Related papers: Monodromy groups of $\mathbb{C}\mathrm{P}^1$-struc…

Monodromy in analytic families of smooth complex surfaces yields groups of isotopy classes of orientation preserving diffeomorphisms for each family member X. For all deformation classes of minimal elliptic surfaces with p_g>q=0, we…

We compute the monodromy of the Hitchin fibration for the moduli space of $L$-twisted $SL(n,\mathbb{C})$ and $GL(n,\mathbb{C})$-Higgs bundles for any $n$, on a compact Riemann surface of genus $g>1$. We require the line bundle $L$ to either…

Let X be a 2-sphere with n punctures. We classify all conjugacy classes of Zariski-dense representations $$\rho: \pi_1(X)\to SL_2(\mathbb{C})$$ with finite orbit under the mapping class group of X, such that the local monodromy at one or…

For every integer $g \,\geq\, 2$ we show the existence of a compact Riemann surface $\Sigma$ of genus $g$ such that the rank two trivial holomorphic vector bundle ${\mathcal O}^{\oplus 2}_{\Sigma}$ admits holomorphic connections with…

Chiral conformal blocks in a rational conformal field theory are a far going extension of Gauss hypergeometric functions. The associated monodromy representations of Artin's braid group capture the essence of the modern view on the subject,…

The punctured solenoid $\S$ is an initial object for the category of punctured surfaces with morphisms given by finite covers branched only over the punctures. The (decorated) Teichm\"uller space of $\S$ is introduced, studied, and found to…

Let $\Sigma_{g'}\to \Sigma_g$ be a cover of an orientable surface of genus g by an orientable surface of genus g', branched at n points, with Galois group H. Such a cover induces a virtual action of the mapping class group…

Let $S$ be a punctured surface of negative Euler characteristic. We show that given a generic representation $\rho:\pi_1(S) \rightarrow \mathrm{PSL}_n(\mathbb{C})$, there exists a positive representation $\rho_0:\pi_1(S) \rightarrow…

Let S be a closed orientable surface of genus at least two, and let C be an arbitrary (complex) projective structure on S. We show that there is a decomposition of S into pairs of pants and cylinders such that the restriction of C to each…

The pentagram map is a discrete integrable system on the moduli space of planar polygons. The corresponding first integrals are so-called monodromy invariants $E_1, O_1, E_2, O_2,\dots$ By analyzing the combinatorics of these invariants,…

In this paper, we characterize unitary representations of the fundamental group of a punctured sphere whose generators can be decomposed into products of two Lagrangian involutions. Our main result is that such representations are exactly…

Every smooth minimal complex algebraic surface of general type, $X$, may be mapped into a moduli space, $\MM_{c_1^2(X), c_2(X)}$, of minimal surfaces of general type, all of which have the same Chern numbers. Using the braid group and braid…

We give an example of a Teichm\"uller curve which contains, in a factor of its monodromy, a group which was not observed before. Namely, it has Zariski closure equal to the group $SO^*(6)$ in its standard representation; up to finite index,…

We give a survey on some aspects of the topological investigation of isolated singularities of complex hypersurfaces by means of Picard-Lefschetz theory. We focus on the concept of distinguished bases of vanishing cycles and the concept of…

Let $\mathfrak{M}_n$ be the multiplicative monoid of $n \times n$ matrices over a finite field. The monoid algebra $\mathbf{C}[\mathfrak{M}_n]$ has been studied for several decades. One of the important early results is Kov\'acs' theorem…

Consider the projection of a smooth irreducible surface in $\mathbb{P}^3$ from a point. The uniform position principle implies that the monodromy group of such a projection from a general point in $\mathbb{P}^3$ is the whole symmetric…

The variations of Hodge structures of weight one associated to square-tiled surfaces naturally generate interesting subgroups of integral symplectic matrices called Kontsevich--Zorich monodromies. In this paper, we show that arithmetic…

Previous work of the author has developed coordinates on bundles over the classical Teichmueller spaces of punctured surfaces and on the space of cosets of the Moebius group in the group of orientation-preserving homeomorphisms of the…

Let C_g be a general curve of genus g>3. Guralnick and others proved that the monodromy group of a cover C_g-> P^1 of degree n is either S_n or A_n. We show that A_n occurs for n>2g. The corresponding result for S_n is classical.

We study the topology of the space of affine hyperplanes $L \subset \CC^n$ which are in general position with respect to a given generic quadratic hypersurface $A$, and calculate the monodromy action of the fundamental group of this space…