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We generalise the geometric analysis of square fishnet integrals in two dimensions to the case of hexagonal fishnets with three-point vertices. Our results support the conjecture that fishnet Feynman integrals in two dimensions, together with their associated geometry, are completely fixed by their Yangian and permutation symmetries. As a new feature for the hexagonal fishnets, the star-triangle identity introduces an ambiguity in the graph representation of a given Feynman integral. This translates into a map between different geometric interpretations attached to a graph. We demonstrate explicitly how these fishnet integrals can be understood as Calabi-Yau varieties, whose Picard-Fuchs ideals are generated by the Yangian over the conformal algebra. In analogy to elliptic curves, which represent the simplest examples of fishnet integrals with four-point vertices, we find that the simplest examples of three-point fishnets correspond to Picard curves with natural generalisations at higher loop orders., Comment: 51 pages, v2: section 3.5 improved, typos corrected

The high-precision description of black hole scattering in classical general relativity using the post-Minkowskian (PM) expansion requires the evaluation of single-scale Feynman integrals at increasing loop orders. Up to 4PM, the scattering angle and the impulse are expressible in terms of polylogarithmic functions and Calabi-Yau (CY) two-fold periods. As in QFT, periods of higher dimensional CY n-folds are expected at higher PM order. We find at 5PM in the dissipative leading order self-force sector (5PM-1SF) that the only non-polylogarithmic functions are the K3 periods encountered before and the ones of a new hypergeometric CY three-fold. In the 5PM-2SF sector further CY two- and three-fold periods appear. Griffiths transversality of the CY period motives allows to transform the differential equations for the master integrals into $\epsilon$-factorized form and to solve them in terms of a well controlled function space, as we demonstrate in the 5PM-1SF sector., Comment: 11 pages, 2 tables, 2 figures v2: typos corrected, added reference [76], v3: PRD published version; change in title

In previous work, we used new mathematical relations between Gopakumar-Vafa (GV) invariants and rank 0 Donaldson-Thomas (DT) invariants to determine the first few terms in the generating series of Abelian D4-D2-D0 indices for a class of compact one-parameter Calabi-Yau threefolds. This allowed us to obtain striking checks of S-duality, namely the prediction that these series should be vector-valued weakly holomorphic modular forms under $SL(2,\mathbb{Z})$. In this work, we extend this analysis to the case of D4-D2-D0 indices with two units of D4-brane charge, where S-duality instead predicts that the corresponding generating series should be mock modular with a specific shadow. For the degree 10 hypersurface in weighted projective space $\mathbb{P}_{5,2,1,1,1}$, and the degree 8 hypersurface in $\\mathbb{P}_{4,1,1,1,1}$, where GV invariants can be computed to sufficiently high genus, we find that the first few terms indeed match a unique mock modular form with the required properties, which we determine explicitly. Turning the argument around, we obtain new boundary conditions on the holomorphic ambiguity of the topological string amplitude, which in principle allow to determine it completely up to genus 95 and 112, respectively, i.e. almost twice the maximal genus obtainable using gap and ordinary Castelnuovo vanishing conditions., Comment: 34 pages

We analyse the family of Calabi-Yau varieties attached to four-point fishnet integrals in two dimensions. We find that the Picard-Fuchs operators for fishnet integrals are exterior powers of the Picard-Fuchs operators for ladder integrals. This implies that the periods of the Calabi-Yau varieties for fishnet integrals can be written as determinants of periods for ladder integrals. The representation theory of the geometric monodromy group plays an important role in this context. We then show how the determinant form of the periods immediately leads to the well-known Basso-Dixon formula for four-point fishnet integrals in two dimensions. Notably, the relation to Calabi-Yau geometry implies that the volume is also expressible via a determinant formula of Basso-Dixon type. Finally, we show how the fishnet integrals can be written in terms of iterated integrals naturally attached to the Calabi-Yau varieties., Comment: 42 pages, v2: typos corrected, references updated

We obtain analytic and numerical results for the non-perturbative amplitudes of topological string theory on arbitrary, compact Calabi-Yau manifolds. Our approach is based on the theory of resurgence and extends previous special results to the more general case. In particular, we obtain explicit trans-series solutions of the holomorphic anomaly equations. Our results predict the all orders, large genus asymptotics of the topological string free energies, which we test in detail against high genus perturbative series obtained recently in the compact case. We also provide additional evidence that the Stokes constants appearing in the resurgent structure are closely related to integer BPS invariants., Comment: 85 pages, 16 figures, 15 tables

By exploiting new mathematical relations between Pandharipande-Thomas (PT) invariants, closely related to Gopakumar-Vafa (GV) invariants, and rank 0 Donaldson-Thomas (DT) invariants counting D4-D2-D0 BPS bound states, we rigorously compute the first few terms in the generating series of Abelian D4-D2-D0 indices for compact one-parameter Calabi-Yau threefolds of hypergeometric type. In all cases where GV invariants can be computed to sufficiently high genus, we find striking confirmation that the generating series is modular, and predict infinite series of Abelian D4-D2-D0 indices. Conversely, we use these results to provide new constraints for the direct integration method, which allows to compute GV invariants (and therefore the topological string partition function) to higher genus than hitherto possible. The triangle of relations between GV/PT/DT invariants is powered by a new explicit formula relating PT and rank 0 DT invariants, which is proven in an Appendix by the second named author. As a corollary, we obtain rigorous Castelnuovo-type bounds for PT and GV invariants for CY threefolds with Picard rank one., Comment: 39+24 pages, 6 figures, 13 tables of GV and PT invariants, further data available from http://www.th.physik.uni-bonn.de/Groups/Klemm/data.php; v2: minor corrections, version to appear in Comm. Num. Theo. Phys

We present for the first time fully analytic results for multi-loop equal-mass ice cone graphs in two dimensions. By analysing the leading singularities of these integrals, we find that the maximal cuts in two dimensions can be organised into two copies of the same periods that describe the Calabi-Yau varieties for the equal-mass banana integrals. We obtain a conjectural basis of master integrals at an arbitrary number of loops, and we solve the system of differential equations satisfied by the master integrals in terms of the same class of iterated integrals that have appeared earlier in the context of equal-mass banana integrals. We then go on and show that, when expressed in terms of the canonical coordinate on the moduli space, our results can naturally be written as iterated integrals involving the geometrical invariants of the Calabi-Yau varieties. Our results indicate how the concept of pure functions and transcendental weight can be extended to the case of Calabi-Yau varieties. Finally, we also obtain a novel representation of the periods of the Calabi-Yau varieties in terms of the same class of iterated integrals, and we show that the well-known quadratic relations among the periods reduce to simple shuffle relations among these iterated integrals.

In this paper we propose a definition of torsion refined Gopakumar-Vafa (GV) invariants for Calabi-Yau threefolds with terminal nodal singularities that do not admit K\"ahler crepant resolutions. Physically, the refinement takes into account the charge of five-dimensional BPS states under a discrete gauge symmetry in M-theory. We propose a mathematical definition of the invariants in terms of the geometry of all non-K\"ahler crepant resolutions taken together. The invariants are encoded in the A-model topological string partition functions associated to non-commutative (nc) resolutions of the Calabi-Yau. Our main example will be a singular degeneration of the generic Calabi-Yau double cover of $\mathbb{P}^3$ and leads to an enumerative interpretation of the topological string partition function of a hybrid Landau-Ginzburg model. Our results generalize a recent physical proposal made in the context of torus fibered Calabi-Yau manifolds by one of the authors and clarify the associated enumerative geometry., Comment: 78+30 pages. Fixed acknowledgements and minor typos

We argue that $\ell$-loop Yangian-invariant fishnet integrals in 2 dimensions are connected to a family of Calabi-Yau $\ell$-folds. The value of the integral can be computed from the periods of the Calabi-Yau, while the Yangian generators provide its Picard-Fuchs differential ideal. Using mirror symmetry, we can identify the value of the integral as the quantum volume of the mirror Calabi-Yau. We find that, similar to what happens in string theory, for $\ell=1$ and 2 the value of the integral agrees with the classical volume of the mirror, but starting from $\ell=3$, the classical volume gets corrected by instanton contributions. We illustrate these claims on several examples, and we use them to provide for the first time results for 2- and 3-loop Yangian-invariant traintrack integrals in 2 dimensions for arbitrary external kinematics., Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures

We revisit the question of time reversal and $CP$ invariance in Calabi-Yau compactifications. We show that time reversal invariance is respected by quantum corrections to the prepotential. In particular, field independent $\theta$ angles whose presence is dictated by requiring integrality of relevant monodromy transformations can take precisely the quantized values compatible with time reversal invariance. Furthermore, monodromy symmetry enlarges the region on moduli space on which time reversal is not spontaneously broken. We define the action of the $CP$ transformation for multi-parameter models and argue that on the slice of moduli space where it is defined, $CP$ is trivially a symmetry of the theory. For supersymmetric vacua that lie in this slice, we derive a condition on the third cohomology of the compactification manifold which determines whether $CP$ preserving fluxes exist that stabilize the moduli to such points. In the case of one-parameter models, the condition is always satisfied., Comment: 45 pages

We consider the fourteen families $W$ of Calabi-Yau threefolds with one complex structure parameter and Picard-Fuchs equation of hypergeometric type, like the mirror of the quintic in $\mathbb{P}^4$. Mirror symmetry identifies the masses of even--dimensional D--branes of the mirror Calabi-Yau $M$ with four periods of the holomorphic $(3,0)$-form over a symplectic basis of $H_3(W,\mathbb{Z})$. It was discovered by Chad Schoen that the singular fiber at the conifold of the quintic gives rise to a Hecke eigenform of weight four under $\Gamma_0(25)$, whose Hecke eigenvalues are determined by the Hasse-Weil zeta function which can be obtained by counting points of that fiber over finite fields. Similar features are known for the thirteen other cases. In two cases we further find special regular points, so called rank two attractor points, where the Hasse-Weil zeta function gives rise to modular forms of weight four and two. We numerically identify entries of the period matrix at these special fibers as periods and quasiperiods of the associated modular forms. In one case we prove this by constructing a correspondence between the conifold fiber and a Kuga-Sato variety. We also comment on simpler applications to local Calabi-Yau threefolds., Comment: 78 pages

We provide a comprehensive summary of concepts from Calabi-Yau motives relevant to the computation of multi-loop Feynman integrals. From this we derive several consequences for multi-loop integrals in general, and we illustrate them on the example of multi-loop banana integrals. For example, we show how Griffiths transversality, known from the theory of variation of mixed Hodge structures, leads quite generically to a set of quadratic relations among maximal cut integrals associated to Calabi-Yau motives. These quadratic relations then naturally lead to a compact expression for $l$-loop banana integrals in $D=2$ dimensions in terms of an integral over a period of a Calabi-Yau $(l-1)$-fold. This new integral representation generalizes in a natural way the known representations for $l\le 3$ involving logarithms with square root arguments and iterated integrals of Eisenstein series. In a second part, we show how the results obtained by some of the authors in earlier work can be extended to dimensional regularization. We present a method to obtain the differential equations for banana integrals with an arbitrary number of loops in dimensional regularization without the need to solve integration-by-parts relations. We also present a compact formula for the leading asymptotics of banana integrals with an arbitrary number of loops in the large momentum limit. This generalizes the novel $\widehat{\Gamma}$-class introduced by some of the authors to dimensional regularization and provides a convenient boundary condition to solve the differential equations for the banana integrals. As an application, we present for the first time numerical results for equal-mass banana integrals with up to four loops and up to second order in the dimensional regulator., Comment: 112 pages, 3 figures

We extend the dictionary between the BPS spectrum of Heterotic strings and the one of F-/M-theory compactifications on $K3$ fibered Calabi-Yau 3-folds to cases with higher rank non-Abelian gauge groups and in particular to dual pairs between Heterotic CHL orbifolds and compactifications on Calabi-Yau 3-folds with a compatible genus one fibration. We show how to obtain the new supersymmetric index purely from the Calabi-Yau geometry by reconstructing the Noether-Lefschetz generators, which are vector-valued modular forms. There is an isomorphism between the latter objects and vector-valued lattice Jacobi forms, which relates them to the elliptic genera and twisted-twined elliptic genera of six- and five-dimensional Heterotic strings. The meromorphic Jacobi forms generate the dimensions of the refined cohomology of the Hilbert schemes of symmetric products of the fiber and allow us to refine the BPS indices in the fiber and therefore to obtain, conjecturally, actual state counts. Using the properties of the vector-valued lattice Jacobi forms we also provide a mathematical proof of the non-Abelian weak gravity conjecture for F-/M-theory compactified on this general class of fibered Calabi-Yau 3-folds., Comment: 61 pages + appendices, 4 figures; v2: references added, typos corrected, supplementary data included, paragraph added in conclusion

We make a proposal for calculating refined Gopakumar-Vafa numbers (GVN) on elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau 3-folds based on refined holomorphic anomaly equations. The key examples are smooth elliptic fibrations over (almost) Fano surfaces. We include a detailed review of existing mathematical methods towards defining and calculating the (unrefined) Gopakumar-Vafa invariants (GVI) and the GVNs on compact Calabi-Yau 3-folds using moduli of stable sheaves, in a language that should be accessible to physicists. In particular, we discuss the dependence of the GVNs on the complex structure moduli and on the choice of an orientation. We calculate the GVNs in many instances and compare the B-model predictions with the geometric calculations. We also derive the modular anomaly equations from the holomorphic anomaly equations by analyzing the quasi-modular properties of the propagators. We speculate about the physical relevance of the mathematical choices that can be made for the orientation., Comment: 92 pages, 2 pdf figures

Using the Gelfand-Kapranov-Zelevinsk\u{\i} system for the primitive cohomology of an infinite series of complete intersection Calabi-Yau manifolds, whose dimension is the loop order minus one, we completely clarify the analytic structure of all banana amplitudes with arbitrary masses. In particular, we find that the leading logarithmic structure in the high energy regime, which corresponds to the point of maximal unipotent monodromy, is determined by a novel $\widehat \Gamma$-class evaluation in the ambient spaces of the mirror, while the imaginary part of the amplitude in this regime is determined by the $\widehat \Gamma$-class of the mirror Calabi-Yau manifold itself. We provide simple closed all loop formulas for the former as well as for the Frobenius $\kappa$-constants, which determine the behaviour of the amplitudes, when the momentum square equals the sum of the masses squared, in terms of zeta values. We extend our previous work from three to four loops by providing for the latter case a complete set of (inhomogenous) Picard-Fuchs differential equations for arbitrary masses. This allows to evaluate the amplitude as well as other master integrals with raised powers of the propagators in very short time to very high numerical precision for all values of the physical parameters. Using a recent $p$-adic analysis of the periods we determine the value of the maximal cut equal mass four-loop amplitude at the attractor points in terms of periods of modular weight two and four Hecke eigenforms and the quasiperiods of their meromorphic cousins., Comment: 40 pages, 1 figure, new appendix concerning a pari program to compute equal mass amplitude, minor corrections the paper is now also published in JHEP but under the name "Analytic structure of all loop banana integrals", some changes are done in the published version

Given the recent geometrical classification of 6d $(1,0)$ SCFTs, a major question is how to compute for this large class their elliptic genera. The latter encode the refined BPS spectrum of the SCFTs, which determines geometric invariants of the associated elliptic non-compact Calabi-Yau threefolds. In this paper we establish for all 6d $(1,0)$ SCFTs in the atomic classification blowup equations that fix these elliptic genera to large extent. The latter fall into two types: the unity- and the vanishing blowup equations. For almost all rank one theories, we find unity blowup equations which determine the elliptic genera completely. We develop several techniques to compute elliptic genera and BPS invariants from the blowup equations, including a recursion formula with respect to the number of strings, a Weyl orbit expansion, a refined BPS expansion and an $\epsilon_1,\epsilon_2$ expansion. For higher-rank theories, we propose a gluing rule to obtain all their blowup equations based on those of rank one theories. For example, we explicitly give the elliptic blowup equations for the three higher-rank non-Higgsable clusters, ADE chain of $-2$ curves and conformal matter theories. We also give the toric construction for many elliptic non-compact Calabi-Yau threefolds which engineer 6d $(1,0)$ SCFTs with various matter representations., Comment: 164 pages, 3 figures, 24 tables, typos corrected, refs added

Motivated by recent advances in Donaldson-Thomas theory, four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=4$ string-string duality is examined in a reduced rank theory on a less studied BPS sector. In particular we identify candidate partition functions of "untwisted" quarter-BPS dyons in the heterotic $\mathbb{Z}_2$ CHL model by studying the associated chiral genus two partition function, based on the M-theory lift of string webs argument by Dabholkar and Gaiotto. This yields meromorphic Siegel modular forms for the Iwahori subgroup $B(2) \subset \text{Sp}_4 (\mathbb{Z}) $ which generate BPS indices for dyons with untwisted sector electric charge, in contrast to twisted sector dyons counted by a multiplicative lift of twisted-twining elliptic genera known from Mathieu moonshine. The new partition functions are shown to satisfy the expected constraints coming from wall-crossing and S-duality symmetry as well as the black hole entropy based on the Gauss-Bonnet term in the effective action. In these aspects our analysis confirms and extends work of Banerjee, Sen and Srivastava, which only addressed a subset of the untwisted sector dyons considered here. Our results are also compared with recently conjectured formulae of Bryan and Oberdieck for the partition functions of primitive DT invariants of the CHL orbifold $X=( \text{K3} \times T^2 )/ \mathbb{Z}_2$, as suggested by string duality with type IIA theory on $X$., Comment: 67 pages, no figures. Revised version, published by JHEP

We use the GKZ description of periods and certain classes of relative periods on families of Barth-Nieto Calabi-Yau $(l-1)$-folds in order to solve the $l$-loop banana amplitudes with their general mass dependence. As examples we compute the mass dependencies of the banana amplitudes up to the three-loop case and check the results against the known results for special mass values.

We establish the elliptic blowup equations for E-strings and M-strings and solve elliptic genera and refined BPS invariants from them. Such elliptic blowup equations can be derived from a path integral interpretation. We provide toric hypersurface construction for the Calabi-Yau geometries of M-strings and those of E-strings with up to three mass parameters turned on, as well as an approach to derive the perturbative prepotential directly from the local description of the Calabi-Yau threefolds. We also demonstrate how to systematically obtain blowup equations for all rank one 5d SCFTs from E-string by blow-down operations. Finally, we present blowup equations for E-M and M string chains., Comment: 54 pages, 10 tables, references added

We calculate the generating functions of BPS indices using their modular properties in Type II and M-theory compactifications on compact genus one fibered CY 3-folds with singular fibers and additional rational sections or just $N$-sections, in order to study string dualities in four and five dimensions as well as rigid limits in which gravity decouples. The generating functions are Jacobi-forms of $\Gamma_1(N)$ with the complexified fiber volume as modular parameter. The string coupling $\lambda$, or the $\epsilon_\pm$ parameters in the rigid limit, as well as the masses of charged hypermultiplets and non-Abelian gauge bosons are elliptic parameters. To understand this structure, we show that specific auto-equivalences act on the category of topological B-branes on these geometries and generate an action of $\Gamma_1(N)$ on the stringy K\"ahler moduli space. We argue that these actions can always be expressed in terms of the generic Seidel-Thomas twist with respect to the 6-brane together with shifts of the B-field and are thus monodromies. This implies the elliptic transformation law that is satisfied by the generating functions. We use Higgs transitions in F-theory to extend the ansatz for the modular bootstrap to genus one fibrations with $N$-sections and boundary conditions fix the all genus generating functions for small base degrees completely. This allows us to study in depth a wide range of new, non-perturbative theories, which are Type II theory duals to the CHL $\mathbb{Z}_N$ orbifolds of the heterotic string on $K3\times T_2$. In particular, we compare the BPS degeneracies in the large base limit to the perturbative heterotic one-loop amplitude with $R_+^2 F_+^{2g-2}$ insertions for many new Type II geometries. In the rigid limit we can refine the ansatz and obtain the elliptic genus of superconformal theories in 5d., Comment: 77 pages + appendices, 8 figures

The building blocks of 6d $(1,0)$ SCFTs include certain rank one theories with gauge group $G=SU(3),SO(8),F_4,E_{6,7,8}$. In this paper, we propose a universal recursion formula for the elliptic genera of all such theories. This formula is solved from the elliptic blowup equations introduced in our previous paper. We explicitly compute the elliptic genera and refined BPS invariants, which recover all previous results from topological string theory, modular bootstrap, Hilbert series, 2d quiver gauge theories and 4d $\mathcal{N}=2$ superconformal $H_{G}$ theories. We also observe an intriguing relation between the $k$-string elliptic genus and the Schur indices of rank $k$ $H_{G}$ SCFTs, as a generalization of Lockhart-Zotto's conjecture at the rank one cases. In a subsequent paper, we deal with all other non-Higgsable clusters with matters., Comment: 117 pages, 5 figures; typos corrected, new references added

We investigate the swampland distance conjecture (SDC) in the complex moduli space of type II compactifications on one-parameter Calabi-Yau threefolds. This class of manifolds contains hundreds of examples and, in particular, a subset of 14 geometries with hypergeometric differential Picard-Fuchs operators. Of the four principal types of singularities that can occur - specified by their limiting mixed Hodge structure - only the K-points and the large radius points (or more generally the M-points) are at infinite distance and therefore of interest to the SDC. We argue that the conjecture is fulfilled at the K- and the M-points, including models with several M-points, using explicit calculations in hypergeometric models which contain typical examples of all these degenerations. Together with previous work on the large radius points, this suggests that the SDC is indeed fulfilled for one-parameter Calabi-Yau spaces., Comment: 40 pages, 9 figures

We extend topological string methods in order to perform WKB approximations for quantum mechanical problems with higher order potentials efficiently. This requires techniques for the evaluation of the relevant quantum periods for Riemann surfaces beyond genus one. The basis of these quantum periods is fixed using the leading behaviour of the classical periods. The full expansion of the quantum periods is obtained using a system of Picard-Fuchs like operators for a sequence of integrals of meromorphic forms of the second kind. Discrete automorphisms of simple higher order potentials allow to view the corresponding higher genus curves as covering of a genus one curve. In this case the quantum periods can be alternatively obtained using the holomorphic anomaly solved in the holomorphic limit within the ring of quasi modular forms of a congruent subgroup of SL$(2,\mathbb{Z})$ as we check for a symmetric sextic potential., Comment: V2: references added, typos corrected, version matching publication in Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical

We apply the modular approach to computing the topological string partition function on non-compact elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau 3-folds with higher Kodaira singularities in the fiber. The approach consists in making an ansatz for the partition function at given base degree, exact in all fiber classes to arbitrary order and to all genus, in terms of a rational function of weak Jacobi forms. Our results yield, at given base degree, the elliptic genus of the corresponding non-critical 6d string, and thus the associated BPS invariants of the 6d theory. The required elliptic indices are determined from the chiral anomaly 4-form of the 2d worldsheet theories, or the 8-form of the corresponding 6d theories, and completely fix the holomorphic anomaly equation constraining the partition function. We introduce subrings of the known rings of Weyl invariant Jacobi forms which are adapted to the additional symmetries of the partition function, making its computation feasible to low base wrapping number. In contradistinction to the case of simpler singularities, generic vanishing conditions on BPS numbers are no longer sufficient to fix the modular ansatz at arbitrary base wrapping degree. We show that to low degree, imposing exact vanishing conditions does suffice, and conjecture this to be the case generally., Comment: 67 pages; v2 typos corrected, references added

We discuss the period geometry and the topological string amplitudes on elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau fourfolds in toric ambient spaces. In particular, we describe a general procedure to fix integral periods. Using some elementary facts from homological mirror symmetry we then obtain Bridgelands involution and its monodromy action on the integral basis for non-singular elliptically fibered fourfolds. The full monodromy group contains a subgroup that acts as PSL(2,Z) on the K\"ahler modulus of the fiber and we analyze the consequences of this modularity for the genus zero and genus one amplitudes as well as the associated geometric invariants. We find holomorphic anomaly equations for the amplitudes, reflecting precisely the failure of exact PSL(2,Z) invariance that relates them to quasi-modular forms. Finally we use the integral basis of periods to study the horizontal flux superpotential and the leading order K\"ahler potential for the moduli fields in F-theory compactifications globally on the complex structure moduli space. For a particular example we verify attractor behaviour at the generic conifold given an aligned choice of flux which we expect to be universal. Furthermore we analyze the superpotential at the orbifold points but find no stable vacua.

We study the four-dimensional low energy effective $\mathcal{N}=1$ supergravity theory of the dimensional reduction of M-theory on $G_2$-manifolds, which are constructed by Kovalev's twisted connected sum gluing suitable pairs of asymptotically cylindrical Calabi-Yau threefolds $X_{L/R}$ augmented with a circle $S^1$. In the Kovalev limit the Ricci-flat $G_2$-metrics are approximated by the Ricci-flat metrics on $X_{L/R}$ and we identify the universal modulus - the Kovalevton - that parametrizes this limit. We observe that the low energy effective theory exhibits in this limit gauge theory sectors with extended supersymmetry. We determine the universal (semi-classical) K\"ahler potential of the effective $\mathcal{N}=1$ supergravity action as a function of the Kovalevton and the volume modulus of the $G_2$-manifold. This K\"ahler potential fulfills the no-scale inequality such that no anti-de-Sitter vacua are admitted. We describe geometric degenerations in $X_{L/R}$, which lead to non-Abelian gauge symmetries enhancements with various matter content. Studying the resulting gauge theory branches, we argue that they lead to transitions compatible with the gluing construction and provide many new explicit examples of $G_2$-manifolds., Comment: 79 pages, v2: refs. added, typos corrected, Appendix A expanded, v3: minor corrections, typos corrected, discussion of dimensional reduction improved, version published in CMP

F-theory compactifications on appropriate local elliptic Calabi-Yau manifolds engineer six dimensional superconformal field theories and their mass deformations. The partition function $Z_{top}$ of the refined topological string on these geometries captures the particle BPS spectrum of this class of theories compactified on a circle. Organizing $Z_{top}$ in terms of contributions $Z_\beta$ at base degree $\beta$ of the elliptic fibration, we find that these, up to a multiplier system, are meromorphic Jacobi forms of weight zero with modular parameter the Kaehler class of the elliptic fiber and elliptic parameters the couplings and mass parameters. The indices with regard to the multiple elliptic parameters are fixed by the refined holomorphic anomaly equations, which we show to be completely determined from knowledge of the chiral anomaly of the corresponding SCFT. We express $Z_\beta$ as a quotient of weak Jacobi forms, with a universal denominator inspired by its pole structure as suggested by the form of $Z_{top}$ in terms of 5d BPS numbers. The numerator is determined by modularity up to a finite number of coefficients, which we prove to be fixed uniquely by imposing vanishing conditions on 5d BPS numbers as boundary conditions. We demonstrate the feasibility of our approach with many examples, in particular solving the E-string and M-string theories including mass deformations, as well as theories constructed as chains of these. We make contact with previous work by showing that spurious singularities are cancelled when the partition function is written in the form advocated here. Finally, we use the BPS invariants of the E-string thus obtained to test a generalization of the Goettsche-Nakajima-Yoshioka $K$-theoretic blowup equation, as inspired by the Grassi-Hatsuda-Marino conjecture, to generic local Calabi-Yau threefolds., Comment: 64 pages; v2: typos corrected

We generalize the conjectured connection between quantum spectral problems and topological strings to many local almost del Pezzo surfaces with arbitrary mass parameters. The conjecture uses perturbative information of the topological string in the unrefined and the Nekrasov-Shatashvili limit to solve non-perturbatively the quantum spectral problem. We consider the quantum spectral curves for the local almost del Pezzo surfaces of $\mathbb{F}_2$, $\mathbb{F}_1$, the blowup of $\mathbb{P}^2$ in two points and a mass deformation of the $E_8$ del Pezzo corresponding to different deformations of the three-term operators $\mathsf{O}_{1,1}$, $\mathsf{O}_{1,2}$ and $\mathsf{O}_{2,3}$. To check the conjecture, we compare the predictions for the spectrum of these operators with numerical results for the eigenvalues. We also compute the first few fermionic spectral traces from the conjectural spectral determinant, and we compare them to analytic and numerical results in spectral theory. In all these comparisons, we find that the conjecture is fully validated with high numerical precision. For local $\mathbb{F}_2$ we expand the spectral determinant around the orbifold point and find intriguing relations for Jacobi theta functions. We also give an explicit map between the geometries of $\mathbb{F}_0$ and $\mathbb{F}_2$ as well as a systematic way to derive the operators $\mathsf{O}_{m,n}$ from toric geometries., Comment: 71 pages, 8 figures

This work considers aspects of almost holomorphic and meromorphic Siegel modular forms from the perspective of physics and mathematics. The first part is concerned with (refined) topological string theory and the direct integration of the holomorphic anomaly equations. Here, a central object to compute higher genus amplitudes, which serve as the generating functions of various enumerative invariants, is provided by the so-called propagator. We derive a universal expression for the propagator for geometries that have mirror curves of genus two which is given by the derivative of the logarithm of Igusa's cusp form of weight 10. In addition, we illustrate our findings by solving the refined topological string on the resolutions of the three toric orbifolds of order three, five and six. In the second part, we give explicit expressions for lowering and raising operators on Siegel modular forms, and define almost holomorphic Siegel modular forms based on them. Extending the theory of Fourier-Jacobi expansions to almost holomorphic Siegel modular forms and building up on recent work by Pitale, Saha, and Schmidt, we can show that there is no analogue of the almost holomorphic elliptic second Eisenstein series. In the case of genus 2, we provide an almost meromorphic substitute for it. This, in particular, leads us to a generalization of Ramanujan's differential equation for the second Eisenstein series. The two parts are intertwined by the observation that the meromorphic analogue of the almost holomorphic second Eisenstein series coincides with the physical propagator. In addition, the generalized Ramanujan identities match precisely the physical consistency conditions that need to be imposed on the propagator., Comment: 67 pages, 3 figures

We give evidence that the all genus amplitudes of topological string theory on compact elliptically fibered Calabi-Yau manifolds can be written in terms of meromorphic Jacobi forms whose weight grows linearly and whose index grows quadratically with the base degree. The denominators of these forms have a simple universal form with the property that the poles of the meromorphic form lie only at torsion points. The modular parameter corresponds to the fibre class while the role of the string coupling is played by the elliptic parameter. This leads to very strong all genus results on these geometries, which are checked against results from curve counting. The structure can be viewed as an indication that an N=2 analog of the reciprocal of the Igusa cusp form exists that might govern the topological string theory on these Calabi-Yau manifolds completely., Comment: 80 pages, 1 figure

We study strings associated with minimal 6d SCFTs, which by definition have only one string charge and no Higgs branch. These theories are labelled by a number n with 1 <= n <= 8 or n = 12. Quiver theories have previously been proposed which describe strings of SCFTs for n = 1, 2. For n > 2 the strings interact with the bulk gauge symmetry. In this paper we find a quiver description for the n = 4 string using Sen's limit of F-theory and calculate its elliptic genus with localization techniques. This result is checked using the duality of F-theory with M-theory and topological string theory whose refined BPS partition function captures the elliptic genus of the SCFT strings. We use the topological string theory to gain insight into the elliptic genus for other values of n., Comment: 50+1 pages, 8 figures

Integrality in the Hodge theory of Calabi-Yau fourfolds is essential to find the vacuum structure and the anomaly cancellation mechanism of four dimensional F-theory compactifications. We use the Griffiths-Frobenius geometry and homological mirror symmetry to fix the integral monodromy basis in the primitive horizontal subspace of Calabi-Yau fourfolds. The Gamma class and supersymmetric localization calculations in the 2d gauged linear sigma model on the hemisphere are used to check and extend this method. The result allows us to study the superpotential and the Weil-Petersson metric and an associated tt* structure over the full complex moduli space of compact fourfolds for the first time. We show that integral fluxes can drive the theory to N=1 supersymmetric vacua at orbifold points and argue that fluxes can be chosen that fix the complex moduli of F-theory compactifications at gauge enhancements including such with U(1) factors. Given the mechanism it is natural to start with the most generic complex structure families of elliptic Calabi-Yau 4-fold fibrations over a given base. We classify these families in toric ambient spaces and among them the ones with heterotic duals. The method also applies to the creating of matter and Yukawa structures in F-theory. We construct two SU(5) models in F-theory with a Yukawa point that have a point on the base with an $E_8$-type singularity on the fiber and explore their embeddings in the global models. The explicit resolution of the singularity introduce a higher dimensional fiber and leads to novel features., Comment: 150 pages

Using the duality between Wilson loop expectation values of SU(N) Chern-Simons theory on $S^3$ and topological open-string amplitudes on the local mirror of the resolved conifold, we study knots on $S^3$ and their invariants encoded in colored HOMFLY polynomials by means of topological recursion. In the context of the local mirror Calabi-Yau threefold of the resolved conifold, we generalize the topological recursion of the remodelled B-model in order to study branes beyond the class of toric Harvey-Lawson special Lagrangians -- as required for analyzing non-trivial knots on $S^3$. The basic ingredients for the proposed recursion are the spectral curve, given by the augmentation variety of the knot, and the calibrated annulus kernel, encoding the topological annulus amplitudes associated to the knot. We present an explicit construction of the calibrated annulus kernel for torus knots and demonstrate the validity of the topological recursion. We further argue that -- if an explicit form of the calibrated annulus kernel is provided for any other knot -- the proposed topological recursion should still be applicable. We study the implications of our proposal for knot theory, which exhibit interesting consequences for colored HOMFLY polynomials of mutant knots., Comment: 78 pages, 7 figures; v2: refs. added, typos corrected and minor adjustments; v3: typos corrected and minor adjustments, version published in CMP

We use mirror symmetry, quantum geometry and modularity properties of elliptic curves to calculate the refined free energies in the Nekrasov-Shatashvili limit on non-compact toric Calabi-Yau manifolds, based on del Pezzo surfaces. Quantum geometry here is to be understood as a quantum deformed version of rigid special geometry, which has its origin in the quantum mechanical behaviour of branes in the topological string B-model. We will argue that, in the Seiberg-Witten picture, only the Coulomb parameters lead to quantum corrections, while the mass parameters remain uncorrected. In certain cases we will also compute the expansion of the free energies at the orbifold point and the conifold locus. We will compute the quantum corrections order by order on $\hbar$, by deriving second order differential operators, which act on the classical periods., Comment: 53 pages, 8 figures

We use mirror symmetry, the refined holomorphic anomaly equation and modularity properties of elliptic singularities to calculate the refined BPS invariants of stable pairs on non-compact Calabi-Yau manifolds, based on del Pezzo surfaces and elliptic surfaces, in particular the half K3. The BPS numbers contribute naturally to the five-dimensional N=1 supersymmetric index of M-theory, but they can be also interpreted in terms of the superconformal index in six dimensions and upon dimensional reduction the generating functions count N=2 Seiberg-Witten gauge theory instantons in four dimensions. Using the M/F-theory uplift the additional information encoded in the spin content can be used in an essential way to obtain information about BPS states in physical systems associated to small instantons, tensionless strings, gauge symmetry enhancement in F-theory by [p,q]-strings as well as M-strings., Comment: 120 pages, 21 figures

We propose a class of toric Lagrangian A-branes on the resolved conifold that is suitable to describe torus knots on S^3. The key role is played by the SL(2,Z) transformation, which generates a general torus knot from the unknot. Applying the topological vertex to the proposed A-branes, we rederive the colored HOMFLY polynomials for torus knots, in agreement with the Rosso and Jones formula. We show that our A-model construction is mirror symmetric to the B-model analysis of Brini, Eynard and Marino. Comparing to the recent proposal by Aganagic and Vafa for knots on S^3, we demonstrate that the disk amplitude of the A-brane associated to any knot is sufficient to reconstruct the entire B-model spectral curve. Finally, the construction of toric Lagrangian A-branes is generalized to other local toric Calabi-Yau geometries, which paves the road to study knots in other three-manifolds such as lens spaces., Comment: harvmac, 42 pages, v2: comments and references added

A refinement of the stable pair invariants of Pandharipande and Thomas for non-compact Calabi-Yau spaces is introduced based on a virtual Bialynicki-Birula decomposition with respect to a C* action on the stable pair moduli space, or alternatively the equivariant index of Nekrasov and Okounkov. This effectively calculates the refined index for M-theory reduced on these Calabi-Yau geometries. Based on physical expectations we propose a product formula for the refined invariants extending the motivic product formula of Morrison, Mozgovoy, Nagao, and Szendroi for local P^1. We explicitly compute refined invariants in low degree for local P^2 and local P^1 x P^1 and check that they agree with the predictions of the direct integration of the generalized holomorphic anomaly and with the product formula. The modularity of the expressions obtained in the direct integration approach allows us to relate the generating function of refined PT invariants on appropriate geometries to Nekrasov's partition function and a refinement of Chern-Simons theory on a lens space. We also relate our product formula to wallcrossing., Comment: 60 pages, 1 eps figure; reference updated; minor typos corrected

The matrix model of ABJM theory can be formulated in terms of a Fermi gas in an external potential. We show that, in this formalism, vevs of Wilson loops correspond to averages of operators in the statistical-mechanical problem. This makes it possible to calculate these vevs at all orders in 1/N, up to exponentially small corrections, and for arbitrary Chern-Simons coupling, by using the WKB expansion. We present explicit results for the vevs of 1/6 and the 1/2 BPS Wilson loops, at any winding number, in terms of Airy functions. Our expressions are shown to reproduce the low genus results obtained previously in the 't Hooft expansion., Comment: 48 pages, 2 figures, expansion (2.110) and typos corrected, slight improvements of the presentation

We study the quantum geometry of the class of Calabi-Yau threefolds, which are elliptic fibrations over a two-dimensional toric base. A holomorphic anomaly equation for the topological string free energy is proposed, which is iterative in the genus expansion as well as in the curve classes in the base. T-duality on the fibre implies that the topological string free energy also captures the BPS-invariants of D4-branes wrapping the elliptic fibre and a class in the base. We verify this proposal by explicit computation of the BPS invariants of 3 D4-branes on the rational elliptic surface., Comment: 63 pages, 4 figures

We give an interpretation of the Omega deformed B-model that leads naturally to the generalized holomorphic anomaly equations. Direct integration of the latter calculates topological amplitudes of four dimensional rigid N=2 theories explicitly in general Omega-backgrounds in terms of modular forms. These amplitudes encode the refined BPS spectrum as well as new gravitational couplings in the effective action of N=2 supersymmetric theories. The rigid N=2 field theories we focus on are the conformal rank one N=2 Seiberg-Witten theories. The failure of holomorphicity is milder in the conformal cases, but fixing the holomorphic ambiguity is only possible upon mass deformation. Our formalism applies irrespectively of whether a Lagrangian formulation exists. In the class of rigid N=2 theories arising from compactifications on local Calabi-Yau manifolds, we consider the theory of local P2. We calculate motivic Donaldson-Thomas invariants for this geometry and make predictions for generalized Gromov-Witten invariants at the orbifold point., Comment: 73 pages, no figures, references added and typos corrected

Using wall-crossing formulae and the theory of mock modular forms we derive a holomorphic anomaly equation for the modified elliptic genus of two M5-branes wrapping a rigid divisor inside a Calabi-Yau manifold. The anomaly originates from restoring modularity of an indefinite theta-function capturing the wall-crossing of BPS invariants associated to D4-D2-D0 brane systems. We show the compatibility of this equation with anomaly equations previously observed in the context of N=4 topological Yang-Mills theory on P^2 and E-strings obtained from wrapping M5-branes on a del Pezzo surface. The non-holomorphic part is related to the contribution originating from bound-states of singly wrapped M5-branes on the divisor. We show in examples that the information provided by the anomaly is enough to compute the BPS degeneracies for certain charges. We further speculate on a natural extension of the anomaly to higher D4-brane charge., Comment: 45 p