The blowup formula for higher rank Donaldson invariants

In this thesis, I study the relationship between the higher rank Donaldson invariants of a smooth 4-manifold X and the invariants of its blowup X#CP2 . This relationship can be expressed in terms of a formal power series in several variables, called the blowup function. I compute the restriction of the blowup function to one of its variables, by solving a special system of ordinary differential equations. I also compute the SU(3) blowup function completely, and show that it is a theta function on a family of genus 2 hyperelliptic Jacobians. Finally, I give a formal argument to explain the appearance of Abelian varieties and theta functions in four dimensional topological field theories.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mathematics.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Culler, Lucas Howard

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Tomasz Mrowka.

• Mathematics.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/90181

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/90181