Hirzebruch Functional Equation: Classification of Solutions

Abstract

The Hirzebruch functional equation is $$\sum\nolimits_{i = 1}^n {\prod\nolimits_{j \ne i} {(1/f({z_j} - {z_i})) = c} } $$ with constant c and initial conditions f(0) = 0 and f'(0) = 1. In this paper we find all solutions of the Hirzebruch functional equation for n ≤ 6 in the class of meromorphic functions and in the class of series. Previously, such results have been known only for n ≤ 4. The Todd function is the function determining the two-parameter Todd genus (i.e., the χa,b-genus). It gives a solution to the Hirzebruch functional equation for any n. The elliptic function of level N is the function determining the elliptic genus of level N. It gives a solution to the Hirzebruch functional equation for n divisible by N. A series corresponding to a meromorphic function f with parameters in U ⊂ ℂk is a series with parameters in the Zariski closure of U in ℂk, such that for the parameters in U it coincides with the series expansion at zero of f. The main results are as follows: (1) Any series solution of the Hirzebruch functional equation for n = 5 corresponds either to the Todd function or to the elliptic function of level 5. (2) Any series solution of the Hirzebruch functional equation for n = 6 corresponds either to the Todd function or to the elliptic function of level 2, 3, or 6. This gives a complete classification of complex genera that are fiber multiplicative with respect to ℂPn−1 for n ≤ 6. A topological application of this study is an effective calculation of the coefficients of elliptic genera of level N for N = 2,..., 6 in terms of solutions of a differential equation with parameters in an irreducible algebraic variety in ℂ4.