Let S be a closed topological surface. Haupts theorem provides necessary and sufficient conditions for a complex-valued character of the first integer homology group of S to be realized by integration against a complex-valued 1-form that is holomorphic with respect to some complex structure on S. We prove a refinement of this theorem that takes into account the divisor data of the 1-form.
The local invariants of a meromorphic Abelian differential on a Riemann surface of genus $g$ are the orders of zeros and poles, and the residues at the poles. The main result of this paper is that with few exceptions, every pattern of orders and resi
dues can be obtain by an Abelian differential. These exceptions are two families in genus zero when the orders of the poles are either all simple or all nonsimple. Moreover, we even show that the pattern can be realized in each connected component of strata. Finally we give consequences of these results in algebraic and flat geometry. The main ingredient of the proof is the flat representation of the Abelian differentials.
A $k$-differential on a Riemann surface is a section of the $k$-th power of the canonical bundle. Loci of $k$-differentials with prescribed number and multiplicities of zeros and poles form a natural stratification for the moduli space of $k$-differe
ntials. The classification of connected components of the strata of $k$-differentials was known for holomorphic differentials, meromorphic differentials and quadratic differentials with at worst simple poles by Kontsevich--Zorich, Boissy and Lanneau, respectively. Built on their work we develop new techniques to study connected components of the strata of $k$-differentials for general $k$. As an application, we give a complete classification of connected components of the strata of quadratic differentials with arbitrary poles. Moreover, we distinguish certain components of the strata of $k$-differentials by generalizing the hyperelliptic structure and spin parity for higher $k$. We also describe an approach to determine explicitly parities of $k$-differentials in genus zero and one, which inspires an amusing conjecture in number theory. A key viewpoint we use is the notion of multi-scale $k$-differentials introduced by Bainbridge--Chen--Gendron--Grushevsky--Moller for $k = 1$ and extended by Costantini--Moller--Zachhuber for all $k$.
We describe the closure of the strata of abelian differentials with prescribed type of zeros and poles, in the projectivized Hodge bundle over the Deligne-Mumford moduli space of stable curves with marked points. We provide an explicit characterizati
on of pointed stable differentials in the boundary of the closure, both a complex analytic proof and a flat geometric proof for smoothing the boundary differentials, and numerous examples. The main new ingredient in our description is a global residue condition arising from a full order on the dual graph of a stable curve.
We state conjectures on the asymptotic behavior of the volumes of moduli spaces of Abelian differentials and their Siegel-Veech constants as genus tends to infinity. We provide certain numerical evidence, describe recent advances and the state of the art towards proving these conjectures.
We present an explicit formula relating volumes of strata of meromorphicquadratic differentials with at most simple poles on Riemann surfacesand counting functions of the number of flat cylinders filled by closedgeodesics in associated flat metric wi
th singularities. This generalizes the resultof Athreya, Eskin and Zorich in genus 0 to higher genera.