebius strip). This provides a unifying framework that overcomes a discomforting aspect of the traditional approach to the Langlands parameters, namely their evidently strange behavior with respect to changes in infinitesimal character.

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Loop Spaces and Connections

We examine the geometry of loop spaces in derived algebraic geometry and extend in several directions the well known connection between rotation of loops and the de Rham differential. Our main result, a categorification of the geometric description of cyclic homology, relates S^1-equivariant quasicoherent sheaves on the loop space of a smooth scheme or geometric stack X in characteristic zero with sheaves on X with flat connection, or equivalently D_X-modules. By deducing the Hodge filtration on de Rham modules from the formality of cochains on the circle, we are able to recover D_X-modules precisely rather than a periodic version. More generally, we consider the rotated Hopf fibration Omega S^3 --> Omega S^2 --> S^1, and relate Omega S^2-equivariant sheaves on the loop space with sheaves on X with arbitrary connection, with curvature given by their Omega S^3-equivariance.

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Integral Transforms and Drinfeld Centers in Derived Algebraic Geometry

We study the interaction between geometric operations on stacks and algebraic operations on their categories of sheaves. We work in the general setting of derived algebraic geometry: our basic objects are derived stacks X and their oo-categories QC(X) of quasicoherent sheaves. We show that for a broad class of derived stacks, called perfect stacks, algebraic and geometric operations on their categories of sheaves are compatible. We identify the category of sheaves on a fiber product with the tensor product of the categories of sheaves on the factors. We also identify the category of sheaves on a fiber product with functors between the categories of sheaves on the factors (thus realizing functors as integral transforms, generalizing a theorem of Toen for ordinary schemes). As a first application, for a perfect stack X, consider QC(X) with its usual monoidal tensor product. Then our main results imply the equivalence of the Drinfeld center (or Hochschild cohomology category) of QC(X), the trace (or Hochschild homology category) of QC(X) and the category of sheaves on the loop space of X. More generally, we show that the E_n-center and the E_n-trace (or E_n-Hochschild cohomology and homology categories respectively) of QC(X) are equivalent to the category of sheaves on the space of maps from the n-sphere into X. This directly verifies geometric instances of the categorified Deligne and Kontsevich conjectures on the structure of Hochschild cohomology. As a second application, we use our main results to calculate the Drinfeld center of categories of linear endofunctors of categories of sheaves. This provides concrete applications to the structure of Hecke algebras in geometric representation theory. Finally, we explain how all of the above results can be interpreted in the context of topological field theory.

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W-Symmetry of the Adelic Grassmannian

We give a geometric construction of the W_{1+infty} vertex algebra as the infinitesimal form of a factorization structure on an adelic Grassmannian. This gives a concise interpretation of the higher symmetries and Backlund-Darboux transformations for the KP hierarchy and its multicomponent extensions in terms of a version of "W_{1+infty}-geometry": the geometry of D-bundles on smooth curves, or equivalently torsion-free sheaves on cuspidal curves.

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Perverse Bundles and Calogero-Moser Spaces

We present a simple description of moduli spaces of torsion-free D-modules (``D-bundles'') on general smooth complex curves X, generalizing the identification of the space of ideals in the Weyl algebra with Calogero-Moser quiver varieties. Namely, we show that the moduli of D-bundles form twisted cotangent bundles to stacks of torsion sheaves on X, answering a question of Ginzburg. The corresponding (untwisted) cotangent bundles are identified with moduli of ``perverse vector bundles'' on T^*X, which contain as open subsets the moduli of framed torsion-free sheaves (the Hilbert schemes (T^*X)^[n] in the rank one case). The proof is based on the description of the derived category of D-modules on X by a noncommutative version of the Beilinson transform on the projective line.

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Loop Spaces and Langlands Parameters

We apply the technique of S^1-equivariant localization to sheaves on loop spaces in derived algebraic geometry, and obtain a fundamental link between two families of categories at the heart of geometric representation theory. Namely, we categorify the well known relationship between free loop spaces, cyclic homology and de Rham cohomology to recover the category of D-modules on a smooth stack X as a localization of the category of S^1-equivariant coherent sheaves on its loop space LX. The main observation is that this procedure connects categories of equivariant D-modules on flag varieties with categories of equivariant coherent sheaves on the Steinberg variety and its relatives. This provides a direct connection between the geometry of finite and affine Hecke algebras and braid groups, and a uniform geometric construction of all of the categorical parameters for representations of real and complex reductive groups. This paper forms the first step in a project to apply the geometric Langlands program to the complex and real local Langlands programs, which we describe.

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D-Bundles and Integrable Hierarchies

We study the geometry of D-bundles--locally projective D-modules--on algebraic curves, and apply them to the study of integrable hierarchies, specifically the multicomponent Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KP) and spin Calogero-Moser (CM) hierarchies. We show that KP hierarchies have a geometric description as flows on moduli spaces of D-bundles; in particular, we prove that the local structure of D-bundles is captured by the full Sato Grassmannian. The rational, trigonometric, and elliptic solutions of KP are therefore captured by D-bundles on cubic curves E, that is, irreducible (smooth, nodal, or cuspidal) curves of arithmetic genus 1. We develop a Fourier-Mukai transform describing D-modules on cubic curves E in terms of (complexes of) sheaves on a twisted cotangent bundle over E. We then apply this transform to classify D-bundles on cubic curves, identifying their moduli spaces with phase spaces of general CM particle systems (realized through the geometry of spectral curves in our twisted cotangent bundle). Moreover, it is immediate from the geometric construction that the flows of the KP and CM hierarchies are thereby identified and that the poles of the KP solutions are identified with the positions of the CM particles. This provides a geometric explanation of a much-explored, puzzling phenomenon of the theory of integrable systems: the poles of meromorphic solutions to KP soliton equations move according to CM particle systems.

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Flows of Calogero-Moser Systems

The Calogero-Moser (or CM) particle system and its generalizations appear, in a variety of ways, in integrable systems, nonlinear PDE, representation theory, and string theory. Moreover, the partially completed CM systems--in which dynamics of particles are continued through collisions--have been identified as meromorphic Hitchin systems, giving natural ``geometric action-angle variables'' for the CM system. Motivated by relations of the CM system to nonlinear PDE, we introduce a new class of generalizations of the spin CM particle systems, the framed (rational, trigonometric and elliptic) CM systems. We give two algebro-geometric descriptions of these systems, via meromorphic Hitchin systems with decorations (framing data) on (cuspidal, nodal and smooth) cubic curves and via one-dimensional sheaves on corresponding ``twisted'' ruled surfaces. We also present a simple geometric formulation of the flows of all meromorphic GL_n Hitchin systems (with no regularity assumptions) as tweaking flows on spectral sheaves. Using this formulation, we show that all spin and framed CM systems are identified with hierarchies of tweaking flows on the corresponding spectral sheaves. This generalizes the well-known description of spinless CM systems in terms of tangential covers.

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Supersymmetry of the Chiral de Rham Complex

We present a superfield formulation of the chiral de Rham complex (CDR) of Malikov-Schechtman-Vaintrob in the setting of a general smooth manifold, and use it to endow CDR with superconformal structures of geometric origin. Given a Riemannian metric, we construct an N=1 structure on CDR (action of the N=1 super--Virasoro, or Neveu--Schwarz, algebra). If the metric is K"ahler, and the manifold Ricci-flat, this is augmented to an N=2 structure. Finally, if the manifold is hyperk"ahler, we obtain an N=4 structure. The superconformal structures are constructed directly from the Levi-Civita connection. These structures provide an analog for CDR of the extended supersymmetries of nonlinear sigma-models.

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From solitons to many-body systems

We present a bridge between the KP soliton equations and the Calogero-Moser many-body systems through noncommutative algebraic geometry. The Calogero-Moser systems have a natural geometric interpretation as flows on spaces of spectral curves on a ruled surface. We explain how the meromorphic solutions of the KP hierarchy have an interpretation via a noncommutative ruled surface. Namely, we identify KP Lax operators with vector bundles on quantized cotangent spaces (formulated technically in terms of D-modules). A geometric duality (a variant of the Fourier-Mukai transform) then identifies the parameter space for such vector bundles with that for the spectral curves and sends the KP flows to the Calogero-Moser flows. It follows that the motion and collisions of the poles of the rational, trigonometric, and elliptic solutions of the KP hierarchy, as well as of its multicomponent analogs, are governed by the (spin) Calogero-Moser systems on cuspidal, nodal, and smooth genus one curves. This provides a geometric explanation and generalizations of results of Airault-McKean-Moser, Krichever, and Wilson.

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Cusps and $\D$-Modules

We study interactions between the categories of $\D$-modules on smooth and singular varieties. For a large class of singular varieties $Y$, we use an extension of the Grothendieck--Sato formula to show that $\D_Y$-modules are equivalent to stratifications on $Y$, and as a consequence are unaffected by a class of homeomorphisms, the {\em cuspidal quotients}. In particular, when $Y$ has a smooth bijective normalization $X$, we obtain a Morita equivalence of $\D_Y$ and $\D_X$ and a Kashiwara theorem for $\D_Y$, thereby solving conjectures of Hart-Smith and Berest-Etingof-Ginzburg (generalizing results for complex curves and surfaces and rational Cherednik algebras). We also use this equivalence to enlarge the category of induced $\D$-modules on a smooth variety $X$ by collecting induced $\D_X$-modules on varying cuspidal quotients. The resulting {\em cusp-induced} $\D_X$-modules possess both the good properties of induced $\D$-modules (in particular, a Riemann-Hilbert description) and, when $X$ is a curve, a simple characterization as the generically torsion-free $\D_X$-modules.

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Geometric Realization of the Segal--Sugawara Construction

We apply the technique of localization for vertex algebras to the Segal-Sugawara construction of an ``internal'' action of the Virasoro algebra on affine Kac-Moody algebras. The result is a lifting of twisted differential operators from the moduli of curves to the moduli of curves with bundles, with arbitrary decorations and complex twistings. This construction gives a uniform approach to a collection of phenomena describing the geometry of the moduli spaces of bundles over varying curves: the KZB equations and heat kernels on non-abelian theta functions, their critical level limit giving the quadratic parts of the Beilinson-Drinfeld quantization of the Hitchin system, and their infinite level limit giving a Hamiltonian description of the isomonodromy equations.

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Theta Functions and Szegö Kernels

We study relations between two fundamental constructions associated to vector bundles on a smooth complex projective curve: the theta function (a section of a line bundle on the moduli space of vector bundles) and the Szegö kernel (a section of a vector bundle on the square of the curve). Two types of relations are demonstrated. First, we establish a higher--rank version of the prime form, describing the pullback of determinant line bundles by difference maps, and show the theta function pulls back to the determinant of the Szegö kernel. Next, we prove that the expansion of the Szegö kernel at the diagonal gives the logarithmic derivative of the theta function over the moduli space of bundles for a fixed, or moving, curve. In particular, we recover the identification of the space of connections on the theta line bundle with moduli space of flat vector bundles, when the curve is fixed. When the curve varies, we identify this space of connections with the moduli space of {\em extended connections}, which we introduce.

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Opers and Theta Functions

We construct natural maps (the Klein and Wirtinger maps) from moduli spaces of vector bundles on an algebraic curve $X$ to affine spaces, as quotients of the nonabelian theta linear series. We prove a finiteness result for these maps over generalized Kummer varieties (moduli of torus bundles), leading us to conjecture that the maps are finite in general. The conjecture provides canonical explicit coordinates on the moduli space. The finiteness results give low--dimensional parametrizations of Jacobians (in $\Pp^{3g-3}$ for generic curves), described by $2Θ$ functions or second logarithmic derivatives of theta. We interpret the Klein and Wirtinger maps in terms of opers on $X$. Opers are generalizations of projective structures, and can be considered as differential operators, kernel functions or special bundles with connection. The matrix opers (analogues of opers for matrix differential operators) combine the structures of flat vector bundle and projective connection, and map to opers via generalized Hitchin maps. For vector bundles off the theta divisor, the Szegö kernel gives a natural construction of matrix oper. The Wirtinger map from bundles off the theta divisor to the affine space of opers is then defined as the determinant of the Szegö kernel. This generalizes the Wirtinger projective connections associated to theta characteristics, and the assoicated Klein bidifferentials.

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