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We derive an effective recursion for Witten's r-spin intersection numbers, using Witten's conjecture relating r-spin numbers to the Gel'fand-Dikii hierarchy (Theorem 4.1). Consequences include closed-form descriptions of the intersection numbers (for example, in terms of gamma functions: Propositions 5.2 and 5.4, Corollary 5.5). We use these closed-form descriptions to prove Harer-Zagier's formula for the Euler characteristic of M_ {g, 1}. Finally in Section 6, we extend Witten's series expansion formula for the Landau-Ginzburg potential to study r-spin numbers in the small phase space in genus zero. Our key tool is the calculus of formal pseudodifferential operators, and is partially motivated by work of Brezin and Hikami.

In [LL-Y1, III: Sec. 5.4] on mirror principle, a method was developed to compute the integral \int_ {X} ^{st} e^{H\cdot t}\cap {\mathbf 1} _d for a flag manifold $ X=\Fl_ {r_1,..., r_I}({\Bbb C}^ n) $ via an extended mirror principle diagram. This method turns the required localization computation on the augmented moduli stack $\bar {\cal M} _ {0, 0}(\CP^ 1\times X) $ of stable maps to a localization computation on a hyper-Quot-scheme $\HQuot ({\cal E}^ n) $. In this article, the detail of this localization computation on $\HQuot ({\cal E}^ n) $ is carried out. The necessary ingredients in the computation, notably, the \int_ {X} ^{st} e^{H\cdot t}\cap {\mathbf 1} _d -fixed-point components and the distinguished ones \int_ {X} ^{st} e^{H\cdot t}\cap {\mathbf 1} _d in $\HQuot ({\cal E}^ n) $, the \int_ {X} ^{st} e^{H\cdot t}\cap {\mathbf 1} _d -equivariant Euler class of \int_ {X} ^{st} e^{H\cdot t}\cap {\mathbf 1} _d in $\HQuot ({\cal E}^ n) $, and a push-forward formula of cohomology classes involved in the problem from the total space of a restrictive flag manifold bundle to its base manifold are given. With these, an exact expression of \int_ {X} ^{st} e^{H\cdot t}\cap {\mathbf 1} _d is obtained. Comments on the Hori-Vafa conjecture are given in the end.

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We study BPS states of 5d N=1 SU(2) Yang-Mills theory on S^1×R^4. Geometric engineering relates these to enumerative invariants for the local Hirzebruch surface F_0. We illustrate computations of Vafa-Witten invariants via exponential networks, verifying fiber-base symmetry of the spectrum at certain points in moduli space, and matching with mirror descriptions based on quivers and exceptional collections. Albeit infinite, parts of the spectrum organize in families described by simple algebraic equations. Varying the radius of the M-theory circle interpolates smoothly with the spectrum of 4d N=2 Seiberg-Witten theory, recovering spectral networks in the limit.