ON A RECONSTRUCTION THEOREM FOR

HOLONOMIC SYSTEMS

arXiv:1208.6104v2 [math.AG] 3 Sep 2012

ANDREA DAGNOLO AND MASAKI KASHIWARA

Abstract. Let X be a complex manifold. The classical RiemannHilbert correspondence associates to a regular holonomic system
M the C-constructible complex of its holomorphic solutions. Let
t be the affine coordinate in the complex projective line. If M is
not necessarily regular, we associate to it the ind-R-constructible
complex G of tempered holomorphic solutions to M Det . We
conjecture that this provides a Riemann-Hilbert correspondence
for holonomic systems. We discuss the functoriality of this correspondence, we prove that M can be reconstructed from G if
dim X = 1, and we show how the Stokes data are encoded in G.

Introduction
Let X be a complex manifold. The Riemann-Hilbert correspondence
of [3] establishes an anti-equivalence
Dbr-hol (DX ) o

0
0

DbC-c (CX )

between regular holonomic D-modules and C-constructible complexes.

Here, 0 (L) = RHom DX (L, OX ) is the complex of holomorphic solut
tions to L, and 0 (L) = T Hom (L, OX ) = RHom (L, OX
) is the complex of holomorphic functions tempered along L. Since L 0 (0 (L)),
this shows in particular that L can be reconstructed from 0 (L).
We are interested here in holonomic D-modules which are not necessarily regular.
The theory of ind-sheaves from [7] allows one to consider the complex
t
t (M) = RHom DX (M, OX
) of tempered holomorphic solutions to a
holonomic module M. The basic example t (DC e1/x ) was computed
in [8], and the functor t has been studied in [11, 12]. However, since
t (DC e1/x ) t (DC e2/x ), one cannot reconstruct M from t (M).
Set (M) = t (M DP et ), for t the affine variable in the complex
projective line P. This is an ind-R-constructible complex in X P.
2010 Mathematics Subject Classification. 32C38, 35A20, 32S60, 34M40.
Key words and phrases. Riemann-Hilbert problem, holonomic D-modules, indsheaves, Stokes phenomenon.
The first author expresses his gratitude to the RIMS of Kyoto University for
hospitality during the preparation of this paper.
1

A. DAGNOLO AND M. KASHIWARA

The arguments in [1] suggested us how M could be reconstructed from

(M) via a functor , described below (3).
We conjecture that the contravariant functors
Db (DX ) o

Db (ICXP ),

between the derived categories of DX -modules and of ind-sheaves on

X P, provide a Riemann-Hilbert correspondence for holonomic systems.
To corroborate this statement, we discuss the functoriality of and
with respect to proper direct images and to tensor products with
regular objects (4). This allows a reduction to holonomic modules
with a good formal structure.
When X is a curve and M is holonomic, we prove that the natural
morphism M ((M)) is an isomorphism (6). Thus M can be
reconstructed from (M).
Recall that irregular holonomic modules are subjected to the Stokes
phenomenon. We describe with an example how the Stokes data of M
are encoded topologically in the ind-R-constructible sheaf (M) (7).
In this Note, the proofs are only sketched. Details will appear in a
forthcoming paper. There, we will also describe some of the properties
of the essential image of holonomic systems by the functor . Such a
category is related to a construction of [14].
1. Notations
We refer to [5, 7, 4].
Let X be a real analytic manifold.
Denote by Db (CX ) the bounded derived category of sheaves of Cvector spaces, and by DbR-c (CX ) the full subcategory of objects with
R-constructible cohomologies. Denote by , RHom , f 1 , Rf , Rf ! ,
f ! the six Grothendieck operations for sheaves. (Here f : X Y is a
morphism of real analytic manifolds.)
For S X a locally closed subset, we denote by CS the zero extension to X of the constant sheaf on S.
Recall that an ind-sheaf is an ind-object in the category of sheaves
with compact support. Denote by Db (ICX ) the bounded derived category of ind-sheaves, and by DbIR-c (ICX ) the full subcategory of objects
with ind-R-constructible cohomologies. Denote by , RIHom , f 1 ,
Rf , Rf !! , f ! the six Grothendieck operations for ind-sheaves.
Denote by the left adjoint of the embedding of sheaves into indsheaves. One has (limFi ) = limFi . Denote by the left adjoint of

.
Denote by DbtX the ind-R-constructible sheaf of tempered distributions.
Let X be a complex manifold. We set for short dX = dim X.

ON A RECONSTRUCTION THEOREM FOR HOLONOMIC SYSTEMS

Denote by OX and DX the rings of holomorphic functions and of

differential operators. Denote by X the invertible sheaf of differential
forms of top degree.
Denote by Db (DX ) the bounded derived category of left DX -modules,
and by Dbhol (DX ) and Dbr-hol (DX ) the full subcategories of objects with
holonomic and regular holonomic cohomologies, respectively. Denote
by D , Df 1 , Df the operations for D-modules. (Here f : X Y is
a morphism of complex manifolds.)
Denote by DM the dual of M (with shift such that DOX OX ).
For Z X a closed analytic subset, we denote by R[Z] M and
M(Z) the relative algebraic cohomologies of a DX -module M.
Denote by ss(M) X the singular support of M, that is the set
of points where the characteristic variety is not reduced to the zerosection.
t
Denote by OX
DbIR-c (ICX ) the complex of tempered holomort
phic functions. Recall that OX
is the Dolbeault complex of DbtX
and that it has a structure of DX -module. We will write for short
t
t
RHom DX (M, OX
) instead of RIHom DX (M, OX
).
2. Exponential D-modules
Let X be a complex analytic manifold. Let D X be a hypersurface,
and set U = X \ D. For OX (D), we set
DX e = DX /{P : P e = 0 on U},

ED|X
= (DX e )(D).

As an OX (D)-module, ED|X
is generated by e . Note that ss(ED|X
)=

D, and ED|X is holonomic. It is regular if OX , since then ED|X

OX (D).

One easily checks that (DED|X

)(D) ED|X
.

Proposition 2.1. If dim X = 1, and has an effective pole at every

point of D, then DED|X

ED|X
.
Let P be the complex projective line and denote by t the coordinate
on C = P \ {}.
For c R, we set for short
{Re < c} ={x U : Re (x) < c},
{Re(t + ) < c} ={(x, t) : x U, t C, Re(t + (x)) < c}.
Consider the ind-R-constructible sheaves on X and on X P, respectively,
C{Re <?} = lim C{Re <c} ,

c+

C{Re(t+)<?} = lim C{Re(t+)<c} .

c+

A. DAGNOLO AND M. KASHIWARA

The following result is analogous to [1, Proposition 7.1]. Its proof is

simpler than loc. cit., since is differentiable.
Proposition 2.2. One has an isomorphism in Db (DX )

t
t
ED|X

Rq RHom p1 DP (p1 E|P

, RHom (C{Re(t+)<?} , OXP
)),

for q and p the projections from X P.

The following result is analogous to [8, Proposition 7.3].
Lemma 2.3. Denote by (u, v) the coordinates in C2 . There is an
isomorphism in Db (ICC2 )
u/v

RHom D 2 (E{v=0}|C2 , OCt 2 ) RIHom (C{v6=0} , C{Re u/v<?} ).

C

Proposition 2.4. There is an isomorphism in Db (ICX )

t
RHom DX (DED|X
, OX
) RIHom (CU , C{Re <?} ).
u/v

u/v

Proof. As DE{v=0}|C2 E{v=0}|C2 , Lemma 2.3 gives

u/v

tC2 DL 2 E{v=0}|C2 [2] RIHom (C{v6=0} , C{Re u/v<?} ).

C

Write = a/b for a, b OX such that b1 (0) D, and consider the

map
f = (a, b) : X C2 .
u/v

As Df 1 E{v=0}|C2 ED|X
, [7, Theorem 7.4.1] implies

tX DL ED|X
[dX ] RIHom (CU , C{Re <?} ).
X

Finally, one has

t
tX DL ED|X
[dX ] RHom DX (DED|X
, OX
).
X


3. A correspondence
Let X be a complex analytic manifold. Recall that P denotes the
complex projective line. Consider the contravariant functors
Db (DX ) o

Db (ICXP )

defined by
t
t
(M) = RHom DXP (M D E|P
, OXP
),
t
t
(F ) = Rq RHom p1 DP (p1 E|P
, RHom (F, OXP
)),

for q and p the projections from X P.

We conjecture that this provides a Riemann-Hilbert correspondence
for holonomic systems:

ON A RECONSTRUCTION THEOREM FOR HOLONOMIC SYSTEMS

Conjecture 3.1.

(i) The natural morphism of endofunctors of Db (DX )

id

(3.1)

is an isomorphism on Dbhol (DX ).

(ii) The restriction of
|Dbhol (DX ) : Dbhol (DX ) Db (ICXP )
is fully faithful.
Let us prove some results in this direction.
4. Functorial properties
The next two Propositions are easily deduced from the results in [7].
Proposition 4.1. Let f : X Y be a proper map, and set fP = f idP .
Let M Dbhol (DX ) and F DbIR-c (ICXP ). Then
(Df M) RfP !! (M)[dX dY ],
(RfP !! F ) Df (F )[dX dY ].
For L Dbr-hol (DX ), set
0 (L) = RHom DX (L, OX ).
Recall that 0 (L) is a C-constructible complex of sheaves on X.
Proposition 4.2. Let L Dbr-hol (DX ), M Dbhol (DX ) and F
DbIR-c (ICXP ). Then
(D(L D DM)) RIHom (q 1 0 (L), (M)),
(F q 1 0 (L)) (F ) D L.
Noticing that
(OX ) CX RIHom (C{t6=} , C{Re t<?} ),
one checks easily that ((OX )) OX . Hence, Proposition 4.2 shows:
Theorem 4.3.

(i) For L Dbr-hol (DX ), we have

(L) q 1 0 (L) (OX )

0 (L) RIHom (C{t6=} , C{Re t<?} ).
(ii) The morphism (3.1) is an isomorphism on Dbr-hol (DX ).
(iii) For any L, L Dbr-hol (DX ), the natural morphism
Hom DX (L, L ) Hom ((L ), (L))
is an isomorphism.
Therefore, Conjecture 3.1 holds true for regular holonomic D-modules.

A. DAGNOLO AND M. KASHIWARA

5. Review on good formal structures

Let D X be a hypersurface. A flat meromorphic connection with
poles at D is a holonomic DX -module M such that ss(M) = D and
M M(D).
We recall here the classical results on the formal structure of flat
meromorphic connections on curves. (Analogous results in higher dimension have been obtained in [10, 9].)
Let X be an open disc in C centered at 0.
For F an OX -module, we set
bX,0
Fb|0 = O
F0 ,
OX,0

bX,0 is the completion of OX,0 .

where O
One says that a flat meromorphic connection M with poles at 0 has
a good formal structure if

M
D i
b
Li E0|X b|0
(5.1)
M|0
iI

bX,0
as (O
OX,0 DX,0 )-modules, where I is a finite set, Li are regular
holonomic DX -modules, and i OX (0).
A ramification at 0 is a map X X of the form x 7 xm for some
m N.
The Levelt-Turrittin theorem asserts:
Theorem 5.1. Let M be a meromorphic connection with poles at 0.
Then there is a ramification f : X X such that Df 1 M has a good
formal structure at 0.
Assume that M satisfies (5.1). If M is regular, then i OX for all
i I, and (5.1) is induced by an isomorphism

M
D i
M0
Li E0|X .
iI

However, such an isomorphism does not hold in general.

Consider the real oriented blow-up
(5.2)

: B = R S 1 X,

(, ) 7 ei .

Set V = { > 0} and let Y = { 0} be its closure. If W is an open

neighborhood of (0, ) Y , then (W V ) contains a germ of open
sector around the direction centered at 0.
Consider the commutative ring
AY = RHom 1 D ( 1 OX , RHom (CV , DbtB )),
X

where X is the complex conjugate of X.

To a DX -module M, one associates the AY -module
M = AY 1 OX 1 M.

ON A RECONSTRUCTION THEOREM FOR HOLONOMIC SYSTEMS

The Hukuara-Turrittin theorem states that (5.1) can be extended to

germs of open sectors:
Theorem 5.2. Let M be a flat meromorphic connection with poles at
0. Assume that M admits the good formal structure (5.1). Then for
any (0, ) Y one has
M
i
mi

(5.3)
( M)(0,)
E0|X
,
(0,)
iI

where mi is the rank of Li .

(Note that only the ranks of the Li s appear here, since x (log x)m
belongs to AY for any C and m Z0 .)
One should be careful that the above isomorphism depends on ,
giving rise to the Stokes phenomenon.
We will need the following result:
Lemma 5.3. If M is a flat meromorphic connection with poles at 0,
then
R ( M) M.
6. Reconstruction theorem on curves
Let X be a complex curve. Then Conjecture 3.1 (i) holds true:
Theorem 6.1. For M Dbhol (DX ) there is a functorial isomorphism
(6.1)

M
((M)).

Sketch of proof. Since the statement is local, we can assume that X is

an open disc in C centered at 0, and that ss(M) = {0}.
By devissage, we can assume from the beginning that M is a flat
meromorphic connection with poles at 0.
Let f : X X be a ramification as in Theorem 5.1, so that Df 1 M
admits a good formal structure at 0.
Note that Df Df 1 M M N for some N . If (6.1) holds for
Df 1 M, then it holds for M N by Proposition 4.1, and hence it also
holds for M.
We can thus assume that M admits a good formal structure at 0.
Consider the real oriented blow-up (5.2).
By Lemma 5.3, one has M R M. Hence Proposition 4.1 (or
better, its analogue for ) implies that we can replace M with M.
By Theorem 5.2, we finally reduce to prove

((E0|X
)).
E0|X

Set D = {x = 0} {t = } and U = (X P) \ D . By Proposition 2.1,

D t
DEDt+
E|P) EDt
|XP D(E0|X
|XP .

A. DAGNOLO AND M. KASHIWARA

By Proposition 2.4, we thus have

(E0|X
) RIHom (CU , C{Re(t+)<?} ).

Noticing that (E0|X

)CD DbC-c (CXP ), one checks that ((E0|X
)
CD ) 0.
Hence, Proposition 2.2 implies

((E0|X
)) (C{Re(t+)<?} ) E0|C
.

Example 6.2. Let X = C, (x) = 1/x and M = E0|X

. Then we have

for k = 0,
C{Re(t+)<?} ,
k
H (M) = C{x=0, t6=} C{x6=0, t=} , for k = 1,

0,
otherwise.

7. Stokes phenomenon
We discuss here an example which shows how, in our setting, the
Stokes phenomenon arises in a purely topological fashion.
Let X be an open disc in C centered at 0. (We will shrink X if
necessary.) Set U = X \ {0}.
Let M be a flat meromorphic connection with poles at 0 such that

b
Mb|0 (E0|X
E0|X
)| 0 ,

, OX (0).

Assume that has an effective pole at 0.

The Stokes curves of E0|X

E0|X
are the real analytic arcs i , i I,
defined by
G
{Re( ) = 0} =
i .
iI

(Here we possibly shrink X to avoid crossings of the i s and to ensure

that they admit the polar coordinate > 0 as parameter.)

+0
Since E0|X
E0|X
for 0 OX , the Stokes curves are not invariant
by isomorphism.
The Stokes lines Li , defined as the limit tangent half-lines to i at 0,
are invariant by isomorphism.
The Stokes matrices of M describe how the isomorphism (5.3) changes
when crosses a Stokes line.
Let us show how these data are topologically encoded in (M).
Set D = {x = 0} {t = } and U = (X P) \ D . Set
Fc = C{Re(t+)<c} ,
F = C{Re(t+)<?} ,

Gc = C{Re(t+)<c} ,
G = C{Re(t+)<?} .

By Proposition 2.4 and Theorem 5.2,

(M) RIHom (CU , H),

ON A RECONSTRUCTION THEOREM FOR HOLONOMIC SYSTEMS

where H is an ind-sheaf such that

H Cq1 S (F G) Cq1 S
for any sufficiently small open sector S.
Let b be the vector space of upper/lower triangular matrices in
M2 (C), and let t = b+ b be the vector space of diagonal matrices.
Lemma 7.1. Let S be an open sector, and v a vector space, which
satisfy one of the following conditions:
(i) v = b and S { Re( ) > 0},
(ii) v = t, S Li for some i I and S Lj = for i 6= j.
Then, for c c, one has
Hom ((Fc Gc )|q1 S , (Fc Gc )|q1 S ) v.
In particular,
End ((F G) Cq1 S ) v.
This proves that the Stokes lines are encoded in H. Let us show how
to recover the Stokes matrices of M as glueing data for H.
Let Si be an open sector which
S contains Li and is disjoint from Lj
for i 6= j. We choose Si so that iI Si = U.
Then for each i I, there is an isomorphism
i : H Cq1 Si (F G) Cq1 Si .
Take a cyclic ordering of I such that the Stokes lines get ordered
counterclockwise.
Since {Si }iI is an open cover of U, the ind-sheaf H is reconstructed
from F G via the glueing data given by the Stokes matrices
1
Ai = i+1
i |q1 (Si Si+1 ) b .

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10

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` di Padova, via
(A. DAgnolo) Dipartimento di Matematica, Universita
Trieste 63, 35121 Padova, Italy
E-mail address: [email protected]
(M. Kashiwara) Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Kyoto
University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
E-mail address: [email protected]
(M. Kashiwara) Department of Mathematical Sciences, Seoul National
University, Seoul, Korea