Holomorphic anomaly equations and the Igusa cusp form conjecture

Abstract

Let S be a K3 surface and let E be an elliptic curve. We solve the reduced Gromov–Witten theory of the Calabi–Yau threefold $$S \times E$$ for all curve classes which are primitive in the K3 factor. In particular, we deduce the Igusa cusp form conjecture. The proof relies on new results in the Gromov–Witten theory of elliptic curves and K3 surfaces. We show the generating series of Gromov–Witten classes of an elliptic curve are cycle-valued quasimodular forms and satisfy a holomorphic anomaly equation. The quasimodularity generalizes a result by Okounkov and Pandharipande, and the holomorphic anomaly equation proves a conjecture of Milanov, Ruan and Shen. We further conjecture quasimodularity and holomorphic anomaly equations for the cycle-valued Gromov–Witten theory of every elliptic fibration with section. The conjecture generalizes the holomorphic anomaly equations for elliptic Calabi–Yau threefolds predicted by Bershadsky, Cecotti, Ooguri, and Vafa. We show a modified conjecture holds numerically for the reduced Gromov–Witten theory of K3 surfaces in primitive classes.