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Fermionic Approach to Weighted Hurwitz Numbers and Topological Recursion

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Abstract

A fermionic representation is given for all the quantities entering in the generating function approach to weighted Hurwitz numbers and topological recursion. This includes: KP and 2D Toda \({\tau}\) -functions of hypergeometric type, which serve as generating functions for weighted single and double Hurwitz numbers; the Baker function, which is expanded in an adapted basis obtained by applying the same dressing transformation to all vacuum basis elements; the multipair correlators and the multicurrent correlators. Multiplicative recursion relations and a linear differential system are deduced for the adapted bases and their duals, and a Christoffel–Darboux type formula is derived for the pair correlator. The quantum and classical spectral curves linking this theory with the topological recursion program are derived, as well as the generalized cut-and-join equations. The results are detailed for four special cases: the simple single and double Hurwitz numbers, the weakly monotone case, corresponding to signed enumeration of coverings, the strongly monotone case, corresponding to Belyi curves and the simplest version of quantum weighted Hurwitz numbers.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Geometry and Physics, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Pohang, 37673, Korea

    A. Alexandrov

  2. Centre de recherches mathématiques, Université de Montréal, C. P. 6128, succ. centre ville, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada

    A. Alexandrov, B. Eynard & J. Harnad

  3. Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W., Montreal, QC, H3G 1M8, Canada

    J. Harnad

  4. ITEP, Bolshaya Cheremushkinskaya 25, Moscow, Russia, 117218

    A. Alexandrov

  5. CNRS UMR 7089, Université Paris Diderot, Paris 7, Case 7014, 75205, Paris Cedex 13, France

    G. Chapuy

  6. Institut de Physique Théorique, CEA, IPhT, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    B. Eynard

  7. CNRS URA 2306, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    B. Eynard

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  1. A. Alexandrov
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  2. G. Chapuy
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  3. B. Eynard
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  4. J. Harnad
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Correspondence to J. Harnad.

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Communicated by C. Schweigert

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Alexandrov, A., Chapuy, G., Eynard, B. et al. Fermionic Approach to Weighted Hurwitz Numbers and Topological Recursion. Commun. Math. Phys. 360, 777–826 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00220-017-3065-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00220-017-3065-9

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