Quantum geometry of moduli spaces of local systems and representation theory

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new geometric and algebraic framework for moduli spaces of G-local systems on surfaces, establishing their cluster Poisson structures, quantizations, and connections to representation theory and quantum groups.

Contribution

It constructs and quantizes moduli spaces P(G,S) and A(G,S) with cluster structures, generalizing prior work and linking to quantum groups and W-algebras.

Findings

Moduli spaces P(G,S) and A(G,S) carry cluster Poisson and cluster structures.

Quantization of these spaces yields principal series representations.

Connections to quantum groups and W-algebras are established.

Abstract

Let G be a split semi-simple adjoint group, and S a colored decorated surface, given by an oriented surface with punctures, special boundary points, and a specified collection of boundary intervals. We introduce a moduli space P(G,S) parametrizing G-local system on S with some boundary data, and prove that it carries a cluster Poisson structure, equivariant under the action of the cluster modular group M(G,S), containing the mapping class group of S, the group of outer automorphisms of G, and the product of Weyl / braid groups over punctures / boundary components. We prove that the dual moduli space A(G,S) carries a M(G,S)-equivariant cluster structure, and the pair (A(G,S), P(G,S)) is a cluster ensemble. These results generalize the works of V. Fock & the first author, and of I. Le. We quantize cluster Poisson varieties X for any Planck constant h s.t. h>0 or |h|=1. First, we define a *-algebra structure on the Langlands modular double A(h; X) of the algebra of functions on X. We construct a principal series of representations of the *-algebra A(h; X), equivariant under a unitary projective representation of the cluster modular group M(X). This extends works of V. Fock and the first author when h>0. Combining this, we get a M(G,S)-equivariant quantization of the moduli space P(G,S), given by the *-algebra A(h; P(G,S)) and its principal series representations. We construct realizations of the principal series *-representations. In particular, when S is punctured disc with two special points, we get a principal series *-representations of the Langlands modular double of the quantum group Uq(g). We conjecture that there is a nondegenerate pairing between the local system of coinvariants of oscillatory representations of the W-algebra and the one provided by the projective representation of the mapping class group of S.