From Hodge Theory to Integrability and TQFT

Book excerpt: "Ideas from quantum field theory and string theory have had an enormous impact on geometry over the last two decades. One extremely fruitful source of new mathematical ideas goes back to the works of Cecotti, Vafa, et al. around 1991 on the geometry of topological field theory. Their tt*-geometry (tt* stands for topological-antitopological) was motivated by physics, but it turned out to unify ideas from such separate branches of mathematics as singularity theory, Hodge theory, integrable systems, matrix models, and Hurwitz spaces. The interaction among these fields suggested by tt*-geometry has become a fast moving and exciting research area. This book, loosely based on the 2007 Augsburg, Germany workshop "From tQFT to tt* and Integrability", is the perfect introduction to the range of mathematical topics relevant to tt*-geometry. It begins with several surveys of the main features of tt*-geometry, Frobenius manifolds, twistors, and related structures in algebraic and differential geometry, each starting from basic definitions and leading to current research. The volume moves on to explorations of current foundational issues in Hodge theory: higher weight phenomena in twistor theory and non-commutative Hodge structures and their relation to mirror symmetry. The book concludes with a series of applications to integrable systems and enumerative geometry, exploring further extensions and connections to physics. With its progression through introductory, foundational, and exploratory material, this book is an indispensable companion for anyone working in the subject or wishing to enter it."--Publisher's website.