We will overview some conjectures on the mixed Hodge structure of character varieties in the framework of non-abelian Hodge theory on a Riemann surface. Then we introduce and study toric analogues of these spaces, in particular we prove that the toric character variety retracts to its core, the zero fiber of the toric Hitchin map, that its cohomology is Hodge-Tate and satisfies curious Hard Lefschetz, as well as the purity conjecture. We will indicate how these shed light on the $P=W$ conjecture in the toric case as well as for general character varieties. This is based on joint work with Nick Proudfoot.[-]

Following Grothendieck's vision that a motive of an algebraic variety should capture many of its cohomological invariants, Voevodsky introduced a triangulated category of motives which partially realises this idea. After describing some of the properties of this category, I explain how to define the motive of certain algebraic stacks. I will then focus on defining and studying the motive of the moduli stack of vector bundles on a smooth projective curve and show that this motive can be described in terms of the motive of this curve and its symmetric powers. If there is time, I will give a conjectural formula for this motive, and explain how this follows from a conjecture on the intersection theory of certain Quot schemes. This is joint work with Simon Pepin Lehalleur.[-]

Hitchin's equations are a system of gauge theoretic equations on a Riemann surface that are of interest in many areas including representation theory, Teichmu ̈ller theory, and the geometric Langlands correspondence. In this talk, I'll describe what solutions of SL(n, C)-Hitchin's equations “near the ends” of the moduli space look like, and the resulting compactification of the Hitchin moduli space. Wild Hitchin moduli spaces are an important ingredient in this construction. This construction generalizes Mazzeo-Swoboda-Weiss-Witt's construction of SL(2, C)-solutions of Hitchin's equations where the Higgs field is “simple.”[-]

In this talk I will explain recent joint work with Rafe Mazzeo, Hartmut Weiss and Frederik Witt on the asymptotics of the natural $L^2$-metric $G_{L^2}$ on the moduli space $\mathcal{M}$ of rank-2 Higgs bundles over a Riemann surface $\Sigma$ as given by the set of solutions to the so-called self-duality equations
$\begin{cases}
&0 = \bar{\partial}_A \Phi \\
& 0 = F_A + [ \Phi \wedge \Phi^*]
\end{cases}$
for a unitary connection $A$ and a Higgs field $\Phi$ on $\Sigma$. I will show that on the regular part of the Hitchin fibration ($A$, $\Phi$) $\rightarrow$ det $\Phi$ this metric is well-approximated by the semiflat metric $G_{sf}$ coming from the completely integrable system on $\mathcal{M}$. This also reveals the asymptotically conic structure of $G_{L^2}$, with (generic) fibres of the above fibration being asymptotically flat tori. This result confirms some aspects of a more general conjectural picture made by Gaiotto, Moore and Neitzke. Its proof is based on a detailed understanding of the ends structure of $\mathcal{M}$. The analytic methods used there in addition yield a complete asymptotic expansion of the difference $G_{L^2} − G_{sf}$ between the two metrics.[-]

Moduli spaces of Higgs bundles for Langlands dual groups are conjecturally related by a form of mirror symmetry. For SL_n and PGL_n, Hausel and Thaddeus conjectured a topological mirror symmetry given by an equality of (twisted orbifold) Hodge numbers, which was proven by Groechenig-Wyss-Ziegler and later by Maulik-Shen. We lift this to an isomorphism of Voevodsky motives, and thus in particular an equality of (twisted orbifold) rational Chow groups. Our method is based on Maulik and Shen's approach to the Hausel-Thaddeus conjecture, as well as showing certain motives are abelian, in order to use conservativity of the Betti realisation on abelian motives. The same idea also enables us to prove a motivic chi-independence result. If there is time, I will explain how motivic nearby cycles can be used to specialise these results to positive characteristic. This is joint work with Simon Pepin Lehalleur.[-]

In 1981, Drinfeld enumerated the number of irreducible $l$-adic local systems of rank two on a projective smooth curve fixed by the Frobenius endomorphism. Interestingly, this number looks like the number of points on a variety over a finite field. Deligne proposed conjectures to extend and comprehend Drinfeld's result. By the Langlands correspondence, it is equivalent to count certain cuspidal automorphic representations over a function field. In this talk, I will present some counting results where we connect counting to the number of stable Higgs bundles using Arthur's non-invariant trace formula.[-]