Pointed admissible G-covers and G-equivariant cohomological field theories

Abstract

For any finite group G we define the moduli space of pointed admissible G-covers and the concept of a G-equivariant cohomological field theory (G-CohFT), which, when G is the trivial group, reduces to the moduli space of stable curves and a cohomological field theory (CohFT), respectively. We prove that taking the ‘quotient’ by G reduces a G-CohFT to a CohFT. We also prove that a G-CohFT contains a G-Frobenius algebra, a G-equivariant generalization of a Frobenius algebra, and that the ‘quotient’ by G agrees with the obvious Frobenius algebra structure on the space of G-invariants, after rescaling the metric. We then introduce the moduli space of G-stable maps into a smooth, projective variety X with G action. Gromov–Witten-like invariants of these spaces provide the primary source of examples of G-CohFTs. Finally, we explain how these constructions generalize (and unify) the Chen–Ruan orbifold Gromov–Witten invariants of of Fantechi and Göttsche.