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# Tau-functions on Hurwitz spaces

## 1 Introduction

Holomorphic line bundles over moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces were studied by many researchers during last 20 years (see, e. g., Fay’s survey ). In the present paper we consider (flat) holomorphic line bundles over Hurwitz spaces (the spaces of meromorphic functions on Riemann surfaces or, what is the same, the spaces of branched coverings of the Riemann sphere $`^1`$) and over coverings of Hurwitz spaces. The covariant constant sections (we call them tau-functions) of these bundles are the main object of our consideration.

Our work was inspired by a coincidence of the isomonodromic tau-function of a class of $`2\times 2`$ Riemann-Hilbert problems solved in  with the heuristic expression which appeared in the context of the string theory and was interpreted as the determinant of the Cauchy-Riemann operator acting in a spinor line bundle over a hyperelliptic Riemann surface (see the survey ).

To illustrate our results consider, for example, the Hurwitz space $`H_{g,N}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$ consisting of $`N`$-fold coverings of genus $`g`$ with only simple branch points, none of which coincides with infinity. (In the main text we work with coverings having branch points of arbitrary order.)

Let $``$ be a covering from $`H_{g,N}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$, we use the branch points $`\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M`$ (i. e. the projections of the ramification points $`P_1,\mathrm{},P_M`$ of the covering $``$) as local coordinates on the space $`H_{g,N}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$; according to the Riemann-Hurwitz formula $`M=2g+2N2`$.

Let $`\lambda `$ be the coordinate of the projection of a point $`P`$ to $`^1`$. In a neighborhood of a ramification point $`P_m`$ we introduce the local coordinate $`x_m=\sqrt{\lambda \lambda _m}`$.

Besides the Hurwitz space $`H_{g,N}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$, we shall use the “punctured” Hurwitz space $`H_{g,N}^{}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$, which is obtained from $`H_{g,N}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$ by excluding all branched coverings which have at least one vanishing theta-constant.

In the trivial bundle $`H_{g,N}^{}(1,\mathrm{},1)\times `$ we introduce the connection

$$d_W=d\underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}𝒜_md\lambda _m,$$
(1.1)
where $`d`$ is the external differentiation operator including both holomorphic and antiholomorphic parts; connection coefficients are expressed in terms of the invariant Wirtinger projective connection $`S_W`$ on the covering $``$ as follows:

$$𝒜_m=\frac{1}{12}S_W(x_m)|_{x_m=0},m=1,\mathrm{}M.$$
(1.2)
The connection coefficients $`𝒜_m`$ are holomorphic with respect to $`\lambda _m`$ and well-defined for all coverings $``$ from the “punctured” Hurwitz space $`H_{g,N}^{}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$.

Connection (1.1) turns out to be flat; therefore, it determines a character of the fundamental group of $`H_{g,N}^{}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$; this character defines a flat holomorphic line bundle $`𝒯_W`$ over $`H_{g,N}^{}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$. We call this bundle the “Wirtinger line bundle” over Hurwitz space; its horizontal holomorphic section we call the Wirtinger tau-function of the covering $``$.

In a trivial bundle $`U(_0)\times `$, where $`U(_0)`$ is a small neighborhood of a given covering $`_0`$ in $`H_{g,N}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$ we can define also the flat connection $`d_B=d_{m=1}^M_md\lambda _m`$, where the coefficients $`_m`$ are built from the Bergmann projective connection $`S_B`$ in a way similar to (1.2):

$$_m=\frac{1}{12}S_B(x_m)|_{x_m=0}.$$

The covariant constant section of this line bundle in case of hyperelliptic coverings ($`N=2`$, $`g>1`$) turns out to coincide (see  for explicit calculation) with heuristic expression for the determinant of the Cauchy-Riemann operator acting in the trivial line bundle over a hyperelliptic Riemann surface, which was proposed in . This section also appears as a part of isomonodromic tau-function associated to matrix Riemann-Hilbert problems with quasi-permutation monodromies . However, since the Bergmann projective connection, in contrast to Wirtinger projective connection, does depend on the choice of canonical basis of cycles on the covering, connection $`d_B`$ can not be globally continued to the whole Hurwitz space, but only to its appropriate covering. We call the corresponding line bundle over this covering the Bergmann line bundle and its covariant constant section – the Bergmann tau-function.

We obtain explicit formulas for the modulus square of the Wirtinger and Bergmann tau-functions in genus greater than $`1`$; in genera $`0`$ and $`1`$ we perform the “holomorphic factorization” and derive explicit formulas for the tau-functions themselves.

In genera 1 and 2 (as well as in genus $`0`$) there are no vanishing theta-constants, i.e. $`H_{g,N}(1,\mathrm{},1)=H_{g,N}^{}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$; therefore, the holomorphic bundle $`𝒯_W`$ is the bundle over the whole Hurwitz space $`H_{g,N}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$.

To write down an explicit formula for the tau-function over the Hurwitz space $`H_{1,N}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$, consider a holomorphic (not necessarily normalized) differential $`v(P)`$ on an elliptic covering $`H_{1,N}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$. Introduce the notation $`f_mf_m(0)`$, $`h_kh_k(0)`$, where $`v(P)=f_m(x_m)dx_m`$ near the branch point $`P_m`$ and $`v(P)=h_k(\zeta )d\zeta `$ near the infinity of the $`k`$-th sheet; $`\zeta =1/\lambda `$, where $`\lambda `$ is the coordinate of the projection of a point $`P`$ to $`^1`$. Then the Wirtinger tau-function on $`H_{1,N}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$ is given by the formula

$$\tau _W=\frac{\left\{_{k=1}^Nh_k\right\}^{1/6}}{\left\{_{m=1}^Mf_m\right\}^{1/12}}.$$
(1.3)
The analogous explicit formula can be written for coverings of genus $`0`$.

The results in genera $`0,1`$ follow from the study of the properly regularized Dirichlet integral $`𝕊=\frac{1}{2\pi }_{}|\varphi _\lambda |^2`$, where $`e^\varphi |d\lambda |^2`$ is the flat metric on $``$ obtained by projecting down the standard metric $`|dz|^2`$ on the universal covering $`\stackrel{~}{}`$. The derivatives of $`𝕊`$ with respect to the branch points can be expressed through the values of the Schwarzian connection at the branch points; this reveals a close link of $`𝕊`$ with the modulus of the tau-function. On the other hand, the integral $`𝕊`$ admits an explicit calculation via the asymptotics of the flat metric near the branch points and the infinities of the sheets of the covering. Moreover, it admits a “holomorphic factorization” i.e. it can be explicitly represented as the modulus square of some holomorphic function, which allows one to compute the tau-function itself.

The same tools (except the explicit holomorphic factorization) also work in case of higher genus, when two equivalent approaches are possible.

First, one can exploit the Schottky uniformization and introduce the Dirichlet integral corresponding to the flat metric on $``$ obtained by projecting of the flat metric $`|d\omega |^2`$ on a fundamental domain of the Schottky group. This approach leads to the expression of the modulus square of the tau-function through the holomorphic function $`F`$ on the Schottky space, which was introduced in  and can be interpreted as the holomorphic determinant of the Cauchy-Riemann operator acting in the trivial line bundle over $``$. (In the main text we denote this function directly by $`\mathrm{det}\overline{}`$.)

The second approach uses the Fuchsian uniformization and the Liouville action corresponding to the metric of constant curvature $`1`$ on $``$. It gives the following expression for the modulus square of the tau-function:

$$|\tau _W|^2=e^{𝕊_{Fuchs}/6}\frac{\mathrm{det}\mathrm{\Delta }}{\mathrm{det}\mathrm{}𝔹}\underset{\beta \mathrm{even}}{}|\mathrm{\Theta }[\beta ](0|𝔹)|^{\frac{8}{4^g+2^g}},$$
(1.4)
where $`\mathrm{det}\mathrm{\Delta }`$ is the determinant of the Laplacian on the $``$; $`𝕊_{Fuchs}`$ is an appropriately regularized Liouville action which is a real-valued function of the branch points; $`𝔹`$ is the matrix of $`b`$-periods of the branched covering.

Existence of explicit holomorphic factorization of our expressions for $`|\tau _W|^2`$ in genera $`g=0,1`$ allows to suggest that explicit formulas for $`\tau _W`$ similar to (1.3) also exist in higher genera.

In this paper we use the technical tools developed in . We strongly suspect that in our context it should be possible to avoid the extrinsic formalism of the Dirichlet integrals and Liouville action and, at the least, it should exist a direct way to prove the genus 1 formula (1.3).

The paper is organized as follows. In section 2 after some preliminaries we prove the flatness of the connections $`d_W`$ and $`d_B`$ and introduce the flat line bundles over Hurwitz spaces and their coverings. In section 2 we find explicitly the tau-functions for genera $`0`$ and $`1`$. In section 3, using the Schottky and Fuchsian uniformizations, we give the expressions for the modulus square of tau-functions in genus greater than $`1`$.

Our work on this paper was greatly influenced by Andrej Nikolaevich Tyurin; in particular, he attracted our attention to the Wirtinger bidifferential.

The authors are also greatly indebted to the anonymous referee; a lot of his proposals and remarks were used here.

This work was partially supported by the grant of Fonds pour la Formation de Chercheurs et l’Aide a la Recherche de Quebec, the grant of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Faculty Research Development Program of Concordia University.

## 2 Tau-functions of branched coverings

### 2.1 The Hurwitz spaces

Let $``$ be a compact Riemann surface of genus $`g`$ represented as an $`N`$-fold branched covering

$$p:^1,$$
(2.1)
of the Riemann sphere $`^1`$. Let the holomorphic map $`p`$ be ramified at the points $`P_1,P_2,\mathrm{},P_M`$ of ramification indices $`r_1,r_2,\mathrm{},r_M`$ respectively (the ramification index is equal to the number of sheets glued at a given ramification point). Let also $`\lambda _m=p(P_m),m=1,2,\mathrm{},M`$ be the branch points. (Following , we reserve the name ”ramification points” for the points $`P_m`$ of the surface $``$ and the name ”branch points” for the points $`\lambda _m`$ of the base $`^1`$.)

We assume that none of the branch points $`\lambda _m`$ coincides with the infinity and $`\lambda _m\lambda _n`$ for $`mn`$.

Recall that two branched coverings $`p_1:_1^1`$ and $`p_2:_2^1`$ are called equivalent if there exists a biholomorphic map $`f:_1_2`$ such that $`p_2f=p_1`$. Let $`H(N,M,^1)`$ be the Hurwitz space of the equivalence classes of $`N`$-fold branched coverings of $`^1`$ with $`M`$ branch points none of which coincides with the infinity. This space can be equipped with natural topology (see ) and is a (generally disconnected) complex manifold. Denote by $`𝒰()`$ the connected component of $`H(N,M,^1)`$ containing the equivalence class of the covering $``$. According to the Riemann-Hurwitz formula, we have

$$g=\underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}\frac{r_m1}{2}N+1,$$

where $`g`$ is the genus of the surface $``$.

If all the branch points of the covering $``$ are simple (i. e. all the $`r_m`$ are equal to $`2`$) then $`𝒰()`$ coincides with the space $`H_{g,N}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$ of meromorphic functions of degree $`N`$ on Riemann surfaces of genus $`g=M/2N+1`$ with $`N`$ simple poles and $`M`$ simple critical values (see ). The space $`H_{g,N}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$ is also called the Hurwitz space ().

Following , introduce the set $`\widehat{𝒰}()`$ of pairs

$$\{_1𝒰()|\text{a canonical basis}\{a_i,b_i\}_{i=1}^g\text{of cycles on}_1\}.$$
(2.2)
The space $`\widehat{𝒰}()`$ is a covering of $`𝒰()`$.

The branch points $`\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M`$ of a covering $`_1𝒰()`$ can serve as local coordinates on the space $`𝒰()`$ as well as on its covering $`\widehat{𝒰}()`$.

A branched covering $``$ is completely determined by its branch points if in addition one fixes a representation $`\sigma `$ of the fundamental group $`\pi _1\left(^1\{\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M\}\right)`$ in the symmetric group $`S_N`$. The element $`\sigma _\gamma S_N`$ corresponding to an element $`\gamma \pi _1\left(^1\{\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M\}\right)`$ describes the permutation of the sheets of the covering $``$ if the point $`\lambda ^1`$ encircles the loop $`\gamma `$. One gets a small neighborhood of a given branched covering $``$ moving the branch points in small neighborhoods of their initial positions without changing the representation $`\sigma `$.

### 2.2 The Bergmann and Wirtinger projective connections

Choose on $``$ a canonical basis of cycles $`\{a_i,b_i\}_{i=1}^g`$ and the corresponding basis of holomorphic differentials $`v_i`$ normalized by the conditions $`_{a_i}v_j=\delta _{ij}`$. Let

$$B(P,Q)=d_Pd_Q\mathrm{ln}E(P,Q),$$
(2.3)
where $`E(P,Q)`$ is the prime form (see  or ) , be the Bergmann kernel on the surface $``$.

The invariant Wirtinger bidifferential $`W(P,Q)`$ on $``$ is defined by the equality

$$W(P,Q)=B(P,Q)+\frac{2}{4^g+2^g}\underset{i,j=1}{\overset{g}{}}v_i(P)v_j(Q)\frac{^2}{z_iz_j}\mathrm{ln}\underset{\beta \mathrm{even}}{}\mathrm{\Theta }[\beta ](z|𝔹)|_{z=0},$$
(2.4)
where $`𝔹=𝔹_{ij}_{i,j=1}^g`$ is the matrix of $`b`$-periods of $``$; $`\beta `$ runs through the set of all even characteristics (see ).

In contrast to the Bergmann kernel, the invariant Wirtinger differential does not depend on the choice of canonical basic cycles $`\{a_i,b_i\}`$.

The invariant Wirtinger bidifferential is not defined if the surface $``$ has at least one vanishing theta-constant. Thus, we introduce the “punctured” space $`𝒰^{}()𝒰()`$ consisting of equivalence classes of branched coverings with all nonvanishing theta-constants. Unless the $`g2`$ or $`g>2`$ and $`N=2`$ the “theta-divisor” $`𝒵=𝒰()𝒰^{}()`$ forms a subspace of codimension $`1`$ in $`𝒰()`$. If $`g2`$ then the set $`𝒵`$ is empty and $`𝒰^{}()=𝒰()`$; for hyperelliptic ($`N=2`$) coverings of genus $`g>2`$ a vanishing theta-constant does always exist and, therefore, for such coverings $`𝒰^{}()`$ is empty.

The Wirtinger bidifferential has the following asymptotics near diagonal:

$$W(P,Q)=\left\{\frac{1}{\left(x(P)x(Q)\right)^2}+\frac{1}{6}S_W\left(x(P)\right)+o(1)\right\}dx(P)dx(Q)$$
(2.5)
as $`PQ`$, where $`x(P)`$ is a local coordinate on $``$. The quantity $`S_W`$ is a projective connection on $``$; it is called the invariant Wirtinger projective connection. For the Bergmann kernel we have similar asymptotics

$$B(P,Q)=\left\{\frac{1}{\left(x(P)x(Q)\right)^2}+\frac{1}{6}S_B\left(x(P)\right)+o(1)\right\}dx(P)dx(Q),$$
(2.6)
where $`S_B`$ is the Bergmann projective connection. The Bergmann and the invariant Wirtinger projective connections are related as follows:

$$S_W=S_B+\frac{12}{4^g+2^g}\underset{i,j=1}{\overset{g}{}}\left\{\frac{^2}{z_iz_j}\mathrm{ln}\underset{\beta \mathrm{even}}{}\mathrm{\Theta }[\beta ](z|𝔹)|_{z=0}\right\}v_iv_j.$$
(2.7)
As well as the Wirtinger bidifferential itself, the Wirtinger projective connection does not depend on the choice of basic cycles on $``$ while the Bergmann projective connection does.

We recall that any projective connection $`S`$ behaves as follows under the coordinate change $`x=x(z)`$:

$$S(z)=S(x)\left(\frac{dx}{dz}\right)^2+R^{x,z},$$
(2.8)
where

$$R^{x,z}\{x,z\}=\frac{x^{\prime \prime \prime }(z)}{x^{}(z)}\frac{3}{2}\left(\frac{x^{\prime \prime }(z)}{x^{}(z)}\right)^2$$
(2.9)
is the Schwarzian derivative.

The following formula for the Bergmann projective connection at an arbitrary point $`P`$ on the Riemann surface of genus $`g1`$ is a simple corollary of expression (2.3) for the Bergmann kernel :

$$S_B(x(P))=2\frac{T}{H}+\{^PH,x(P)\},$$
(2.10)
where

$$H=\mathrm{\Theta }_{z_i}^{}(0)f_i;T=\underset{i,j,k}{}\mathrm{\Theta }_{z_iz_jz_k}^{}(0)f_if_jf_k;$$

$`\mathrm{\Theta }^{}`$ is the theta-function with an arbitrary non-singular odd half-integer characteristic; $`f_iv_i(P)/dx(P)`$.

### 2.3 Variational formulas

Denote by $`x_m=(\lambda \lambda _m)^{1/r_m}`$ the natural coordinate of a point $`P`$ in a neighborhood of the ramification point $`P_m`$, where $`\lambda =p(P)`$.

Recall the Rauch formula (see, e. g., , formula (3.21) or the classical paper ), which describes the variation of the matrix $`𝔹=b_{ij}`$ of $`b`$-periods under the variation of conformal structure corresponding to a Beltrami differential $`\mu L^{\mathrm{}}`$:

$$\delta _\mu b_{ij}=_{}\mu v_iv_j.$$
(2.11)
We shall need also the analogous formula for the variation of the Bergmann kernel

$$\delta _\mu B(P,Q)=\frac{1}{2\pi i}_{}\mu ()B(,P)B(,Q)$$
(2.12)
(see , p. 57).

Introduce the following Beltrami differential

$$\mu _m=\frac{1}{2\epsilon ^{r_m}}\left(\frac{|x_m|}{x_m}\right)^{r_m2}\mathrm{𝟏}_{\{|x_m|\epsilon \}}\frac{d\overline{x}_m}{dx_m}$$
(2.13)
with sufficiently small $`\epsilon >0`$ ( where $`\mathrm{𝟏}_{\{|x_m|\epsilon \}}`$ is the function equal to $`1`$ inside the disc of radius $`\epsilon `$ centered at $`P_m`$ and vanishing outside the disc); if $`r_m=2`$ this Beltrami differential corresponds to the so-called Schiffer variation).

Setting $`\mu =\mu _m`$ in (2.11) and using the Cauchy formula, we get

$$\delta _{\mu _m}b_{ij}=\frac{2\pi i}{r_m(r_m2)!}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}\left\{\frac{v_i(x_m)v_j(x_m)}{(dx_m)^2}\right\}|_{x_m=0}.$$
(2.14)
Observe now that the r. h. s. of formula (2.14) coincides with the known expression for the derivative of the b-period with respect to the branch point $`\lambda _m`$:

$$\frac{b_{ij}}{\lambda _m}=2\pi i\text{res}|_{\lambda =\lambda _m}\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}\frac{1}{d\lambda }v_i(\lambda ^{(k)})v_j(\lambda ^{(k)}),$$
(2.15)
where $`\lambda ^{(k)}`$ denotes the point on the $`k`$-th sheet of the covering $``$ which projects to the point $`\lambda ^1`$. (Only those sheets which are glued together at the point $`P_m`$ give a non-trivial contribution to the summation at the r. h. s. of (2.15)). Thus, we have the following relation for variations of $`b`$-periods:

$$_{\lambda _m}b_{ij}=\delta _{\mu _m}b_{ij}.$$
(2.16)
This relation can be generalized for an arbitrary function of moduli. Let $`Z:T_gH_g`$ be the standard holomorphic map from the Teichmüller space $`T_g`$ to Siegel’s generalized upper half-plane. (The $`Z`$ maps the conformal equivalence class of a marked Riemann surface to the set of $`b`$-periods of normalized holomorphic differentials on this surface.) It is well-known that the rank of the map $`Z`$ is $`3g3`$ at any point of $`T_gT_g^{}`$, where $`T_g^{}`$ is the $`(2g1)`$-subvariety of $`T_g`$ corresponding to hyperelliptic surfaces. Thus, one can always choose some $`3g3`$ $`b`$-periods as local coordinates in a small neighborhood of any point of $`T_gT_g^{}`$. Using these coordinates, we get

$$\frac{\delta f}{\delta \mu _m}=\underset{i,j}{}\frac{f}{b_{ij}}\delta _{\mu _m}b_{ij}=\frac{f}{\lambda _m},$$
(2.17)
for any differentiable function $`f`$ on $`T_g`$ under the condition that the variation in the l. h. s. of (2.17) is taken at a point of $`T_gT_g^{}`$ (i. e. at a non-hyperelliptic surface).

Formula (2.15) is well-known in the case of the simple branch point $`\lambda _m`$ (i. e. for $`r_m=2`$, see, e. g., ). Since we did not find an appropriate reference for the general case, in what follows we briefly outline the proof:

Writing the basic differential $`v_i`$ in a neighborhood of the ramification point $`P_m`$ as

$$v_i(x_m)=\left(C_0+C_1x_m+\mathrm{}+C_{r_m1}x_m^{r_m1}+O(|x_m|^{r_m})\right)dx_m$$

and differentiating this expression with respect to $`\lambda _m`$, we get the asymptotics

$$\frac{}{\lambda _m}v_i(x_m)=\left\{C_0\left(1\frac{1}{r_m}\right)\frac{1}{x_m^{r_m}}+C_1\left(1\frac{2}{r_m}\right)\frac{1}{x_m^{r_m1}}+\mathrm{}+C_{r_m2}\left(1\frac{r_m1}{r_m}\right)\frac{1}{x_m^2}+O(1)\right\}dx_m.$$
(2.18)
If $`nm`$ then in a neighborhood of the ramification point $`P_n`$ we have the asymptotics

$$\frac{}{\lambda _m}v_i(x_n)=O(1)dx_n.$$

Therefore, the meromorphic differential $`_{\lambda _m}v_i`$ has the only pole at the point $`P_m`$ and its principal part at $`P_m`$ is given by (2.18). Observe that all the $`a`$-periods of $`_{\lambda _m}v_i`$ are equal to zero. Thus we can reconstruct $`_{\lambda _m}v_i`$ via the first $`r_m2`$ derivatives of the Bergmann kernel:

$$\frac{}{\lambda _m}v_i(P)=\frac{1}{r_m(r_m2)!}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}\left\{\frac{B(P,x_m)v_i(x_m)}{(dx_m)^2}\right\}|_{x_m=0}.$$
(2.19)
To get (2.15) it is enough to integrate (2.19) over the $`b`$-cycle $`b_j`$ (whose projection on $`^1`$ is independent of the branch points) and use the formula

$$_{b_j}B(,x_m)=2\pi iv_j(x_m).$$

One may apply the same arguments to get the following formula for the derivative of the Bergmann kernel with respect to the branch point $`\lambda _m`$:

$$\frac{}{\lambda _m}B(P,Q)=\text{res}|_{\lambda =\lambda _m}\frac{1}{d\lambda }\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}B(P,\lambda ^{(k)})B(Q,\lambda ^{(k)}).$$
(2.20)
This formula also follows from (2.12) and (2.17).

We shall need also another expression for the derivative of the Bergmann kernel:

$$\frac{}{\lambda _m}B(P,Q)=\mathrm{res}|_{\lambda =\lambda _m}\left\{\frac{1}{d\lambda }\underset{jk}{}B(P,\lambda ^{(j)})B(Q,\lambda ^{(k)})\right\}.$$
(2.21)
To prove it we note that the sum $`_jB(P,\lambda ^{(j)})`$ over all the sheets of covering $``$ gives the Bergmann kernel on the sphere $`^1`$

$$\frac{d\lambda d\mu (P)}{(\lambda \mu (P))^2}$$

(here $`\mu (P)=p(P)`$), therefore, we have

$$\frac{(d\lambda )^2d\mu (P)d\mu (Q)}{(\lambda \mu (P))^2(\lambda \mu (Q))^2}=\underset{j}{}B(P,\lambda ^{(j)})\underset{k}{}B(Q,\lambda ^{(k)})$$

$$=\underset{j}{}B(P,\lambda ^{(j)})B(Q,\lambda ^{(j)})+\underset{jk}{}B(P,\lambda ^{(j)})B(Q,\lambda ^{(k)}).$$

Now taking the residue at $`\lambda =\lambda _m`$ and using (2.20), we get (2.21).

### 2.4 The Bergmann and Wirtinger projective connections at the branch points.

Here we prove a property of the Bergmann projective connection on a branched covering which plays a crucial role in all our forthcoming constructions.

Introduce the following notation:

$$_m=\frac{1}{6(r_m2)!r_m}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}S_B(x_m)|_{x_m=0},m=1,2,\mathrm{},M,$$
(2.22)
where $`S_B(x_m)`$ is the Bergmann projective connection corresponding to the local parameter $`x_m=(\lambda \lambda _m)^{1/r_m}`$ near the ramification point $`P_m`$. (The factor $`\frac{1}{6}`$ in (2.22) seems to be of no importance, its appearance will be explained later on.)

If we deform covering (2.1) moving the branch points in small neighborhoods of their initial positions and preserving the permutations corresponding to the branch points then the quantity $`_m`$ becomes a function of $`(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)`$.

###### Theorem 1

For any $`m,n=1,\mathrm{},M`$ the following equations hold

$$\frac{_m}{\lambda _n}=\frac{_n}{\lambda _m}.$$
(2.23)
Proof. We start with the following lemma.

###### Lemma 1

The function $`_m`$ can be expressed via the Bergmann kernel as

$$_m=2\mathrm{res}|_{\lambda =\lambda _m}\left\{\frac{1}{d\lambda }\underset{k,j=1;jk}{\overset{N}{}}B(\lambda ^{(j)},\lambda ^{(k)})\right\},$$
(2.24)
where $`\lambda ^{(j)}`$ is the point of the $`j`$-th sheet of covering (2.1) such that $`p(\lambda ^{(j)})=\lambda `$.

Let $`H(,)`$ be the nonsingular part of the Bergmann kernel, i. e.

$$B(P,Q)=\left(\frac{1}{(x(P)x(Q))^2}+H(x(P),x(Q))\right)dx(P)dx(Q),$$

as $`PQ`$.

To prove the lemma we observe that only those sheets which are glued together at the point $`P_m`$ give a non-trivial contribution to the summation in (2.24). Now we may rewrite the right hand side of (2.24) as

$$\frac{1}{3}\mathrm{res}|_{\lambda =\lambda _m}\underset{j,k=1,jk}{\overset{r_m}{}}H(\gamma ^jx_m,\gamma ^kx_m)\gamma ^{j+k}\left(\frac{dx_m}{d\lambda }\right)^2d\lambda ,$$

where $`\gamma =e^{2\pi i/r_m}`$ is the root of unity. In terms of coefficients of the Taylor series of $`H(x_m,y_m)`$ at the point $`P_m`$:

$$H(x_m,y_m)=\underset{s=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\underset{p=0}{\overset{s}{}}\frac{H^{(p,sp)}(0,0)}{p!(sp)!}x_m^py_m^{sp}$$

this expression looks as follows:

$$\frac{1}{3r_m^2}\underset{p=0}{\overset{r_m2}{}}\frac{H^{(p,r_m2p)}(0,0)}{p!(r_m2p)!}\underset{j,k=1,j<k}{\overset{r_m}{}}\gamma ^{(p+1)k+(r_mp1)j}.$$

Summing up the geometrical progression, we get (2.24).

Using (2.24) and (2.21) we conclude that

$$\frac{_m}{\lambda _n}=2\left\{\frac{}{\lambda _n}\text{res}|_{\lambda _m}\frac{1}{d\lambda }\underset{jk}{}B(\lambda ^{(j)},\lambda ^{(k)})\right\}=$$

$$=2\text{res}|_{\lambda =\lambda _m}\text{res}|_{\mu =\lambda _n}\left\{\frac{1}{d\lambda }\frac{1}{d\mu }\underset{jk}{}\underset{j^{}k^{}}{}B(\mu ^{(j^{})},\lambda ^{(j)})B(\mu ^{(k^{})},\lambda ^{(k)})\right\}.$$

To finish the proof we note that the last expression is symmetric with respect to $`m`$ and $`n`$. $`\mathrm{}`$

The analogous statement is also true for the derivatives of the Wirtinger projective connection. Namely, set

$$𝒜_m=\frac{1}{6(r_m2)!r_m}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}S_W(x_m)|_{x_m=0},m=1,2,\mathrm{},M,$$
(2.25)
where $`S_W(x_m)`$ is the Wirtinger projective connection corresponding to the local parameter $`x_m`$ near the ramification point $`P_m`$. The following statement is an easy corollary of Theorem 1.

###### Theorem 2

For any $`m,n=1,\mathrm{},M`$ the following equations hold

$$\frac{𝒜_m}{\lambda _n}=\frac{𝒜_n}{\lambda _m}.$$
(2.26)
Proof. A simple calculation shows that the one-form

$$𝒱=\underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}(𝒜_m_m)d\lambda _m$$

is a total differential:

$$𝒱=\frac{4}{4^g+2^g}d\mathrm{ln}\underset{\beta \mathrm{even}}{}\mathrm{\Theta }[\beta ](0|𝔹).$$
(2.27)
To prove (2.27) it is sufficient to use the heat equation for theta-function

$$\frac{\mathrm{\Theta }[\beta ](z|𝔹)}{b_{jk}}=\frac{1}{4\pi i}\frac{^2\mathrm{\Theta }[\beta ](z|𝔹)}{z_jz_k},$$
(2.28)
the formula (2.14) for the derivative of the $`b`$-period with respect to the branch point and the link (2.7) between the Wirtinger and Bergmann projective connections. $`\mathrm{}`$

### 2.5 The Wirtinger and Bergmann tau-functions of branched coverings

#### 2.5.1 The Wirtinger tau-function

We recall that $`𝒰^{}()`$ denotes the set of branched coverings from the connected component $`𝒰()`$ of the Hurwitz space $`H(N,M,^1)`$ for which none of the theta-constants vanishes. Introduce the connection

$$d_W=d\underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}𝒜_md\lambda _m,$$
(2.29)
acting in the trivial bundle $`𝒰^{}()\times `$, where $`d`$ is the external differentiation (having both “holomorphic” and “antiholomorphic” components); the connection coefficients $`𝒜_m`$ are defined by (2.25).

###### Remark 1

If we choose another global holomorphic coordinate $`\stackrel{~}{\lambda }`$ on $``$, $`\lambda =(a\stackrel{~}{\lambda }+b)/(c\stackrel{~}{\lambda }+d),`$ where $`adbc=1`$, then the connection $`d_W`$ turns into a gauge equivalent connection. Consider, for example, the case of branched coverings with simple branch points (all the $`r_m`$ are equal to $`2`$). Let $`\stackrel{~}{\lambda }_m`$ be the new coordinates of the branch points,

$$\lambda _m=\frac{a\stackrel{~}{\lambda }_m+b}{c\stackrel{~}{\lambda }_m+d};$$
(2.30)
then the gauge transformation of connection $`d_W`$ in local coordinates looks as follows

$$d_WG^1d_WG,$$
(2.31)
where

$$G=\underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}(c\stackrel{~}{\lambda }_m+d)^{1/4}.$$
(2.32)
Theorem 2 implies the following statement.

###### Theorem 3

The connection $`d_W`$, defined in the trivial line bundle over $`𝒰^{}()`$ in terms of the Wirtinger projective connection by formulas (2.29), (2.25), is flat.

The flat connection $`d_W`$ determines a character of the fundamental group of $`𝒰^{}()`$ i.e. the representation

$$\rho :\pi _1\left(𝒰^{}()\right)^{}.$$
(2.33)
Denote by $``$ the universal covering of $`𝒰^{}()`$; then the group $`\pi _1\left(𝒰^{}()\right)`$ acts on the direct product $`\times `$ as follows:

$$g(e,z)=(ge,\rho (g)z),$$

where $`e`$, $`z`$, $`g\pi _1\left(𝒰^{}()\right)`$. The factor manifold $`\times /\pi _1\left(𝒰^{}()\right)`$ has the structure of a holomorphic line bundle over $`𝒰^{}()`$; we denote this bundle by $`𝒯_W`$.

###### Definition 1

The flat holomorphic line bundle $`𝒯_W`$ equipped with the flat connection $`d_W`$ is called the Wirtinger line bundle over the punctured Hurwitz space $`𝒰^{}()`$. The (unique up to a multiplicative constant) horizontal holomorphic section of the bundle $`𝒯_W`$ is called the Wirtinger $`\tau `$-function of the covering $``$ and denoted by $`\tau _W`$.

Taking into account the form (2.31), (2.32) of the gauge transformation of connection $`d_W`$ under conformal transformations on the base $`\lambda `$-plane, we see that the Wirtinger tau-function $`\tau _W`$ of a branched covering with simple branch points transforms as follows under conformal transformation (2.30):

$$\tau _W\underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}(c\stackrel{~}{\lambda }_m+d)^{1/4}\tau _W.$$
(2.34)
One can easily derive the analogous formula in the general case of an arbitrary covering.

We notice that

* In genera $`0`$, $`1`$ and $`2`$ the “theta-divisor” $`𝒵=𝒰()𝒰^{}()`$ is empty. Therefore, in this case the bundle $`𝒯_W`$ is a bundle over the whole connected component $`𝒰()`$ of the Hurwitz space $`H(N,M,^1)`$.
* Hyperelliptic coverings $`(N=2)`$ fall within this framework only in genera $`g=0,1,2`$ since for genus $`g>2`$ one of the theta-constants always vanishes for hyperelliptic curves .
* In the case of simple branch points the space $`𝒰()`$ is nothing but the Hurwitz space $`H_{g,N}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$ from (, ).

#### 2.5.2 The Bergmann tau-function

Consider now the covering $`\widehat{𝒰}()`$ (the set of pairs (2.2)) of the space $`𝒰()`$. Repeating the construction of the previous subsection for the flat connection

$$d_B=d\underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}_md\lambda _m,$$
(2.35)
in the trivial line bundle $`\widehat{𝒰}()\times `$, we get a flat holomorphic line bundle $`𝒯_B`$ over $`\widehat{𝒰}()`$.

(Here the coefficients $`_m`$ are defined by formula (2.22), the flatness of connection (2.35) follows from Theorem 1.)

###### Definition 2

The flat holomorphic line bundle $`𝒯_B`$ equipped with the flat connection $`d_B`$ is called the Bergmann line bundle over the covering $`\widehat{𝒰}()`$ of the connected component $`𝒰()`$ of the Hurwitz space $`H(N,M,^1)`$. The (unique up to a multiplicative constant) horizontal holomorphic section of the bundle $`𝒯_B`$ is called the Bergmann $`\tau `$-function of the covering $``$ and denoted by $`\tau _B`$.

According to the link (2.7) between Wirtinger and Bergmann projective connections, the corresponding tau-functions are related as follows:

$$\tau _W=\tau _B\left\{\underset{\beta \mathrm{even}}{}\mathrm{\Theta }[\beta ](0|𝔹)\right\}^{\frac{1}{4^{g1}+2^{g2}}}.$$
(2.36)
In contrast to the Wirtinger tau-function, the Bergmann tau-function does depend upon the choice of canonical basis of cycles on $``$.

Consider the case of hyperelliptic (N=2) coverings. As a by-product of computation of isomonodromic tau-functions for Riemann-Hilbert problems with quasi-permutation monodromies (see ), it was found the following expression for the Bergmann tau-function $`\tau _B`$ on the spaces $`\widehat{H}_{g,2}(1,1)`$:

$$\tau _B=\mathrm{det}𝒜\underset{m,n=1;m<n}{\overset{2g+2}{}}(\lambda _m\lambda _n)^{1/4},$$
(2.37)
where $`𝒜`$ is the matrix of $`a`$-periods of non-normalized holomorphic differentials on $``$: $`𝒜_{\alpha \beta }=_{a_\alpha }\frac{\lambda ^{\beta 1}d\lambda }{\nu }`$, with $`\nu ^2=_{m=1}^{2g+2}(\lambda \lambda _m)`$.

Expression (2.37) coincides with the empirical formula for the determinant of $`\overline{}`$-operator, acting in the trivial line bundle over $``$, derived in . Due to the term $`\mathrm{det}𝒜`$, the expression (2.37) is explicitly dependent on the choice of canonical basis of cycles on $``$.

On the other hand, the Wirtinger tau-function, which is independent of the choice of canonical basis of cycles, is defined on hyperelliptic curves only if $`g2`$. Consider the case $`g=2`$ (postponing the cases $`g=0,1`$ to the next section).

Recall the classical Thomae formulas, which express the theta-constants of hyperelliptic curves in terms of branch points. Namely, consider an arbitrary partition of the set of branch points $`\{\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _{2g+2}\}`$ into two subsets: $`T`$ and $`\overline{T}`$, where the subset $`T`$ (and also $`\overline{T}`$) contains $`g+1`$ branch points. To each such partition we can associate an even vector of half-integer characteristics $`[\eta _T^{},\eta _T^{\prime \prime }]`$ such that

$$𝔹\eta _T^{}+\eta _T^{\prime \prime }=\underset{\lambda _mT}{}U(\lambda _m)K,$$
(2.38)
where $`U(P)`$ is the Abel map, $`K`$ is the vector of Riemann constants. The number of even characteristics obtained in this way is given by $`\frac{1}{2}C_{2g+2}^{g+1}`$. If we denote the theta-function with characteristics $`[\eta _T^{},\eta _T^{\prime \prime }]`$ by $`\theta [\beta _T]`$, the Thomae formula (see ) states that related theta-constant can be computed as follows:

$$\mathrm{\Theta }^4[\beta _T](0)=\pm (\mathrm{det}𝒜)^2\underset{\lambda _m,\lambda _nT}{}(\lambda _m\lambda _n)\underset{\lambda _m,\lambda _n\overline{T}}{}(\lambda _m\lambda _n).$$
(2.39)
In genus $`2`$ we have $`\frac{1}{2}(4^2+2^2)=10`$ even characteristics in total; this number coincides with the number $`\frac{1}{2}C_6^3`$ of non-vanishing even characteristics for which the Thomae formulas take place. Substitution of Thomae formulas (2.39) and expression (2.37) for $`\tau _B`$ into (2.36) gives the following formula for the Wirtinger tau-function of a hyperelliptic covering of genus $`2`$:

$$\tau _W=\underset{m,n=1,m<n}{\overset{6}{}}(\lambda _m\lambda _n)^{\frac{1}{20}}.$$
(2.40)
The independence of the Wirtinger tau-function of the choice of canonical basis of cycles on $``$ is manifest here.

###### Remark 2

For higher genus ($`g>2`$) two-fold coverings our definition of Wirtinger tau-function does not work, since some of theta-constants always vanish. However, we can slightly modify formula (2.36), averaging only over the set of non-singular even characteristics. This leads to the following definition

$$\tau _W^{}=\tau _B\left\{\underset{T}{}\mathrm{\Theta }[\beta _T](0|𝔹)\right\}^{4/C_{2g+2}^{g+1}}.$$
(2.41)
Since the set of all characteristics $`\beta _T`$ is invariant with respect to any change of canonical basis of cycles, function $`\tau _W^{}`$ does not depend on the choice of this basis. Substitution of expression (2.37) and Thomae formulas (2.39) into (2.41) leads to the following result:

$$\tau _W^{}=\underset{m,n=1mn}{\overset{2g+2}{}}(\lambda _m\lambda _n)^{1/4(2g+1)}.$$
(2.42)
The main goal of the present paper is the calculation of the Wirtinger and Bergmann tau-functions of an arbitrary covering $``$. In section 3 we explicitly calculate them for coverings of genera $`0`$ and $`1`$. For arbitrary coverings of higher genus we are able to calculate only the modulus square of the tau-function (see section 4).

## 3 Rational and elliptic cases

If $`g=0`$ the branched covering $``$ can be biholomorphically mapped to the Riemann sphere $`^1`$. Let $`z`$ be the natural coordinate on $`^1\mathrm{}`$. The projective connection $`S_B(x_m)`$ reduces to the Schwarzian derivative

$$S_B(x_m)=R^{z,x_m}=\{z(x_m),x_m\}.$$

Therefore

$$_m=\frac{1}{6r_m(r_m2)!}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}R^{z,x_m}|_{x_m=0}.$$
(3.1)
If $`g=1`$ the branched covering $``$ can be biholomorphically mapped to the torus with periods $`1`$ and $`\mu `$; in genus $`1`$ there is only one theta-function with odd characteristic which is the odd Jacobi theta-function $`\theta _1(z|\mu )=\theta [{}_{1/2}{}^{1/2}](z|\mu )`$. Using (2.10) and the heat equation $`_z^2\theta _1=4\pi i_\mu \theta _1`$, we get

$$S_B(x_m)=8\pi i\frac{\mathrm{ln}\theta _{1}^{}{}_{}{}^{}}{\mu }v^2(x_m)+R^{z,x_m},$$

where $`\theta _1^{}\theta _1/z|_{z=0}`$, $`v=v(x_m)dx_m`$ and $`z=^Pv`$. Now the variational formula (2.14) implies that

$$_m=\frac{2}{3}\frac{\mathrm{ln}\theta _{1}^{}{}_{}{}^{}}{\lambda _m}\frac{1}{6r_m(r_m2)!}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}R^{z,x_m}|_{x_m=0}.$$
(3.2)
Our way of calculating of the tau-functions $`\tau _W`$ and $`\tau _B`$ is rather indirect. Namely, we shall first compute the module of the tau-function. Since the first term in (3.2) can be immediately integrated, in both cases $`g=0`$ and $`g=1`$ one needs to find a real-valued potential $`𝕊(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _n)`$ satisfying

$$\frac{𝕊}{\lambda _m}=\frac{1}{(r_m2)!r_m}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}R^{z,x_m}|_{x_m=0},$$
(3.3)
where $`z`$ is the natural coordinate on the universal covering of $``$ (i.e. on the complex plane for $`g=1`$ and the Riemann sphere for $`g=0`$).

The solution of equations (3.3) is given by Theorem 4 below. The function $`𝕊`$ turns out to coinside with the properly regularized Dirichlet integral

$$\frac{1}{2\pi }_{}|\varphi _\lambda |^2,$$
(3.4)
where $`e^\varphi |d\lambda |^2`$ is the flat metric on $``$ obtained by projecting the standard metric $`|dz|^2`$ from the universal covering. (In case $`g=0`$, when the universal covering is the Riemann sphere, the metric $`|dz|^2`$ is singular.)

The Dirichlet integral (3.4) can be explicitly represented as the modulus square of holomorphic function of variables $`\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M`$. The procedure of holomorphic factorization gives us the value of the tau-function itself.

The next two subsections are devoted to the calculation of the function $`𝕊`$.

### 3.1 The flat metric on Riemann surfaces of genus $`0`$ and $`1`$

The asymptotics of the flat metric near the branch points. Compact Riemann surfaces $``$ of genus $`1`$ and $`0`$ have the universal coverings $`\stackrel{~}{}=`$ and $`\stackrel{~}{}=^1`$ respectively. Projecting from the universal covering onto $``$ the metric $`|dz|^2`$, we obtain the metric of the Gaussian curvature $`0`$ on $``$. (In case $`g=0`$ the obtained metric has singularity at the image of the infinity of $`^1`$). Let $`J:\stackrel{~}{}`$ be the uniformization map; denote its inverse by $`U=J^1`$. Denote by $`x`$ a local parameter on $``$. The projection of the metric $`|dz|^2`$ on $``$ looks as follows:

$$e^{\varphi (x,\overline{x})}|dx|^2=|U_x(x)|^2|dx|^2;$$
(3.5)
where the function $`\varphi `$ satisfies the Laplace equation

$$\varphi _{x\overline{x}}=0.$$
(3.6)
In the case $`g=1`$ the map $`PU(P)`$ may be defined by

$$U(P)=^Pv$$

with any holomorphic differential $`v`$ on $``$ (not necessarily normalized).

In the case $`g=0`$ we choose one sheet of the covering $``$ (we shall call this sheet the first one) and require that $`U(\mathrm{}^{(1)})=\mathrm{}`$, where $`\mathrm{}^{(1)}`$ is the infinity of the first sheet.

Choose any sheet of the covering $``$ (this will be a copy of the Riemann sphere $`^1`$ with appropriate cuts between the branch points; we recall that it is assumed that the infinities of all the sheets are not the ramification points) and cut out small neighborhoods of all the branch points and a neighborhood of the infinity. In the remaining domain we can use $`\lambda `$ as global coordinate. Let $`\varphi ^{ext}(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })`$ be the function from (3.5) corresponding to the coordinate $`x=\lambda `$ and $`\varphi ^{int}(x_m,\overline{x}_m)`$ be the function from (3.5) corresponding to the coordinate $`x=x_m`$.

###### Lemma 2

The derivative of the function $`\varphi ^{ext}`$ has the following asymptotics near the branch points and the infinities of the sheets:

1. $`|\varphi _\lambda ^{ext}(\lambda ,\lambda )|^2=(\frac{1}{r_m}1)^2|\lambda \lambda _m|^2+O(|\lambda \lambda _m|^{2+1/r_m})`$ as $`\lambda \lambda _m`$,
2. $`|\varphi _\lambda ^{ext}(\lambda ,\lambda )|^2=4|\lambda |^2+O(|\lambda |^3)`$ as $`\lambda \mathrm{}`$.
3. In the case $`g=0`$ on the first sheet the last asymptotics is replaced by

$$|\varphi _\lambda ^{ext}(\lambda ,\lambda )|^2=O(|\lambda |^6)$$

as $`\lambda \mathrm{}`$.

Proof. In a small punctured neighborhood of $`P_m`$ on the chosen sheet we have

$$e^{\varphi ^{int}(x_m,\overline{x}_m)}|dx_m|^2=e^{\varphi ^{ext}(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })}|d\lambda |^2.$$
(3.7)
This gives the equality

$$e^{\varphi ^{ext}(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })}=\frac{1}{r_m^2}e^{\varphi ^{int}(x_m,\overline{x}_m)}|\lambda \lambda _m|^{2/r_m2}$$

which implies the first asymptotics.

In a neighborhood of the infinity of the chosen sheet we may introduce the coordinate $`\zeta =1/\lambda `$. Denote by $`\varphi ^{\mathrm{}}(\zeta ,\overline{\zeta })`$ the function $`\varphi `$ from (3.5) corresponding to the coordinate $`w=\zeta `$. Now the second asymptotics follows from the equality

$$e^{\varphi ^{ext}(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })}=e^{\varphi ^{\mathrm{}}(\zeta ,\overline{\zeta })}|\lambda |^4.$$
(3.8)
In the case $`g=0`$ near the infinity of the first sheet we have

$$U(\lambda )=c_1\lambda +c_0+c_1\frac{1}{\lambda }+\mathrm{}$$

with $`c_10`$. So at the infinity of the first sheet there is the asymptotics

$$\varphi _\lambda ^{ext}(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })=\frac{U_{\lambda \lambda }}{U_\lambda }=O(|\lambda |^3).$$

$`\mathrm{}`$

The Schwarzian connection in terms of the flat metric. Let $`x`$ be some local coordinate on $``$. Set $`z=U(x)`$; here $`z`$ is a point of the universal covering ($``$ or $`^1`$). The system of Schwarzian derivatives $`R^{z,x}`$ (each derivative corresponds to its own local chart) forms a projective connection on the surface $``$. In accordance with , we call it the Schwarzian connection.

###### Lemma 3

1. The Schwarzian connection can be expressed as follows in terms of the function $`\varphi `$ from (3.5):

$$R^{z,x}=\varphi _{xx}\frac{1}{2}\varphi _x^2.$$
(3.9)
2. In a neighborhood of a branch point $`P_m`$ there is the following relation between the values of Schwarzian connection computed with respect to coordinates $`\lambda `$ and $`x_m`$:

$$R^{z,\lambda }=\frac{1}{r_m^2}(\lambda \lambda _m)^{2/r_m2}R^{z,x_m}+\left(\frac{1}{2}\frac{1}{2r_m^2}\right)(\lambda \lambda _m)^2.$$
(3.10)
3. Let $`\zeta `$ be the coordinate in a neighborhood of the infinity of any sheet of covering (2.1) (except the first one in the case $`g=0`$), $`\zeta =1/\lambda `$. Then

$$R^{z,\lambda }=\frac{R^{z,\zeta }}{\lambda ^4}=O(|\lambda |^4).$$
(3.11)

Proof. The second and the third statements are just the rule of transformation of the Schwarzian derivative under the coordinate change. The formula (3.9) is well-known and can be verified by a straightforward calculation.

$`\mathrm{}`$

The derivative of the metric with respect to a branch point. In this item we set $`\varphi (\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })=\varphi ^{ext}(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })`$. The following lemma describes the dependence of the function $`\varphi `$ on positions of the branch points of the covering $``$.

###### Lemma 4

Let $`g=0,1`$. The derivative of the function $`\varphi `$ with respect to $`\lambda `$ is related to its derivative with respect to a branch point $`\lambda _m`$ as follows:

$$\frac{\varphi }{\lambda _m}+F_m\frac{\varphi }{\lambda }+\frac{F_m}{\lambda }=0,$$
(3.12)
where

$$F_m=\frac{U_{\lambda _m}}{U_\lambda }.$$
(3.13)
Proof. We have $`\varphi =\mathrm{ln}U_\lambda +\mathrm{ln}\overline{U_\lambda }`$; $`\varphi _\lambda =\frac{U_{\lambda \lambda }}{U_\lambda }`$, $`\varphi _{\lambda _m}=\frac{U_{\lambda \lambda _m}}{U_\lambda }`$ and

$$\frac{U_{\lambda \lambda _m}}{U_\lambda }=\frac{U_{\lambda _m}}{U_\lambda }\frac{U_{\lambda \lambda }}{U_\lambda }+\left(\frac{U_{\lambda _m}}{U_\lambda }\right)_\lambda .$$

(We used the fact that the map $`U`$ depends on the branch points holomorphically.)

$`\mathrm{}`$

###### Lemma 5

Let $`g=0`$ or $`g=1`$ and let $`J`$ be the uniformization map $`J:P^1`$ or $`J:`$ respectively. Denote the composition $`pJ`$ by $`R`$. Then

1. The following relation holds:

$$F_m=\frac{R}{\lambda _m}.$$
(3.14)
2. In a neighborhood of the branch point $`\lambda _l`$ the following asymptotics holds:

$$F_m=\delta _{lm}+o(1),$$
(3.15)
where $`\delta _{lm}`$ is the Kronecker symbol.
3. At the infinity of each sheet (except the first sheet for $`g=0`$) the following asymptotics holds:

$$F_m(\lambda )=O(|\lambda |^2).$$
(3.16)

Proof. Writing the dependence on the branch points explicitly we have

$$U(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M;R(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M;z))=z$$
(3.17)
for any $`z`$ from the universal covering ($`^1`$ for $`g=0`$ or $``$ for $`g=1`$). Differentiating (3.17) with respect to $`\lambda _m`$ we get (3.14).

Let $`z_0=z_0(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)`$ be a point from the universal covering such that $`J(z_0)=P_m`$. The map $`R`$ is holomorphic and in a neighborhood of $`z_0`$ there is the representation

$$R(z)=\lambda _m+(zz_0)^{r_m}f(z,\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)$$
(3.18)
with some holomorphic function $`f(,\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)`$. This together with the first statement of the lemma give (3.15).

Let now $`z_{\mathrm{}}=z_{\mathrm{}}(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)`$ be a point from the universal covering such that $`J(z_{\mathrm{}})=\mathrm{}`$, where $`\mathrm{}`$ is the infinity of the chosen sheet. Then in a neighborhood of $`z_{\mathrm{}}`$ we have

$$\lambda =R(z)=g(z;\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)(zz_{\mathrm{}})^1$$

with holomorphic $`g(,\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)`$. Using the first statement of the lemma, we get (3.16).

$`\mathrm{}`$

###### Corollary 1

Keep $`m`$ fixed and define $`\mathrm{\Phi }_n(x_n)F_m(\lambda _n+x_n^{r_n})`$. Then

$$\mathrm{\Phi }_n(0)=\delta _{nm};\left(\frac{d}{dx_n}\right)^k\mathrm{\Phi }_n(0)=0,k=1,\mathrm{},r_n2.$$

This immediately follows from formulas (3.14) and (3.18).

Formulas (3.12) and (3.15) are analogous to the Ahlfors lemma as it was formulated in . However, they are more elementary, since their proof does not use Teichmüller’s theory.

### 3.2 The regularized Dirichlet integral

We recall that the covering $``$ has $`N`$ sheets and $`N=_{m=1}^M(r_m1)/2g+1`$ due to the Riemann-Hurwitz formula. To the $`k`$-th sheet $`_k`$ of the covering $``$ there corresponds the function $`\varphi _k^{ext}:_k`$ which is smooth in any domain $`\mathrm{\Omega }_r^k`$ of the form $`\mathrm{\Omega }_\rho ^k=\{\lambda _k:m|\lambda \lambda _m|>\rho \&|\lambda |<1/\rho \}`$, where $`\rho >0`$. Here $`\lambda _m`$ are all the branch points which belong to the $`k`$th sheet $`_k`$ of $``$. In the case of genus zero the above definition of the domain $`\mathrm{\Omega }_\rho ^k`$ is valid for $`k=2,\mathrm{},N`$. The domain $`\mathrm{\Omega }_\rho ^1`$ in this case should be defined separately:

$$\mathrm{\Omega }_\rho ^1=\{\lambda _1\mathrm{}^1:m|\lambda \lambda _m|>\rho \}.$$

(Here, again, $`\lambda _m`$ are all the branch points from the first sheet.) We recall that in the case $`g=0`$ we have singled out one sheet of the covering (the first sheet in our enumeration). The function $`\varphi _k^{ext}`$ has finite limits at the cuts (except the endpoints which are the ramification points); at the ramification points and at infinity it possesses the asymptotics listed in Lemma 3.

Let us introduce the regularized Dirichlet integral

$$\frac{1}{2\pi }_{}|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑S.$$

Namely, set

$$Q^\rho =\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}_{\mathrm{\Omega }_\rho ^k}|_\lambda \varphi _k^{ext}|^2𝑑S,$$
(3.19)
where $`dS`$ is the area element on $`^1`$: $`dS=\frac{|d\lambda d\overline{\lambda }|}{2}`$.

According to Lemma 3 there exist the finite limits

$$𝕊_{ell}(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)=\frac{1}{2\pi }\underset{\rho 0}{lim}\left(Q^\rho +\left\{4N+\underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}\frac{(r_m1)^2}{r_m}\right\}2\pi \mathrm{ln}\rho \right)+\underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}(1r_m)\mathrm{ln}r_m$$
(3.20)
in the case $`g=1`$ and

$$𝕊_{rat}(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)=\frac{1}{2\pi }\underset{\rho 0}{lim}\left(Q_\rho +\left\{4(N1)+\underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}\frac{(r_m1)^2}{r_m}\right\}2\pi \mathrm{ln}\rho \right)+\underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}(1r_m)\mathrm{ln}r_m$$
(3.21)
in the case $`g=0`$; the last constant term $`_{m=1}^M(1r_m)\mathrm{ln}r_m`$ we include for convenience.

###### Theorem 4

Let $`𝕊=𝕊_{rat}`$ for $`g=0`$, $`𝕊=𝕊_{ell}`$ for $`g=1`$. Then for any $`m=1,\mathrm{},M`$

$$\frac{𝕊(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)}{\lambda _m}=\frac{1}{(r_m2)!r_m}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}R^{z,x_m}|_{x_m=0},$$
(3.22)
where $`z`$ is the natural coordinate on the universal covering of $``$ ($`^1`$ for $`g=0`$ and $``$ for $`g=1`$).

Proof. We shall restrict ourselves to the case $`g=1`$. The proofs for $`g=0`$ and $`g=1`$ differ only in details concerning the infinity of the first sheet.

Let $`Q^\rho `$ be defined by formula (3.19). We have

$$\frac{}{\lambda _m}Q^\rho =\frac{i}{2}\underset{l=1}{\overset{r_m}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(l)}\lambda _m^{(l)}|=\rho }|_\lambda \varphi |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }+\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}_{\mathrm{\Omega }_\rho ^{(k)}}\frac{}{\lambda _m}|_\lambda \varphi |^2𝑑S.$$
(3.23)
Here the first sum corresponds to those sheets of the covering (2.1) which are glued together at the point $`P_m`$; the upper index $`(l)`$ signifies that the integration is over a contour lying on the $`l`$-th sheet.

###### Lemma 6

There is an equality

$$\frac{2}{(r_m2)!r_m}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}R^{z,x_m}|_{x_m=0}=\underset{n=1}{\overset{M}{}}\left(1\frac{1}{r_n^2}\right)\frac{1}{(r_n1)!}\left(\frac{d}{dx_n}\right)^{r_n}F_m(\lambda _n+x_{n}^{}{}_{}{}^{r_n})|_{x_n=0}.$$
(3.24)
Here $`x_n`$, $`x_m`$ are the local parameters near $`P_n`$ and $`P_m`$. The summation at the right is over all the branch points of the covering $``$.

Proof. Using (3.9) and the holomorphy of $`R^{z,\lambda }`$ with respect to $`\lambda `$, we have

$$0=\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}_{\mathrm{\Omega }_\rho ^k}F_m(2\varphi _{\lambda \lambda }\varphi _\lambda ^2)𝑑\lambda =2\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}_{|\lambda |=1/\rho }F_mR^{z,\lambda }𝑑\lambda +\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}\underset{\lambda _n_k}{}_{|\lambda \lambda _n|=\rho }F_m(2\varphi _{\lambda \lambda }\varphi _\lambda ^2)𝑑\lambda .$$
(3.25)
The asymptotics (3.11) and (3.16) imply that the first sum in (3.25) is $`o(1)`$ as $`\rho 0`$. The second sum coincides with

$$\underset{n=1}{\overset{M}{}}_{|x_n|=\rho ^{1/r_n}}\mathrm{\Phi }_n(x_n)\left[\frac{2R^{z,x_n}}{r_nx_n^{2r_n2}}+\frac{1}{x_n^{2r_n}}\left(1\frac{1}{r_n^2}\right)\right]r_nx_n^{r_n1}𝑑x_n.$$
(3.26)
Here we have used (3.10); the function $`\mathrm{\Phi }_n`$ is from Corollary 1. Now using Corollary 1 together with Cauchy formula and taking the limit $`\rho 0`$ we get (3.24).

$`\mathrm{}`$

The rest of the proof relies on the method proposed in . Denote by $`\mathrm{\Sigma }_2`$ the second term in (3.23). Using (3.12) and the equality $`F_{m}^{}{}_{\overline{\lambda }}{}^{}=0`$, we get the relation

$$\frac{}{\lambda _m}|\varphi _\lambda |^2=(F_m|\varphi _\lambda |^2)_\lambda (F_{m}^{}{}_{\lambda }{}^{}\varphi _{\overline{\lambda }})_\lambda =(F_m|\varphi _\lambda |^2)_\lambda (F_{m}^{}{}_{\lambda }{}^{}\varphi _\lambda )_{\overline{\lambda }}(F_{m}^{}{}_{\lambda }{}^{}\varphi _{\overline{\lambda }})_\lambda .$$
(3.27)
This gives

$$\mathrm{\Sigma }_2=\frac{i}{2}\left(\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}_{\mathrm{\Omega }_\rho ^{(k)}}F_m|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }_{\mathrm{\Omega }_\rho ^{(k)}}F_{m}^{}{}_{\lambda }{}^{}\varphi _\lambda 𝑑\lambda +_{\mathrm{\Omega }_\rho ^{(k)}}F_{m}^{}{}_{\lambda }{}^{}\varphi _{\overline{\lambda }}𝑑\overline{\lambda }\right)=$$

$$=\frac{i}{2}\underset{\lambda _j}{}\underset{p=1}{\overset{r_j}{}}\left(_{|\lambda ^{(p)}\lambda _j^{(p)}|=\rho }F_m|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }_{|\lambda ^{(p)}\lambda _j^{(p)}|=\rho }F_{m}^{}{}_{\lambda }{}^{}\varphi _\lambda 𝑑\lambda +_{|\lambda ^{(p)}\lambda _j^{(p)}|=\rho }F_{m}^{}{}_{\lambda }{}^{}\varphi _{\overline{\lambda }}𝑑\overline{\lambda }\right)$$

$$\frac{i}{2}\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}\left(_{|\lambda ^{(k)}|=1/\rho }F_m|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }_{|\lambda ^{(k)}|=1/\rho }F_{m}^{}{}_{\lambda }{}^{}\varphi _\lambda 𝑑\lambda +_{|\lambda ^{(k)}|=1/\rho }F_{m}^{}{}_{\lambda }{}^{}\varphi _{\overline{\lambda }}𝑑\overline{\lambda }\right),$$
(3.28)
Let

$$I_1^n(\rho )=\underset{p=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(p)}\lambda _n^{(p)}|=\rho }F_m|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda };I_2^n(\rho )=\underset{p=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(p)}\lambda _n^{(p)}|=\rho }F_{m}^{}{}_{\lambda }{}^{}\varphi _\lambda 𝑑\lambda ;$$

$$I_3^n(\rho )=\underset{p=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(p)}\lambda _n^{(p)}|=\rho }F_{m}^{}{}_{\lambda }{}^{}\varphi _{\overline{\lambda }}𝑑\overline{\lambda }.$$

We have

$$I_1^n(\rho )=\delta _{nm}\underset{p=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(p)}\lambda _n^{(p)}|=\rho }|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }$$

$$+_{|x_n|=\rho ^{1/r_n}}[\frac{1}{(r_n1)!}\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n1)}(0)x_n^{r_n1}+\frac{1}{r_n!}\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n)}(0)x_n^{r_n}+O(|x_n|^{r_n+1}]$$

$$\times \left(\frac{|\varphi _{x_n}^{int}|^2}{r_nx_n^{r_n1}\overline{x}_n^{r_n1}}+\frac{1r_n}{r_n^2}\frac{\varphi _{x_n}^{int}}{\overline{x}_n^{r_n}x_n^{r_n1}}+\frac{1r_n}{r_n^2}\frac{\varphi _{\overline{x}_n}^{int}}{\overline{x}_n^{r_n1}x_n^{r_n}}+\left(\frac{1}{r_n}1\right)^2\frac{1}{x_n^{r_n}\overline{x}_n^{r_n}}\right)r_n\overline{x}_n^{r_n1}d\overline{x}_n$$

$$=\delta _{nm}\underset{p=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(p)}\lambda _n^{(p)}|=\rho }|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }+2\pi i\frac{(1/r_n1)^2}{(r_n1)!}\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n)}(0)+2\pi i\frac{1r_n}{r_n(r_n1)!}\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n1)}(0)\varphi _{x_n}^{int}(0)+o(1)$$

as $`\rho 0`$.

We get also

$$I_2^n(\rho )=_{|x_n|=\rho ^{1/r_n}}(\frac{1}{r_nx_{n}^{}{}_{}{}^{r_n1}}\varphi _{x_n}^{int}+(\frac{1}{r_n}1)\frac{1}{x_n^{r_n}})(\frac{1}{(r_n2)!}\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n1)}(0)x_n^{r_n2}$$

$$+\frac{1}{(r_n1)!}\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n)}(0)x_n^{r_n1}+O(|x_n|^{r_n}))dx_n$$

$$=2\pi i\left(\frac{1}{r_n}1\right)\frac{1}{(r_n1)!}\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n)}(0)2\pi i\frac{1}{r_n(r_n2)!}\varphi _{x_n}^{int}(0)\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n1)}(0)+o(1)$$

and

$$I_3^n(\rho )=_{|x_n|=\rho ^{1/r_n}}\left(\frac{1}{(r_n2)!}\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n1)}(0)x_n^{r_n2}+\frac{1}{(r_n1)!}\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n)}(0)x_n^{r_n1}+O(|x_n|^{r_n})\right)$$

$$\times (\frac{1}{r_n\overline{x}_n^{r_n1}}\varphi _{\overline{x}_n}^{int}+(\frac{1}{r_n}1)\frac{1}{\overline{x}_n^{r_n}})(\frac{\overline{x}_n}{x_n})^{r_n1}d\overline{x}_n=2\pi i\frac{(1/r_n1)}{(r_n1)!}\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n)}(0)+o(1).$$

We note that

$$I_1^nI_2^n+I_3^n=\delta _{nm}\underset{p=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(p)}\lambda _n^{(p)}|=\rho }|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }+\frac{2\pi i}{(r_n1)!}\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n)}(0)[(1/r_n1)^2+2(1/r_n1)]+o(1)$$

$$=\delta _{nm}\underset{p=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(p)}\lambda _n^{(p)}|=\rho }|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }\frac{2\pi i}{(r_n1)!}\left(1\frac{1}{r_n^2}\right)\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n)}(0)+o(1).$$

It is easy to verify that

$$\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}\left(_{|\lambda ^{(k)}|=1/\rho }F_m|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }_{|\lambda ^{(k)}|=1/\rho }F_{m}^{}{}_{\lambda }{}^{}\varphi _\lambda 𝑑\lambda +_{|\lambda ^{(k)}|=1/\rho }F_{m}^{}{}_{\lambda }{}^{}\varphi _{\overline{\lambda }}𝑑\overline{\lambda }\right)=o(1),$$

so we get

$$\mathrm{\Sigma }_2=\frac{i}{2}\left(\underset{l=1}{\overset{r_m}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(l)}\lambda _m^{(l)}|=\rho }|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }2\pi i\underset{n=1}{\overset{M}{}}\frac{1}{(r_n1)!}\left(1\frac{1}{r_n^2}\right)\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n)}(0)\right)+o(1).$$
(3.29)
Now Lemma 7, (3.23) and (3.29) imply that

$$\frac{}{\lambda _m}Q^\rho =\frac{2\pi }{(r_m2)!r_m}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}R^{z,x_m}|_{x_m=0}+o(1).$$
(3.30)
To prove Theorem 2 it is sufficient to observe that the term $`o(1)`$ in (3.30) is uniform with respect to parameters $`(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)`$ belonging to a compact neighborhood of the initial point $`(\lambda _1^0,\mathrm{},\lambda _M^0)`$.

$`\mathrm{}`$

###### Corollary 2

The formulas for functions $`𝕊_{ell}`$ and $`𝕊_{rat}`$ can be rewritten as follows:

$$𝕊_{ell}(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)=\underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}\frac{r_m1}{2}\varphi ^{int}(x_m,\overline{x}_m)|_{x_m=0}\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}\varphi ^{\mathrm{}}(\mathrm{}^{(k)}),$$
(3.31)
$$𝕊_{rat}(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)=\underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}\frac{r_m1}{2}\varphi ^{int}(x_m,\overline{x}_m)|_{x_m=0}\underset{k=2}{\overset{N}{}}\varphi ^{\mathrm{}}(\mathrm{}^{(k)}).$$
(3.32)
Here $`\mathrm{}^{(k)}`$ is the infinity of the $`k`$-th sheet of covering (2.1); $`\varphi ^{\mathrm{}}(\mathrm{}^{(k)})=\varphi ^{\mathrm{}}(\zeta ,\overline{\zeta })|_{\zeta =0}`$; $`\zeta =1/\lambda `$ is the local parameter near $`\mathrm{}^{(k)}`$.

Proof. Using the Liouville equation (3.6), the Stokes theorem and the asymptotics from Lemma 2, we get in the case $`g=1`$:

$$Q^\rho =\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}_{\mathrm{\Omega }_\rho ^k}(\varphi _\lambda \varphi )_{\overline{\lambda }}\varphi _{\lambda \overline{\lambda }}\varphi dS=\frac{1}{2i}\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}_{\mathrm{\Omega }_\rho ^k}\varphi _\lambda \varphi 𝑑\lambda =$$

$$=\frac{1}{2i}(\underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}_{|x_m|=\rho ^{1/r_m}}\{\frac{1}{r_m}\varphi _{x_m}^{int}x_m^{1r_m}+(\frac{1}{r_m}1)x_m^{r_m}\}\{\varphi ^{int}+2(1r_m)\mathrm{ln}|x_m|2\mathrm{ln}r_m\}r_mx_m^{r_m1}dx_m$$

$$+\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}_{|\lambda |=1/\rho }\{\varphi _\zeta ^{\mathrm{}}\lambda ^2\frac{2}{\lambda }\}\{\varphi ^{\mathrm{}}4\mathrm{ln}|\lambda |\}d\lambda )=\pi _{m=1}^M(1r_m)\varphi ^{int}(x_m)|_{x_m=0}2\pi _{k=1}^N\varphi ^{\mathrm{}}(\mathrm{}^{(k)})$$

$$\left(4N+\underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}\frac{(r_m1)^2}{r_m}\right)2\pi \mathrm{ln}\rho 2\pi \underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}(1r_m)\mathrm{ln}r_m+o(1),$$

as $`\rho 0`$. This implies (3.31).

In case $`g=0`$ we repeat the same calculation, omitting the integrals around the infinity of the first sheet.

$`\mathrm{}`$

### 3.3 Factorization of the Dirichlet integral and the tau-functions of rational and elliptic coverings

Now we are in a position to calculate the Bergmann tau-function itself. For rational coverings the Wirtinger and Bergmann tau-functions trivially coincide, in the elliptic case the expression for the Wirtinger tau-function follows from that for the Bergmann one.

We start with the tau-functions of elliptic coverings.

###### Theorem 5

In case $`g=1`$ the Bergmann tau-function of the covering $``$ is given by the following expression:

$$\tau _B=[\theta _{1}^{}{}_{}{}^{}(0|\mu )]^{2/3}\frac{_{k=1}^Nh_k^{1/6}}{_{m=1}^Mf_m^{(r_m1)/12}},$$
(3.33)
where $`v(P)`$ is the normalized abelian differential on the torus $``$; $`v(P)=f_m(x_m)dx_m`$ as $`PP_m`$ and $`f_mf_m(0)`$; $`v(P)=h_k(\zeta )d\zeta `$ as $`P\mathrm{}^{(k)}`$ and $`h_kh_k(0)`$; $`\mu `$ is the $`b`$-period of the differential $`v(P)`$.

Proof. It is sufficient to observe that

$$\varphi ^{int}(x_m,x_m)=\mathrm{ln}U^{}(x_m)+\mathrm{ln}\overline{U^{}(x_m)}=\mathrm{ln}|f_m(x_m)|^2$$

in a neighborhood of $`P_m`$ and

$$\varphi ^{\mathrm{}}(\zeta ,\zeta )=\mathrm{ln}|h_k(\zeta )|^2$$

in a neighborhood of $`\mathrm{}^{(k)}`$ and to make use of (3.31) and (3.2). $`\mathrm{}`$

Now Theorem 5, the link (2.36) between the Bergmann and Wirtinger tau-functions, and the Jacobi formula $`\theta _1^{}=\pi \theta _2\theta _3\theta _4`$ imply the following corollary

###### Corollary 3

The Wirtinger tau-function of the elliptic covering $``$ is given by the formula

$$\tau _W=\frac{_{k=1}^Nh_k^{1/6}}{_{m=1}^Mf_m^{(r_m1)/12}}.$$
(3.34)
We notice that the result (3.34) does not depend on normalization of the holomorphic differential $`v(P)`$: if one makes a transformation $`v(P)Cv(P)`$ with an arbitrary constant $`C`$, this constant cancels out in (3.34) due to the Riemann-Hurwitz formula.

For the rational case the Bergmann and Wirtinger tau-functions coincide.

###### Theorem 6

In case $`g=0`$ the tau-functions of the covering $``$ can be calculated by the formula

$$\tau _W\tau _B=\frac{_{k=2}^N(\frac{dU}{d\zeta _k}|_{\zeta _k=0})^{1/6}}{_{m=1}^M(\frac{dU}{dx_m}|_{x_m=0})^{(r_m1)/12}},$$
(3.35)
where $`x_m`$ is the local parameter near the branch point $`P_m`$, $`\zeta _k`$ is the local parameter near the infinity of the $`k`$-th sheet. (We recall that the map $`U`$ is chosen in such a way that $`U(\mathrm{}^{(1)})=\mathrm{}`$.)

The proof is essentially the same.

###### Remark 3

The fractional powers at the right hand sides of formulas (3.35) and (3.34) are understood in the sense of the analytical continuation. The arising monodromies are just the monodromies generated by the flat connection $`d_W`$. It should be noted that the $`12`$-th powers of tau-functions (3.35) and (3.34) are single-valued global holomorphic functions on the Hurwitz space $`𝒰()`$.

It is instructive to illustrate the formulas (3.35) and (3.33) for the simplest two-fold coverings with two ($`g=0`$) and four ($`g=1`$) branch points.

#### 3.3.1 Tau-function of a two-fold rational covering

Consider the covering of $`^1`$ with two sheets and two branch points $`\lambda _1`$ and $`\lambda _2`$. Then $`g=0`$ and

$$U(\lambda )=\frac{1}{2}\left(\lambda +\frac{\lambda _1+\lambda _2}{2}+\sqrt{(\lambda \lambda _1)(\lambda \lambda _2)}\right).$$
(3.36)
We get

$$\{U(x_1),x_1\}_{x_1=0}=\{x_1^2+x_1\sqrt{\lambda _1\lambda _2+x_1^2},x_1\}|_{x_1=0}$$

$$=\{\sqrt{\lambda _1\lambda _2}x_1+x_1^2+\frac{x_1^3}{2\sqrt{\lambda _1\lambda _2}},x_1\}|_{x_1=0}=\frac{3}{\lambda _2\lambda _1}$$

and

$$\{U(x_2),x_2\}|_{x_2=0}=\frac{3}{\lambda _1\lambda _2}.$$
(3.37)
Now direct integration of equations (3.37) gives the following result:

$$\tau _W=\tau _B=(\lambda _1\lambda _2)^{1/4}$$
(3.38)
(up to a multiplicative constant). On the other hand, to apply the general formula (3.35), we find

$$U_{x_1}(0)=\frac{1}{2}\sqrt{\lambda _1\lambda _2};U_{x_2}(0)=\frac{1}{2}\sqrt{\lambda _2\lambda _1},$$

$$U(\zeta _2)=\frac{1}{2}\left(\frac{1}{\zeta _2}+\frac{\lambda _1+\lambda _2}{2}\frac{1}{\zeta _2}\sqrt{(1\zeta _2\lambda _1)(1\zeta _2\lambda _2)}\right)$$

$$=\frac{\lambda _1+\lambda _2}{2}+\frac{(\lambda _1\lambda _2)^2}{16}\zeta _2+\mathrm{}.$$

Therefore, our formula (3.35) in this case also gives rise to (3.38).

#### 3.3.2 Tau-functions of two-fold elliptic coverings

Consider the two-fold covering $``$ with four branch points:

$$\mu ^2=(\lambda \lambda _1)(\lambda \lambda _2)(\lambda \lambda _3)(\lambda \lambda _4).$$
(3.39)
There are two ways to compute the tau-function on the space of such coverings. On one hand, since the elliptic curve $``$ belongs to the hyperelliptic class, we can apply known formula (2.37) which gives:

$$\tau _B(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _4)=𝒜\underset{m,n=1,\mathrm{}4;m<n}{}(\lambda _m\lambda _n)^{1/4},$$
(3.40)
where $`𝒜=_a\frac{d\lambda }{\mu }`$ is the $`a`$-period of the non-normalized holomorphic differential.

On the other hand, to apply the formula (3.33) to this case, we notice that the normalized holomorphic differential on $``$ is equal to

$$v(P)=\frac{1}{𝒜}\frac{d\lambda }{\mu };$$

the local parameters near $`P_n`$ are $`x_n=\sqrt{\lambda \lambda _n}`$. Therefore,

$$f_m=2𝒜^1\underset{nm}{}(\lambda _m\lambda _n)^{1/2},h_k=(1)^k𝒜^1,k=1,2.$$

According to the Jacobi formula $`\theta _1^{}=\pi \theta _2\theta _3\theta _4`$; moreover, the genus 1 version of Thomae formulas for theta-constants gives $`\theta _k^4=\pm \frac{𝒜^2}{(2\pi i)^2}(\lambda _{j_1}\lambda _{j_2})(\lambda _{j_3}\lambda _{j_4})`$, where $`k=2,3,4`$ and $`(j_1,\mathrm{},j_4)`$ are appropriate permutations of $`(1,\mathrm{},4)`$. Computing $`\theta _1^{}`$ according to these expressions, we again get (3.40).

### 3.4 The Wirtinger tau-function and isomonodromic deformations

In  it was given a solution to a class of the Riemann-Hilbert problems with quasi-permutation monodromies in terms of Szegö kernels on branched coverings of $`^1`$. The isomonodromic tau-function of Jimbo and Miwa associated to these Riemann-Hilbert problems is closely related to the tau-functions of the branched coverings considered in this paper.

Here we briefly outline this link for the genus zero coverings $``$. So, let $``$ be biholomorphically equivalent to the Riemann sphere $`^1`$ with global coordinate $`z`$. Introduce the “prime-forms” on the $`z`$-sphere and the $`\lambda `$-sphere:

$$E(z,z_0)=\frac{zz_0}{\sqrt{dz}\sqrt{dz_0}},E_0(\lambda ,\lambda _0)=\frac{\lambda \lambda _0}{\sqrt{d\lambda }\sqrt{d\lambda _0}}.$$
(3.41)
Define a $`N\times N`$ matrix-valued function $`\mathrm{\Psi }(\lambda ,\lambda _0)`$ for $`\lambda `$ belonging to a small neighborhood of $`\lambda _0`$:

$$\mathrm{\Psi }_{jk}(\lambda ,\lambda _0)=\frac{E_0(\lambda ,\lambda _0)}{E(\lambda ^{(k)},\lambda _0^{(j)})}=\frac{(\lambda \lambda _0)\sqrt{z^{}(\lambda ^{(k)})}\sqrt{z^{}(\lambda _0^{(j)})}}{z(\lambda ^{(k)})z(\lambda _0^{(j)})},$$
(3.42)
where $`z^{}=dz/d\lambda `$. To compute the determinant of the matrix $`\mathrm{\Psi }`$ we use the following identity for two arbitrary sets of complex numbers $`z_1,\mathrm{},z_N,\mu _1,\mathrm{},\mu _N`$:

$$\mathrm{det}_{N\times N}\left\{\frac{1}{z_j\mu _k}\right\}=\frac{_{j<k}(z_jz_k)(\mu _k\mu _j)}{_{j,k}(z_j\mu _k)}.$$
(3.43)
Using this relation, we find that

$$\mathrm{det}\mathrm{\Psi }=(\lambda \lambda _0)^N\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}\{z_\lambda (\lambda ^{(k)})z_\lambda (\lambda _0^{(k)})\}^{N/2}\frac{_{j<k}\{z(\lambda ^{(k)})z(\lambda ^{(j)})\}\{z(\lambda _0^{(j)})z(\lambda _0^{(k)})\}}{_{j,k}\{z(\lambda ^{(k)})z(\lambda _0^{(j)})\}}.$$

This expression is symmetric with respect to interchanging of any two sheets, therefore, it is a single-valued function of $`\lambda `$ and $`\lambda _0`$. Moreover, it is non-singular (and equal to $`1`$) as $`\lambda =\lambda _0`$, and non-singular as $`\lambda \mathrm{}`$. Therefore, it is globally non-singular, thus identically equal to $`1`$.

The function $`\mathrm{\Psi }`$ obviously equals to the unit matrix as $`\lambda \lambda _0`$. The only singularities of the function $`\mathrm{\Psi }`$ in $`\lambda `$-plane are the branch points $`\lambda _m`$. These are regular singularities with quasi-permutation monodromy matrices with non-vanishing entries equal to $`\pm 1`$.

Therefore, function $`\mathrm{\Psi }(\lambda )`$, being analytically continued from a small neighborhood of point $`\lambda _0`$ to the universal covering of $`^1\{\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _m\}`$, gives a solution to the Riemann-Hilbert problem with regular singularities at the points $`\lambda _m`$ and quasi-permutation monodromy matrices. It is non-degenerate outside of $`\{\lambda _m\}`$, equals $`I`$ at $`\lambda =\lambda _0`$, and satisfies the equations

$$\frac{\mathrm{\Psi }}{\lambda }=\underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}\frac{A_m}{\lambda \lambda _m}\mathrm{\Psi },\frac{\mathrm{\Psi }}{\lambda _m}=\frac{A_m}{\lambda \lambda _m}\mathrm{\Psi }$$
(3.44)
for some $`N\times N`$ matrices $`\{A_m\}`$ depending on $`\{\lambda _m\}`$. Compatibility of equations (3.44) implies the Schlesinger system for the functions $`A_m(\{\lambda _n\})`$. The corresponding Jimbo-Miwa tau-function $`\tau _{JM}(\{\lambda _m\})`$ is defined by the equations

$$\frac{\mathrm{ln}\tau _{JM}}{\lambda _m}=\frac{1}{2}\mathrm{res}|_{\lambda =\lambda _m}\mathrm{tr}(\mathrm{\Psi }_\lambda \mathrm{\Psi }^1)^2.$$
(3.45)
The tau-function, as well as the expression $`\mathrm{tr}(\mathrm{\Psi }_\lambda \mathrm{\Psi }^1)^2`$, is independent of the normalization point $`\lambda _0`$; taking the limit $`\lambda _0\lambda `$ in this expression, we get

$$\mathrm{\Psi }_{jk}=\frac{z_\lambda (\lambda ^{(j)})z_\lambda (\lambda ^{(k)})}{z(\lambda ^{(j)})z(\lambda ^{(k)})}(\lambda _0\lambda )+O((\lambda \lambda _0)^2),\mathrm{\Psi }_{jj}=1+o(1)\mathrm{as}\lambda _0\lambda $$
(3.46)
and

$$\frac{1}{2}\mathrm{tr}\left(\mathrm{\Psi }_\lambda \mathrm{\Psi }^1(\lambda )\right)^2=\frac{1}{(d\lambda )^2}\underset{jk}{}B(z(\lambda ^{(j)}),z(\lambda ^{(k)})),$$
(3.47)
where

$$B(z,\stackrel{~}{z})=\frac{dzd\stackrel{~}{z}}{(z\stackrel{~}{z})^2}$$

is the Bergmann kernel on $`^1`$. Consider the behavior of expression (3.47) as $`\lambda \lambda _m`$; suppose that the sheets glued at the ramification point $`P_m`$ have numbers $`s`$ and $`t`$. Then, since $`d\lambda =2x_mdx_m`$, we have as $`\lambda \lambda _m`$,

$$\frac{1}{2}\mathrm{tr}(\mathrm{\Psi }_\lambda \mathrm{\Psi }^1(\lambda ))^2=\frac{1}{4(\lambda \lambda _m)}\frac{z_{x_m}(\lambda ^{(s)})z_{x_m}(\lambda ^{(t)})}{\left[z(\lambda ^{(s)})z(\lambda ^{(t)})\right]^2}+O(1)$$

$$=\frac{1}{4(\lambda \lambda _m)}\left(\frac{1}{[x_m(\lambda ^{(s)})x_m(\lambda ^{(t)})]^2}+\frac{1}{6}\{z,x_m\}|_{x_m=0}\right)+O(1)$$

$$=\frac{1}{4(\lambda \lambda _m)}\left(\frac{1}{4(\lambda \lambda _m)}+\frac{1}{6}\{z,x_m\}|_{x_m=0}\right)+O(1).$$

Therefore, the definition of isomonodromic tau-function (3.45) gives rise to

$$\frac{\mathrm{ln}\tau _{JM}}{\lambda _m}=\frac{1}{24}\{z,x_m\}|_{x_m=0};$$
(3.48)
thus, in genus zero we get the following relation between isomonodromic and Wirtinger tau-functions:

$$\tau _{JM}=\{\tau _W\}^{1/2},$$

where $`\tau _W`$ is given by (3.35).

## 4 The case of higher genus

In this section we calculate the modulus square of the Bergmann and Wirtinger tau-functions for an arbitrary covering of genus $`g>1`$.

Let $`_0`$ be a point of $`\widehat{𝒰}()`$. In a small neighborhood of $`_0`$ we may consider the branch points $`\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M`$ as local coordinates on $`\widehat{𝒰}()`$.

The tau-function $`\tau _B`$ (a section of the Bergmann line bundle) can be considered as a holomorphic function in this small neighborhood of $`_0`$. Its modulus square, $`|\tau _B|^2`$ is the restriction of a section of the “real” line bundle $`𝒯_{}\overline{𝒯_{}}`$.

To compute $`|\tau _B|^2`$ we are to find a real-valued potential $`\mathrm{ln}|\tau _B|^2`$ such that

$$\frac{\mathrm{ln}|\tau _B|^2}{\lambda _m}=_m;m=1,\mathrm{},M.$$
(4.1)
If the covering $``$ has genus $`g>1`$ then it is biholomorphically equivalent to the quotient space $`/\mathrm{\Gamma }`$, where $`=\{z:\mathrm{}z>0\}`$; $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$ is a strictly hyperbolic Fuchsian group. Denote by $`\pi _F:`$ the natural projection. The Fuchsian projective connection on $``$ is given by the Schwarzian derivative $`\{z,x\}`$, where $`x`$ is a local coordinate of a point $`P`$, $`z`$, $`\pi _F(z)=P`$.

We recall the variational formula (, see also )) for the determinant of the Laplacian on the Riemann surface $``$:

$$\delta _\mu \mathrm{ln}\left(\frac{\mathrm{det}\mathrm{\Delta }}{\mathrm{det}\mathrm{}𝔹}\right)=\frac{1}{12\pi i}_{}(S_BS_F)\mu ,$$

where $`𝔹`$ is the matrix of $`b`$-periods, $`S_B`$ is the Bergmann projective connection, $`S_F`$ is the Fuchsian projective connection, $`\mu `$ is a Beltrami differential. Since, as we discussed above, the derivation with respect to $`\lambda _m`$ corresponds to the Beltrami differential $`\mu _m`$ from (2.13), we conclude that

$$\frac{1}{6r_m(r_m2)!}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}\left(S_B(x_m)\{z,x_m\}\right)|_{x_m=0}=\frac{}{\lambda _m}\mathrm{ln}\left(\frac{\mathrm{det}\mathrm{\Delta }}{\text{det}\mathrm{}𝔹}\right)$$
(4.2)
###### Remark 4

This formula explains the appearance of the factor $`\frac{1}{6}`$ in the definition (2.22) of the connection coefficient $`_m`$.

Therefore, the calculation of the modulus of the Bergmann tau-function of the covering $``$ reduces to the problem of finding a real-valued function $`𝕊_{Fuchs}(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)`$ such that

$$\frac{𝕊_{Fuchs}}{\lambda _m}=\frac{1}{r_m(r_m2)!}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}\{z,x_m\}|_{x_m=0},m=1,\mathrm{}M.$$
(4.3)
Another link of $`|\tau _B|^2`$ with known objects can be established if we introduce the Schottky uniformization of the covering $``$. Namely, the covering $``$ (of genus $`g>1`$) is biholomorphically equivalent to the quotient space

$$=𝐃/\mathrm{\Sigma },$$

where $`\mathrm{\Sigma }`$ is a (normalized) Schottky group, $`𝐃^1`$ is its region of discontinuity. Denote by $`\pi _\mathrm{\Sigma }:𝐃`$ the natural projection.

Introduce the Schottky projective connection on $``$ given by the Schwarzian derivative $`\{\omega ,x\}`$, where $`x`$ is a local coordinate of a point $`P`$; $`\omega 𝐃`$; $`\pi _\mathrm{\Sigma }(\omega )=P`$.

Due to the formula (2.17) and the results of  (namely, see Remark 3.5 in ), we have

$$\frac{1}{6r_m(r_m2)!}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}\left(S_B(x_m)\{\omega ,x_m\}\right)|_{x_m=0}=\frac{}{\lambda _m}\mathrm{ln}|\text{det}\overline{}|^2.$$
(4.4)
Here $`\text{det}\overline{}`$ is the holomorphic determinant of the family of $`\overline{}`$-operators (this holomorphic determinant can be considered as a nowhere vanishing holomorphic function on the Schottky space; see Theorem 3.4  for precise definitions and an explicit formula for $`|\text{det}\overline{}|^2`$).

Therefore, the calculation of the modulus square of the Bergmann tau-function of the covering $``$ reduces to the integration of the following system of equations for real-valued function $`𝕊_{Schottky}`$:

$$\frac{𝕊_{Schottky}}{\lambda _m}=\frac{1}{r_m(r_m2)!}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}\{\omega ,x_m\}|_{x_m=0},m=1,\mathrm{}M.$$
(4.5)
In the following two subsections we solve, first, system (4.5) and, second, system (4.3).

### 4.1 The Dirichlet integral and the Schottky uniformization

#### 4.1.1 The Schottky uniformization and the flat metric on dissected Riemann surface

The Schottky uniformization. We refer the reader to  for a brief review of Schottky groups and the Schottky uniformization theorem.

Fix some marking of the Riemann surface $``$ (i. e. a point $`x_0`$ in $``$ and some system of generators $`\alpha _1,\mathrm{},\alpha _g,\beta _1,\mathrm{},\beta _g`$ of the fundamental group $`\pi _1(,x_0)`$ such that $`\mathrm{\Pi }_{i=1}^g\alpha _i^1\beta _i^1\alpha _i\beta _i=1`$).

The marked surface $``$ is biholomorphically equivalent to the quotient space $`𝐃/\mathrm{\Sigma }`$, where $`\mathrm{\Sigma }`$ is a normalized marked Schottky group, $`𝐃^1`$ is its region of discontinuity. (A Schottky group is said to be marked if a relation-free system of generators $`L_1,\mathrm{},L_g`$ is chosen in it. For the normalized Schottky group $`L_1(\omega )=k_1\omega `$ with $`0<|k_1|<1`$ and the attracting fixed point of the transformation $`L_2`$ is $`1`$.)

Choose a fundamental region $`D_0`$ for $`\mathrm{\Sigma }`$ in $`𝐃`$. This is a region in $`^1`$ bounded by $`2g`$ disjoint Jordan curves $`c_1,\mathrm{},c_g,c_1^{},\mathrm{},c_g^{}`$ with $`c_i^{}=L_i(c_i),i=1,\mathrm{},g`$; the curves $`c_i`$ and $`c_i^{}`$ are oriented as the components of $`D_0`$, the minus sign means the reverse orientation.

Let $`\pi _\mathrm{\Sigma }:𝐃`$ be the natural projection. Set $`C_i=\pi _\mathrm{\Sigma }(c_i)`$.

Denote by $`_{\mathrm{dissected}}`$ the dissected surface $`_{i=1}^gC_i`$. The map $`\pi _\mathrm{\Sigma }:D_0_{\mathrm{dissected}}`$ is invertible; denote the inverse map by $`\mathrm{\Omega }_0`$.

#### 4.1.2 The flat metric on $`_{\mathrm{dissected}}`$

Let $`x`$ be a local parameter on $`_{\mathrm{dissected}}`$. Define a flat metric $`e^{\varphi (x,\overline{x})}|dx|^2`$ on $`_{\mathrm{dissected}}`$ by

$$e^{\varphi (x,\overline{x})}|dx|^2=|d\omega |^2.$$
(4.6)
Here $`\omega D_0`$, $`\pi _\mathrm{\Sigma }(\omega )=x`$. Thus, to each local chart with local parameter $`x`$ there corresponds a function $`\varphi (x,\overline{x})`$. We specify the function $`\varphi ^{ext}(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })`$ of local parameter $`\lambda `$ by

$$e^{\varphi ^{ext}(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })}|d\lambda |^2=|d\omega |^2=|\mathrm{\Omega }_0^{}(\lambda )|^2|d\lambda |^2.$$
(4.7)
Here $`\omega 𝐃`$, $`\pi _\mathrm{\Sigma }(\omega )=P`$ and $`p(P)=\lambda `$.

Introduce also the functions $`\varphi ^{int}(x_m,\overline{x}_m)`$, $`m=1,\mathrm{},M`$ and $`\varphi ^{\mathrm{}}(\zeta _k,\overline{\zeta }_k)`$, $`k=1,\mathrm{},N`$ corresponding to the local parameters $`x_m`$ near the ramification points $`P_m`$ and the local parameters $`\zeta _k=1/\lambda `$ near the infinity of the $`k`$-th sheet. In the intersections of the local charts we have

$$e^{\varphi ^{int}(x_m,\overline{x}_m)}|dx_m|^2=e^{\varphi ^{ext}(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })}|d\lambda |^2$$
(4.8)
and

$$e^{\varphi ^{\mathrm{}}(\zeta _k,\overline{\zeta }_k)}|d\zeta _k|^2=e^{\varphi ^{ext}(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })}|d\lambda |^2.$$
(4.9)
Choose an element $`L\mathrm{\Sigma }`$ and consider the fundamental region $`D_1=L(D_0)`$. Introduce the map $`\mathrm{\Omega }_1:_{\mathrm{dissected}}D_1`$ and the metric $`e^{\varphi _1(x,x)}|dx|^2`$ on $`_{\mathrm{dissected}}`$ corresponding to this new choice of fundamental region.

Since $`\mathrm{\Omega }_1(x)=L(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(x))`$, we have

$$\varphi _1(x,\overline{x})=\varphi (x,\overline{x})+\mathrm{ln}|L^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(x))|^2,$$
(4.10)
$$[\varphi _1(x,\overline{x})]_x=\varphi _x(x,\overline{x})+\frac{L^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(x))}{L^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(x))}\mathrm{\Omega }_0^{}(x)$$
(4.11)
and

$$[\varphi _1(x,\overline{x})]_{\overline{x}}=\varphi _{\overline{x}}(x,\overline{x})+\frac{\overline{L^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(x))}}{\overline{L^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(x))}}\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }_0^{}(x)}.$$
(4.12)
The following statements are complete analogs of those from section 3.1. Lemmas 7 and 8 are evident, to get lemmas 9, 10 and Corollary 4 one only needs to change the map $`U:xz\stackrel{~}{}`$ to the map $`\mathrm{\Omega }_0:_{\mathrm{dissected}}x\omega D_0`$ in the proofs of corresponding statements from section 3.1. Since the map $`\mathrm{\Omega }_0`$, similarly to the map $`U`$, depends on the branch points $`\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M`$ holomorphically, all the arguments from §3.1 can be applied in the present context.

###### Lemma 7

The derivative of the function $`\varphi ^{ext}`$ has the following asymptotics near the branch points and the infinities of the sheets:

1. $`|\varphi _\lambda ^{ext}(\lambda ,\lambda )|^2=(\frac{1}{r_m}1)^2|\lambda \lambda _m|^2+O(|\lambda \lambda _m|^{2+1/r_m})`$ as $`\lambda \lambda _m`$,
2. $`|\varphi _\lambda ^{ext}(\lambda ,\lambda )|^2=4|\lambda |^2+O(|\lambda |^3)`$ as $`\lambda \mathrm{}`$.

Let $`x`$ be a local coordinate on $``$. Set $`R^{\omega ,x}=\{\omega ,x\}`$, where $`\omega 𝐃`$, $`\pi _\mathrm{\Sigma }(\omega )=x`$.

###### Lemma 8

1. The Schwarzian derivative can be expressed as follows in terms of the function $`\varphi `$ from (4.6):

$$R^{\omega ,x}=\varphi _{xx}\frac{1}{2}\varphi _x^2.$$
(4.13)
2. In a neighborhood of a branch point $`P_m`$ there is the following relation between Schwarzian derivatives computed with respect to coordinates $`\lambda `$ and $`x_m`$:

$$R^{\omega ,\lambda }=\frac{1}{r_m^2}(\lambda \lambda _m)^{2/r_m2}R^{\omega ,x_m}+\left(\frac{1}{2}\frac{1}{2r_m^2}\right)(\lambda \lambda _m)^2.$$
(4.14)
3. Let $`\zeta `$ be the coordinate in a neighborhood of the infinity of any sheet of covering $``$, $`\zeta =1/\lambda `$. Then

$$R^{\omega ,\lambda }=\frac{R^{\omega ,\zeta }}{\lambda ^4}=O(|\lambda |^4).$$
(4.15)

###### Lemma 9

The derivatives of the function $`\varphi `$ with respect to $`\lambda `$ are related to its derivatives with respect to the branch points as follows:

$$\frac{\varphi }{\lambda _m}+F_m\frac{\varphi }{\lambda }+\frac{F_m}{\lambda }=0,$$
(4.16)
where

$$F_m=\frac{[\mathrm{\Omega }_0]_{\lambda _m}}{[\mathrm{\Omega }_0]_\lambda }.$$
(4.17)
###### Lemma 10

Denote the composition $`p\pi _\mathrm{\Sigma }`$ by $`R`$. Then

1. The following relation holds:

$$F_m=\frac{R}{\lambda _m}.$$
(4.18)
2. In a neighborhood of the point $`\lambda _l`$ the following asymptotics holds:

$$F_m=\delta _{lm}+o(1),$$
(4.19)
where $`\delta _{lm}`$ is the Kronecker symbol.
3. At the infinity of each sheet the following asymptotics holds:

$$F_m(\lambda )=O(|\lambda |^2).$$
(4.20)

###### Corollary 4

Keep $`m`$ fixed and define $`\mathrm{\Phi }_n(x_n)F_m(\lambda _n+x_n^{r_n})`$. Then

$$\mathrm{\Phi }_n(0)=\delta _{nm};\left(\frac{d}{dx_n}\right)^k\mathrm{\Phi }_n(0)=0,k=1,\mathrm{},r_n2.$$

#### 4.1.3 The regularized Dirichlet integral

Assume that the ramification points and the infinities of sheets do not belong to the cuts $`C_i`$.

To the $`k`$-th sheet $`_{\mathrm{dissected}}^{(k)}`$ of the dissected surface $``$ (we should add some cuts connecting the branch points) there corresponds the function $`\varphi _k^{ext}:_{\mathrm{dissected}}^{(k)}`$ which is smooth in any domain $`\mathrm{\Delta }_r^k`$ of the form $`\mathrm{\Delta }_\rho ^k=\{\lambda _{\mathrm{dissected}}^{(k)}:m|\lambda \lambda _m|>\rho \&|\lambda |<1/\rho \}`$, where $`\rho >0`$ and $`\lambda _m`$ are all the branch points from the $`k`$th sheet $`_{\mathrm{dissected}}^{(k)}`$ of $`_{\mathrm{dissected}}`$.

The function $`\varphi _k^{ext}`$ has finite limits at the cuts (except the endpoints which are the ramification points); at the ramification points and at the infinity it possesses the asymptotics listed in Lemma 7.

Introduce the regularized Dirichlet integral

$$_{_{\mathrm{dissected}}}|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑S.$$

Namely, set

$$Q_\rho =\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}_{\mathrm{\Delta }_\rho ^k}|_\lambda \varphi _k^{ext}|^2𝑑S,$$
(4.21)
where $`dS`$ is the area element on $`^1`$: $`dS=\frac{|d\lambda d\overline{\lambda }|}{2}`$.

According to Lemma 3 there exists the finite limit

$$\mathrm{reg}_{_{\mathrm{dissected}}}|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑S=\underset{\rho 0}{lim}\left(Q_\rho +(4N+\underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}\frac{(r_m1)^2}{r_m})2\pi \mathrm{ln}\rho \right)$$
(4.22)
Now set

$$𝕊_{Schottky}(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)=\frac{1}{2\pi }\mathrm{reg}_{_{\mathrm{dissected}}}|\varphi _\lambda |^2dS+\frac{i}{4\pi }\underset{k=2}{\overset{g}{}}\{_{C_k}\varphi (\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })\frac{\overline{L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda ))}}{\overline{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda ))}}\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }_0^{}(\lambda )}d\overline{\lambda }$$
(4.23)
$$_{C_k}\varphi (\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })\frac{L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda ))}{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda ))}\mathrm{\Omega }_0^{}(\lambda )d\lambda +_{C_k}\mathrm{ln}|L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda )|^2\frac{\overline{L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda ))}}{\overline{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda ))}}\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }_0^{}(\lambda )}d\overline{\lambda }\}+2\underset{k=2}{\overset{g}{}}\mathrm{ln}|l_k|^2.$$

Here $`L_k`$ are generators of the Schottky group $`\mathrm{\Sigma }`$, the orientation of contours $`C_k`$ is defined by the orientation of countours $`c_k`$ and the relations $`C_k=\pi _\mathrm{\Sigma }(c_k)`$; the value of the function $`\varphi (\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })`$ at the point $`\lambda C_k`$ is defined as the limit $`lim_{\mu \lambda }\varphi (\mu ,\overline{\mu })`$, $`\mu =\pi _\mathrm{\Sigma }(\omega )`$ and $`\omega `$ tends to the contour $`c_k`$ from the interior of the region $`D_0`$; $`l_k`$ is the left-hand lower element in the matrix representation of the transformation $`L_k\mathrm{PSL}(2,)`$. The summations at the right hand side of (4.23) start from $`k=2`$ due to the normalization condition for the group $`\mathrm{\Sigma }`$ (the terms with $`k=1`$ are equal to zero).

Observe that the expression at the right hand side of (4.23) is real and does not depend on small movings of the cuts $`C_k`$ (i. e. on a specific choice of the fundamental region $`D_0`$). In particular, we can assume that the contours $`C_k`$ are $`\{\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M\}`$-independent. (To see this one should make a simple calculation based on (4.11), (4.12) and the Stokes theorem.) Thus all terms in this expression except the last one are rather natural. The role of the last term will become clear later.

The main result of this section is the following theorem.

###### Theorem 7

For any $`m=1,\mathrm{},M`$ the following equality holds

$$\frac{𝕊_{Schottky}(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)}{\lambda _m}=\frac{1}{(r_m2)!r_m}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}R^{\omega ,x_m}|_{x_m=0}.$$
(4.24)
###### Remark 5

This result seems to be very similar to Theorem 1 from . However, we would like to emphasize that in oppose to  we deal here with the Dirichlet integral corresponding to a flat metric. Thus, the following proof does not explicitly use the Teichmüller theory and, therefore, is more elementary than the proof of an analogous result in .

Proof. Set

$$S_\rho =Q_\rho +\frac{i}{2}\underset{k=2}{\overset{g}{}}\{_{C_k}\varphi (\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })\frac{\overline{L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda ))}}{\overline{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda ))}}\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }_0^{}(\lambda )}d\overline{\lambda }_{C_k}\varphi (\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })\frac{L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda ))}{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda ))}\mathrm{\Omega }_0^{}(\lambda )d\lambda +$$
(4.25)
$$+_{C_k}\mathrm{ln}|L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda )|^2\frac{\overline{L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda ))}}{\overline{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda )}}\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }_0^{}(\lambda ))}d\overline{\lambda }\}.$$

We recall that the contours $`C_k`$ are assumed to be $`\{\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M\}`$-independent. From now on we write $`\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda )`$ and $`\varphi `$ instead of $`\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda )`$ and $`\varphi ^{ext}`$. Since $`\varphi _{\lambda \overline{\lambda }}=0`$, we have $`|\varphi _\lambda |^2=(\varphi _\lambda \varphi )_{\overline{\lambda }}`$. The Stokes theorem and the formulas (4.10), (4.11) give

$$Q_\rho =\frac{i}{2}\left[\underset{n=1}{\overset{M}{}}\underset{l=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(l)}\lambda _n|=\rho }\varphi _\lambda \varphi 𝑑\lambda +\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(k)}|=1/\rho }\varphi _\lambda \varphi 𝑑\lambda \right]$$
(4.26)
$$\frac{i}{2}\underset{k=2}{\overset{g}{}}_{C_k}\left\{\varphi _\lambda \varphi \left[\varphi _\lambda +\frac{L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}\mathrm{\Omega }^{}(\lambda )\right]\left[\varphi +\mathrm{ln}|L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))|^2\right]\right\}𝑑\lambda .$$

Here $`\lambda ^{(k)}`$ denotes the point on the $`k`$-th sheet of the covering $``$ whose projection to $`^1`$ is $`\lambda `$.

Denote the first term in (4.26) by $`\frac{i}{2}\left[T_\rho \right]`$. Substituting (4.26) into (4.25) and using the equalities $`_{C_k}d[\varphi (\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })\mathrm{ln}|L^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))|^2]=0`$ and $`_{C_k}d[\mathrm{ln}^2|L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))|^2]=0`$, we get

$$S_\rho =\frac{i}{2}\left[T_\rho \right]\frac{i}{2}\underset{k=2}{\overset{g}{}}_{C_k}\varphi _{\overline{\lambda }}(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })\mathrm{ln}|L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))|^2d\overline{\lambda }\frac{i}{2}\underset{k=2}{\overset{g}{}}_{C_k}\varphi (\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })\frac{L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}\mathrm{\Omega }^{}(\lambda )𝑑\lambda .$$
(4.27)
###### Lemma 11

For the first term in (4.27) we have the asymptotics

$$\frac{i}{2}\frac{}{\lambda _m}\left[T_\rho \right]=\frac{2\pi }{(r_m2)!r_m}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}R^{\omega ,x_m}|_{x_m=0}+$$
(4.28)
$$+\frac{i}{2}\underset{k=1}{\overset{g}{}}_{C_kC_k^{}}\left\{F_m(2\varphi _{\lambda \lambda }\varphi _\lambda ^2)+[F_m]_\lambda \varphi _\lambda \right\}𝑑\lambda +o(1),$$

as $`\rho 0`$. Here $`C_k^{}`$ is the contour $`C_k`$ provided by the reverse orientation, the value of the integrand at a point $`\lambda C_k^{}`$ is understood as the limit as $`\mu \lambda `$, where $`\mu =\pi _\mathrm{\Sigma }(\omega )`$, $`\omega `$ tends to $`c_k^{}`$ from the interior of the region $`D_0`$; the function $`F_m`$ is from Lemma 9.

Proof. Using Lemma 9, we get

$$\frac{}{\lambda _m}\underset{n=1}{\overset{M}{}}\underset{l=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(l)}\lambda _n|=\rho }\varphi _\lambda \varphi 𝑑\lambda =\underset{l=1}{\overset{r_m}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(l)}\lambda _m|=\rho }(\varphi _\lambda ^2+\varphi \varphi _{\lambda \lambda })𝑑\lambda $$
(4.29)
$$\underset{n=1}{\overset{M}{}}\underset{l=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(l)}\lambda _n|=\rho }(F_m\varphi _\lambda +[F_m]_\lambda )\varphi _\lambda +\varphi ([F_m]_\lambda \varphi _\lambda +F_m\varphi _{\lambda \lambda }+[F_m]_{\lambda \lambda })d\lambda =$$

$$=\underset{l=1}{\overset{r_m}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(l)}\lambda _m|=\rho }|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }+\underset{n=1}{\overset{M}{}}\underset{l=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(l)}\lambda _n|=\rho }F_m|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }+\varphi _{\overline{\lambda }}[F_m]_\lambda d\overline{\lambda }.$$

For the integrals around the infinities we have the equality

$$\frac{}{\lambda _m}\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(k)}|=1/\rho }\varphi _\lambda \varphi 𝑑\lambda =\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(k)}|=1/\rho }F_m|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }+\varphi _{\overline{\lambda }}[F_m]_\lambda d\overline{\lambda }.$$
(4.30)
Applying the Cauchy theorem to the (holomorphic) function $`[F_m]_\lambda \varphi _\lambda `$, we get

$$\underset{k=1}{\overset{g}{}}_{C_kC_k^{}}[F_m]_\lambda \varphi _\lambda 𝑑\lambda =\left(\underset{n=1}{\overset{M}{}}\underset{l=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(l)}\lambda _n|=\rho }+\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(k)}|=1/\rho }\right)[F_m]_\lambda \varphi _\lambda d\lambda .$$
(4.31)
By (4.29), (4.30) and (4.31)

$$\frac{i}{2}\frac{}{\lambda _m}\left[T_\rho \right]=\frac{i}{2}\underset{l=1}{\overset{r_m}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(l)}\lambda _m|=\rho }|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }$$
(4.32)
$$\frac{i}{2}\left\{\left(\underset{n=1}{\overset{M}{}}\underset{l=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(l)}\lambda _n|=\rho }+\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(k)}|=1/\rho }\right)\left(F_m|\varphi _\lambda |^2d\overline{\lambda }[F_m]_\lambda \varphi _\lambda d\lambda +[F_m]_\lambda \varphi _{\overline{\lambda }}d\overline{\lambda }\right)\right\}+$$

$$+\frac{i}{2}\underset{k=1}{\overset{g}{}}_{C_kC_k^{}}[F_m]_\lambda \varphi _\lambda 𝑑\lambda .$$

Denote the expression in the large braces by $`\mathrm{\Sigma }_2`$. We claim that

$$\frac{i}{2}\mathrm{\Sigma }_2=\frac{i}{2}\left(\underset{l=1}{\overset{r_m}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(l)}\lambda _m|=\rho }|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }2\pi i\underset{n=1}{\overset{M}{}}\frac{1}{(r_n1)!}\left(1\frac{1}{r_n^2}\right)\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n)}(0)\right)+o(1),$$
(4.33)
where the function $`\mathrm{\Phi }_n`$ is from Corollary 4.

To prove this we set

$$I_1^n(\rho )=\underset{p=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(p)}\lambda _n|=\rho }F_m|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda };I_2^n(\rho )=\underset{p=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(p)}\lambda _n|=\rho }[F_m]_\lambda \varphi _\lambda 𝑑\lambda ;$$

$$I_3^n(\rho )=\underset{p=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(p)}\lambda _n|=\rho }[F_m]_\lambda \varphi _{\overline{\lambda }}𝑑\overline{\lambda }.$$

By Corollary 4 we have

$$I_1^n(\rho )=\delta _{nm}\underset{p=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(p)}\lambda _n|=\rho }|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }$$

$$+_{|x_n|=\rho ^{1/r_n}}[\frac{1}{(r_n1)!}\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n1)}(0)x_n^{r_n1}+\frac{1}{r_n!}\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n)}(0)x_n^{r_n}+O(|x_n|^{r_n+1}]$$

$$\times \left(\frac{|\varphi _{x_n}^{int}|^2}{r_nx_n^{r_n1}\overline{x}_n^{r_n1}}+\frac{1r_n}{r_n^2}\frac{\varphi _{x_n}^{int}}{\overline{x}_n^{r_n}x_n^{r_n1}}+\frac{1r_n}{r_n^2}\frac{\varphi _{\overline{x}_n}^{int}}{\overline{x}_n^{r_n1}x_n^{r_n}}+\left(\frac{1}{r_n}1\right)^2\frac{1}{x_n^{r_n}\overline{x}_n^{r_n}}\right)r_n\overline{x}_n^{r_n1}d\overline{x}_n$$

$$=\delta _{nm}\underset{p=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(p)}\lambda _n|=\rho }|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }+2\pi i\frac{(1/r_n1)^2}{(r_n1)!}\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n)}(0)+2\pi i\frac{1r_n}{r_n(r_n1)!}\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n1)}(0)\varphi _{x_n}^{int}(0)+o(1)$$

as $`\rho 0`$.

We get also

$$I_2^n(\rho )=2\pi i\left(\frac{1}{r_n}1\right)\frac{1}{(r_n1)!}\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n)}(0)2\pi i\frac{1}{r_n(r_n2)!}\varphi _{x_n}^{int}(0)\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n1)}(0)+o(1)$$

and

$$I_3^n(\rho )=2\pi i\frac{(1/r_n1)}{(r_n1)!}\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n)}(0)+o(1).$$

We note that

$$I_1^nI_2^n+I_3^n=\delta _{nm}\underset{p=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(p)}\lambda _n|=\rho }|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }+\frac{2\pi i}{(r_n1)!}\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n)}(0)[(1/r_n1)^2+2(1/r_n1)]+o(1)$$

$$=\delta _{nm}\underset{p=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(p)}\lambda _n|=\rho }|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }\frac{2\pi i}{(r_n1)!}\left(1\frac{1}{r_n^2}\right)\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n)}(0)+o(1).$$

It is easy to verify that

$$\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}\left(_{|\lambda ^{(k)}|=1/\rho }F_m|\varphi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }_{|\lambda ^{(k)}|=1/\rho }[F_m]_\lambda \varphi _\lambda 𝑑\lambda +_{|\lambda ^{(k)}|=1/\rho }[F_m]_\lambda \varphi _{\overline{\lambda }}𝑑\overline{\lambda }\right)=o(1),$$

so we get (4.33).

The function $`F_m(2\varphi _{\lambda \lambda }\varphi _\lambda ^2)`$ is holomorphic outside of the ramification points, the infinities and the cuts. Applying to it the Cauchy theorem and making use of Lemma 8 and the asymptotics from Lemma 10, we get the equality

$$2\pi i\underset{n=1}{\overset{M}{}}\frac{1}{(r_n1)!}\left(1\frac{1}{r_n^2}\right)\mathrm{\Phi }_n^{(r_n)}(0)=$$
(4.34)
$$=\frac{4\pi i}{(r_m2)!r_m}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}R^{\omega ,x_m}(x_m)|_{x_m=0}+\underset{k=1}{\overset{g}{}}_{C_kC_k^{}}\left\{F_m(2\varphi _{\lambda \lambda }\varphi _\lambda ^2)\right\}𝑑\lambda .$$

Summarizing (4.32), (4.33) and (4.34), we get (4.28).

$`\mathrm{}`$

Now we shall differentiate with respect to $`\lambda _m`$ the remaining terms in (4.27). Denote by $`L_{k;m}`$, $`\mathrm{\Omega }_{;m}`$ the derivatives $`\frac{}{\lambda _m}L_k`$, $`\frac{}{\lambda _m}\mathrm{\Omega }`$. Since $`\varphi _\lambda `$ is holomorphic with respect to $`\lambda _m`$, we have $`[\varphi _{\overline{\lambda }}]_{\lambda _m}=0`$. Thus,

$$\frac{}{\lambda _m}\left[\frac{i}{2}\underset{k=2}{\overset{g}{}}_{C_k}\varphi _{\overline{\lambda }}(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })\mathrm{ln}|L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))|^2d\overline{\lambda }\frac{i}{2}\underset{k=2}{\overset{g}{}}_{C_k}\varphi (\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })\frac{L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}\mathrm{\Omega }^{}(\lambda )𝑑\lambda \right]=$$
(4.35)
$$=\frac{i}{2}\underset{k=2}{\overset{g}{}}_{C_k}\varphi _\lambda \frac{L_{k;m}^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))+L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))\mathrm{\Omega }_{;m}(\lambda )}{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}𝑑\lambda +\frac{i}{2}\underset{k=2}{\overset{g}{}}(F_m\varphi _\lambda +[F_m]_\lambda )\frac{L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}\mathrm{\Omega }^{}(\lambda )d\lambda .$$

(We have used the equality

$$\varphi _{\overline{\lambda }}\frac{}{\lambda _m}\mathrm{ln}|L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))|^2d\overline{\lambda }+\varphi \frac{^2}{\lambda \lambda _m}\mathrm{ln}|L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))|^2d\lambda =$$

$$=d\left(\varphi \frac{}{\lambda _m}\mathrm{ln}|L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))|^2\right)\varphi _\lambda \frac{}{\lambda _m}\mathrm{ln}|L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))|^2d\lambda $$

and Lemma 9.)

To finish the proof we have to rewrite the last term at the right hand side of (4.28) as follows

$$\frac{i}{2}_{C_kC_k^{}}\left\{F_m(2\varphi _{\lambda \lambda }\varphi _\lambda ^2)+[F_m]_\lambda \varphi _\lambda \right\}𝑑\lambda =\frac{i}{2}_{C_kC_k^{}}\varphi _\lambda \varphi _{\lambda _m}𝑑\lambda =$$
(4.36)
$$=\frac{i}{2}_{C_k}\varphi _\lambda \varphi _{\lambda _m}\left(\varphi _\lambda +\frac{L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}\mathrm{\Omega }^{}(\lambda )\right)\left(\varphi _{\lambda _m}+\frac{L_{k;m}^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))+L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))\mathrm{\Omega }_{;m}(\lambda )}{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}\right)d\lambda =$$

$$=\frac{i}{2}_{C_k}[\varphi _\lambda \frac{L_{k;m}^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))+L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))\mathrm{\Omega }_{;m}(\lambda )}{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}+\varphi _{\lambda _m}\frac{L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}\mathrm{\Omega }^{}(\lambda )+$$

$$+\frac{L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}\mathrm{\Omega }^{}(\lambda )\frac{L_{k;m}^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))+L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))\mathrm{\Omega }_{;m}(\lambda )}{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}]d\lambda .$$

Collecting (4.27), (4.28), (4.35) and (4.36) and using the equality

$$\varphi _{\lambda _m}=\frac{\mathrm{\Omega }_{;m}^{}(\lambda )}{\mathrm{\Omega }^{}(\lambda )},$$

we get

$$\frac{S_\rho }{\lambda _m}+o(1)=\frac{2\pi }{(r_m2)!r_m}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}R^{\omega ,x_m}|_{x_m=0}\frac{i}{2}\underset{k=2}{\overset{g}{}}_{C_k}\frac{L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))L_{k;m}^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}{\left[L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))\right]^2}\mathrm{\Omega }^{}(\lambda )𝑑\lambda $$
(4.37)
$$\frac{i}{2}\underset{k=2}{\overset{g}{}}_{C_k}\left[\frac{L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}\right]^2\mathrm{\Omega }^{}(\lambda )\mathrm{\Omega }_{;m}(\lambda )𝑑\lambda i\underset{k=2}{\overset{g}{}}_{C_k}\frac{L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}\mathrm{\Omega }_{;m}^{}(\lambda )𝑑\lambda .$$

Since $`\{L_k(\omega ),\omega \}0`$, the last two terms in (4.37) cancel (one should beforehand integrate the last term by parts). For the second term we have the equality ():

$$\frac{i}{2}_{C_k}\frac{L_k^{\prime \prime }(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))L_{k;m}^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))}{\left[L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }(\lambda ))\right]^2}\mathrm{\Omega }^{}(\lambda )𝑑\lambda =4\pi \frac{l_{k;m}}{l_k}.$$

To prove Theorem 7 it is sufficient to observe that the term $`o(1)`$ in (4.37) is uniform with respect to parameters $`(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)`$ belonging to a compact neighborhood of the initial point $`(\lambda _1^0,\mathrm{},\lambda _M^0)`$.

$`\mathrm{}`$

### 4.2 The Liouville action and the Fuchsian uniformization

#### 4.2.1 The metric of constant curvature $`1`$ on $``$ and its dependence upon the branch points

The covering $``$ is biholomorphically equivalent to the quotient space $`/\mathrm{\Gamma }`$, where $`=\{z:\mathrm{}z>0\}`$, $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$ is a strictly hyperbolic Fuchsian group. Denote by $`\pi _\mathrm{\Gamma }:`$ the natural projection. Let $`x`$ be a local parameter on $``$, introduce the metric $`e^{\chi (x,\overline{x})}|dx|^2`$ of the constant curvature $`1`$ on $``$ by the equality

$$e^{\chi (x,\overline{x})}|dx|^2=\frac{|dz|^2}{|\mathrm{}z|^2},$$
(4.38)
where $`z`$, $`\pi _\mathrm{\Gamma }(z)=x`$. As usually we specify the functions $`\chi ^{ext}(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })`$, $`\chi ^{int}(x_m,\overline{x}_m)`$, $`m=1,\mathrm{},M`$ and $`\chi ^{\mathrm{}}(\zeta _k,\overline{\zeta }_k)`$, $`k=1,\mathrm{},N`$ setting $`x=\lambda `$, $`x=x_m`$ and $`x=\zeta _k`$ in (4.38).

Set $`R^{z,x}=\{z,x\}`$, where $`z`$, $`\pi _\mathrm{\Gamma }(z)=x`$. Clearly, Lemmas 7 and 8 still stand with $`\chi ^{ext}`$, $`R^{z,x}`$ instead of $`\varphi ^{ext}`$ and $`R^{\omega ,x}`$, whereas Lemma 9 should be reconsidered, since the Fuchsian uniformization map depends upon the branch points nonholomorphically.

Introduce the metric $`e^{\psi (\omega ,\overline{\omega })}|d\omega |^2`$ of constant curvature $`1`$ on $`D_0`$ (see the previous section) by the equation

$$e^{\psi (\omega ,\overline{\omega })}|d\omega |^2=\frac{|dz|^2}{|\mathrm{}z|^2},$$

where $`\pi _\mathrm{\Sigma }(\omega )=\pi _\mathrm{\Gamma }(z)`$. Then there is the following relation between the derivatives of the function $`\psi `$:

$$\psi _{\lambda _m}(\omega ,\overline{\omega })+\psi _\omega (\omega ,\overline{\omega })𝔽_m(\omega ,\overline{\omega })+[𝔽_m]_\omega (\omega ,\overline{\omega })=0,$$
(4.39)
where $`𝔽`$ is a continuously differentiable function on $`D_0`$; (the proof of (4.39) is parallel to the one in ()).

We shall now prove the analog of (4.39) and Lemma 9 for the function $`\chi =\chi ^{ext}`$.

###### Lemma 12

There is the following relation between the derivatives of the function $`\chi `$:

$$\frac{\chi (\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })}{\lambda _m}+_m(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })\frac{\chi (\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })}{\lambda }+\frac{_m(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })}{\lambda }=0,$$
(4.40)
where

$$_m(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })=𝔽_m(\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda ),\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda )})\frac{1}{\mathrm{\Omega }_0^{}(\lambda )}+F_m(\lambda ).$$
(4.41)
Here $`F_m=\frac{[\mathrm{\Omega }_0]_{\lambda _m}}{[\mathrm{\Omega }_0]_\lambda }`$ is the function from Lemma 9, $`𝔽_m`$ is the function from (4.39).

Proof. Since

$$e^{\chi (\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })}|d\lambda |^2=e^{\psi (\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda ),\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda )})}|\mathrm{\Omega }_0^{}(\lambda )|^2|d\lambda |^2,$$

we have the equality

$$\chi (\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })=\psi (\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda ),\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }_0(\lambda )})+\varphi (\lambda ,\overline{\lambda }),$$
(4.42)
where $`\varphi (\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })=\mathrm{ln}|\mathrm{\Omega }_0^{}(\lambda )|^2`$ is the function from (4.7). Differentiating (4.42) with respect to $`\lambda _m`$ via formulas (4.39) and (4.16), after some easy calculations we get (4.40).

$`\mathrm{}`$

###### Remark 6

Observe that the function $`_m`$ does not have jumps at the cycles $`C_k`$, whereas the both terms at the right hand side of (4.41) do. This immediately follows from the formulas

$$F_m^{}(\lambda )=F_m^+(\lambda )\frac{L_{k;m}(\mathrm{\Omega }_0^+(\lambda ))}{L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }_0^+(\lambda ))[\mathrm{\Omega }_0^+]_\lambda (\lambda )},$$

$$[\mathrm{\Omega }_0^{}]_\lambda (\lambda )=L_k^{}(\mathrm{\Omega }_0^+(\lambda ))[\mathrm{\Omega }_0^+]_\lambda (\lambda )$$

and the formula from :

$$𝔽_mL_k=𝔽_mL_k^{}+L_{k;m}.$$

Here the indices $`+`$ and $``$ denote the limit values of the corresponding functions at the ”$`c_k`$” and the ”$`c_k^{}`$” sides of the cycle $`C_k`$.

###### Lemma 13

Fix a number $`m=1,\mathrm{},M`$. Then for any $`n=1,\mathrm{},M`$ the following asymptotics holds

$$_m(\lambda _n+x_n^{r_n},\overline{\lambda }_n+\overline{x}_n^{r_n})=\delta _{mn}+a_nx_n^{r_n1}+b_n\overline{x}_nx_n^{r_n1}+c_nx_n^{r_n}+O(|x_n|^{r_n+1})$$
(4.43)
as $`x_m0`$; here $`a_n,b_n,c_n`$ are some complex constants.

At the infinity of the $`k`$-th sheet of the covering $``$ there is the asymptotics

$$_m(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })=A_k\lambda ^2+B_k\lambda +C_k\lambda ^2\overline{\lambda }^1+O(1)$$
(4.44)
as $`\lambda \mathrm{}^{(k)}`$; here $`\mathrm{}^{(k)}`$ is the point at infinity of the $`k`$-th sheet of the covering $``$; $`A_k,B_k,C_k`$ are some complex constants.

Proof. This follows from Corollary 4, asymptotics (4.20) and formula (4.41).

$`\mathrm{}`$

#### 4.2.2 The regularized Liouville action

Here we define the regularized integral

$$\mathrm{reg}_{}(|\chi _\lambda |^2+e^\chi )𝑑S$$

and calculate its derivatives with respect to the branch points $`\lambda _m`$.

Set $`\mathrm{\Lambda }_\rho ^k=\{\lambda ^{(k)}:m|\lambda \lambda _m|>\rho \&|\lambda |<1/\rho \}`$, where $`P_m`$ are all the ramification points which belong to the $`k`$-th sheet $`^{(k)}`$ of the covering $``$. To the sheet $`^{(k)}`$ there corresponds the function $`\chi _k^{ext}:^{(k)}`$ which is smooth in any domain $`\mathrm{\Lambda }_\rho ^k`$, $`\rho >0`$.

The function $`\chi _k^{ext}`$ has finite limits at the cuts (except the endpoints which are the ramification points); at the ramification points and at the infinity it possesses the same asymptotics as the function $`\varphi _k^{ext}`$ from the previous section.

Observe also that the function $`e^{\chi _k^{ext}}`$ is integrable on $`^{(k)}`$. Set

$$T_\rho =\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}_{\mathrm{\Lambda }_\rho ^k}|_\lambda \chi _k^{ext}|^2𝑑S.$$
(4.45)
Then there exists the finite limit

$$\mathrm{reg}_{}(|\chi _\lambda |^2+e^\chi )𝑑S=\underset{\rho 0}{lim}\left(T_\rho +\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}_{^{(k)}}e^{\chi _k^{ext}}𝑑S+(4N+\underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}\frac{(r_m1)^2}{r_m})2\pi \mathrm{ln}\rho \right).$$
(4.46)
Set

$$𝕊_{Fuchs}(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)=\frac{1}{2\pi }\mathrm{reg}_{}(|\chi _\lambda |^2+e^\chi )𝑑S+2\underset{n=1}{\overset{M}{}}(r_n1)\chi ^{int}(x_n)|_{x_n=0}2\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}\chi ^{\mathrm{}}(\zeta _k)|_{\zeta _k=0}.$$
(4.47)
Now we state the main result of this section.

###### Theorem 8

For any $`m=1,\mathrm{},M`$ the following equality holds

$$\frac{𝕊_{Fuchs}(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)}{\lambda _m}=\frac{1}{(r_m2)!r_m}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}R^{z,x_m}|_{x_m=0}.$$
(4.48)
Proof. Set $`\mathrm{\Lambda }_\rho =_{k=1}^N\mathrm{\Lambda }_\rho ^k`$. Then

$$\frac{}{\lambda _m}T_\rho =\frac{i}{2}\underset{k=1}{\overset{r_m}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(k)}\lambda _m|=\rho }|_\lambda \chi |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }+_{\mathrm{\Lambda }_\rho }\frac{}{\lambda _m}|_\lambda \chi |^2𝑑S.$$
(4.49)
By (4.40) the last term in (4.49) can be rewritten as

$$_{\mathrm{\Lambda }_\rho }\frac{}{\lambda _m}|_\lambda \chi |^2𝑑S=$$
(4.50)
$$_{\mathrm{\Lambda }_\rho }\left(((2\chi _{\lambda \lambda }\chi _\lambda ^2)[_m])_{\overline{\lambda }}2(\chi _\lambda [_m]_{\overline{\lambda }})_\lambda +(\chi _\lambda [_m]_\lambda )_{\overline{\lambda }}(\chi _{\overline{\lambda }}[_m]_\lambda )_\lambda (|\chi _\lambda |^2[_m])_\lambda \right)𝑑S=$$

$$=\frac{i}{2}_{\mathrm{\Lambda }_\rho }(2\chi _{\lambda \lambda }\chi _\lambda ^2)_m𝑑\lambda +2\chi _\lambda [_m]_{\overline{\lambda }}d\overline{\lambda }+\chi _\lambda [_m]_\lambda d\lambda +\chi _{\overline{\lambda }}[_m]_\lambda d\overline{\lambda }+|\chi _\lambda |^2_md\overline{\lambda }=$$

$$\frac{i}{2}\underset{n=1}{\overset{M}{}}\left[I_1^n+2I_2^n+I_3^n+I_4^n+I_5^n\right]\frac{i}{2}\underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}\left[J_1^{\mathrm{},k}+J_2^{\mathrm{},k}+J_3^{\mathrm{},k}+J_4^{\mathrm{},k}+J_5^{\mathrm{},k}\right],$$

where

$$I_1^n=\underset{l=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(l)}\lambda _n|=\rho }(2\chi _{\lambda \lambda }\chi _\lambda ^2)_m𝑑\lambda ,$$

$$J_1^{\mathrm{},k}=_{|\lambda ^{(k)}|=1/\rho }(2\chi _{\lambda \lambda }\chi _\lambda ^2)_m𝑑\lambda $$

and the terms $`I_p^n`$ and $`J_p^{\mathrm{},k}`$, $`p=2,3,4,5`$ are the similar sums of integrals and integrals with integrands $`\chi _\lambda [_m]_{\overline{\lambda }}d\overline{\lambda }`$, $`\chi _\lambda [_m]_\lambda d\lambda `$, $`\chi _{\overline{\lambda }}[_m]_\lambda d\overline{\lambda }`$ and $`|\chi _\lambda |^2_md\overline{\lambda }`$ respectively. It should be noted that the circles $`|\lambda \lambda _n|=\rho `$ are clockwise oriented whereas the circles $`|\lambda |=1/\rho `$ are counter-clockwise oriented. Using (4.43), we get

$$I_1^n=_{|x_n|=\rho ^{1/r_n}}[\frac{2R^{z,x_n}(x_n)}{r_nx_n^{2r_n2}}+(1\frac{1}{r_n^2})\frac{1}{x_n^{2r_n}}](\delta _{mn}+a_nx_n^{r_n1}+b_n\overline{x}_nx_n^{r_n1}+$$
(4.51)
$$+c_nx_n^{r_n}+O(|x_n|^{r_n+1}))r_nx_n^{r_n1}dx_n=\delta _{nm}\frac{4\pi i}{(r_n2)!r_n}(\frac{d}{dx_n})^{r_n2}R^{z,x_m}(0)$$

$$2\pi ir_n\left(1\frac{1}{r_n^2}\right)c_n+o(1).$$

In the same manner we get

$$I_2^n=o(1),I_3^n=2\pi i\left(\frac{r_n1}{r_n}a_n\chi _{x_n}^{int}(0)+r_n\left(\frac{1}{r_n}1\right)c_n\right)+o(1),$$
(4.52)
and

$$I_4^n=2\pi i\left(\frac{1}{r_n}1\right)r_nc_n+o(1),I_5^n=\delta _{mn}\underset{l=1}{\overset{r_n}{}}_{|\lambda ^{(l)}\lambda |=\rho }|\chi _\lambda |^2𝑑\overline{\lambda }+$$
(4.53)
$$+2\pi i\chi _{x_n}^{int}(0)\frac{1r_n}{r_n}a_n+2\pi i\left(\frac{1}{r_n}1\right)^2r_nc_n+o(1).$$

Using (4.44), we get also

$$J_1^{\mathrm{},k}=o(1),J_2^{\mathrm{},k}=o(1),J_3^{\mathrm{},k}=4\pi i(A_k\chi _{\zeta _k}^{\mathrm{}}(0)+B_k)+o(1),$$
(4.54)
and

$$J_4^{\mathrm{},k}=4\pi iB_k+o(1),J_5^{\mathrm{},k}=4\pi i(A_k\chi _{\zeta _k}^{\mathrm{}}(0)+2B_k)+o(1).$$
(4.55)
Summarizing (4.49-4.55), we have

$$\frac{}{\lambda _m}T_\rho =\frac{2\pi }{(r_m2)!r_m}\left(\frac{d}{dx_m}\right)^{r_m2}R^{z,x_m}(0)+2\pi \underset{n=1}{\overset{M}{}}\frac{1r_n}{r_n}\left(a_n\chi _{x_n}^{int}(0)+c_n\right)$$
(4.56)
$$4\pi \underset{k=1}{\overset{N}{}}\left(A_k\chi _{\zeta _k}^{\mathrm{}}(0)+B_k\right)+o(1).$$

To finish the proof we need the following lemma.

###### Lemma 14

The equalities hold

$$\frac{}{\lambda _m}\chi ^{int}(x_n)|_{x_n=0}=\frac{1}{r_n}(a_n\chi _{x_n}^{int}(0)+c_n)$$
(4.57)
and

$$\frac{}{\lambda _m}\chi ^{\mathrm{}}(\zeta _k)|_{\zeta _k=0}=A_k\chi _{\zeta _k}^{\mathrm{}}(0)+B_k.$$
(4.58)
Proof. We shall prove (4.57); (4.58) can be proved analogously. Since

$$e^{\chi ^{int}(x_n,\overline{x}_n)}|dx_n|^2=e^{\chi ^{ext}(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })}|d\lambda |^2,$$

we get

$$\chi ^{int}(x_n,\overline{x}_n)=\chi ^{ext}(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })\left(\frac{1}{r_n}1\right)\frac{1}{r_n^2}\mathrm{ln}|\lambda \lambda _n|^2$$
(4.59)
and

$$\chi _{\lambda _m}^{ext}(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })=\chi _{\lambda _m}^{int}(x_n,\overline{x}_n)+\mathrm{const}\delta _{mn}\frac{1}{x_n^{r_n}}.$$
(4.60)
By (4.43) and (4.40) we have

$$\chi _{\lambda _m}^{ext}(\lambda ,\overline{\lambda })=$$
(4.61)
$$=\left(\delta _{mn}+a_nx_n^{r_n1}+b_n\overline{x}_nx_n^{r_n1}+c_nx_n^{r_n}+O(|x_n|^{r_n+1})\right)\left[\frac{1}{r_nx_n^{r_n1}}\chi _{x_n}^{int}(x_n,\overline{x}_n)+\left(\frac{1}{r_n}1\right)\frac{1}{x_n^{r_n}}\right]$$

$$\frac{r_n1}{r_n}a_n\frac{1}{x_n}\frac{r_n1}{r_n}b_n\frac{\overline{x}_n}{x_n}c_n+O(|x_n|).$$

Now substituting (4.61) in (4.60) and comparing the coefficients near the zero power of $`x_n`$, we get (4.57).

$`\mathrm{}`$

Observe that

$$\frac{}{\lambda _m}_{}e^\chi 𝑑S=0$$

due to the Gauss-Bonnet theorem and the term $`o(1)`$ in (4.56) is uniform with respect to $`(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _M)`$ belonging to a compact neighborhood of the initial point $`(\lambda _1^0,\mathrm{},\lambda _M^0)`$. This together with (4.56) and Lemma 14 proves Theorem 8.

$`\mathrm{}`$

###### Remark 7

Consider the functional defined by the right hand side of (4.47). If we introduce variations $`\delta \chi `$ which are smooth functions on $``$ vanishing in neighborhoods of the branch points and the infinities then the Euler-Lagrange equation for an extremal of this functional coinsides with the Liouville equation

$$\chi _{\lambda \overline{\lambda }}=\frac{1}{2}e^\chi .$$

The last equation is equivalent to the condition that the metric $`e^\chi |d\lambda |^2`$ has constant curvature $`1`$.

### 4.3 The modulus square of Bergmann and Wirtinger tau-functions in higher genus

Now we are in a position to calculate the modulus square of Bergmann (and, therefore, Wirtinger) tau-function. Actually, we shall give two equivalent answers: one is given in terms of the Fuchsian uniformization of the surface $``$ and the determinant of the Laplacian, another one uses the Schottky uniformization and the holomorphic determinant of the Cauchy-Riemann operator in the trivial line bundle over $``$.

Indeed, formula (4.2) and Theorem 8 imply the following statement.

###### Theorem 9

Let the regularized Liouville action $`𝕊_{Fuchs}`$ be given by formula (4.47). Then we have the following expression for the modulus square $`|\tau _B|^2`$ of the Bergmann tau-function of the covering $``$:

$$|\tau _B|^2=e^{𝕊_{Fuchs}/6}\frac{\mathrm{det}\mathrm{\Delta }}{\mathrm{det}\mathrm{}𝔹}.$$
(4.62)
For the modulus square $`|\tau _W|^2`$ of the Wirtinger tau-function we have the expression:

$$|\tau _W|^2=e^{𝕊_{Fuchs}/6}\frac{\mathrm{det}\mathrm{\Delta }}{\mathrm{det}\mathrm{}𝔹}\underset{\beta \mathrm{even}}{}|\mathrm{\Theta }[\beta ](0|𝔹)|^{\frac{2}{4^{g1}+2^{g2}}}.$$
(4.63)
On the other hand, using formula (4.4) and Theorem 7, we get the following alternative answer.

###### Theorem 10

Let the regularized Dirichlet integral $`𝕊_{Schottky}`$ be given by formula (4.23). Then the modulus square of the Bergmann and Wirtinger tau-functions of the covering $``$ can be expressed as follows:

$$|\tau _B|^2=e^{𝕊_{Schottky}/6}|\mathrm{det}\overline{}|^2,$$
(4.64)
$$|\tau _W|^2=e^{𝕊_{Schottky}/6}|\mathrm{det}\overline{}|^2\underset{\beta \mathrm{even}}{}|\mathrm{\Theta }[\beta ](0|𝔹)|^{\frac{2}{4^{g1}+2^{g2}}}.$$
(4.65)
###### Remark 8

Comparing (4.64), (4.62) and formula (3.3) for $`|\text{d}et\overline{}|^2`$ from (), we get the equality

$$𝕊_{Schottky}𝕊_{Fuchs}=\frac{1}{2\pi }S,$$

where $`S`$ is the Liouville action from . Whether it is possible to prove this relation directly is an open question.

###### Remark 9

Looking at the formulas for the tau-functions in genera $`0`$ and $`1`$ (and for genus 2 two-fold coverings), one may believe that the expressions for the tau-functions in higher genus can be also given in pure holomorphic terms, without any use of the Dirichlet integrals and, especially, the Fuchsian uniformization. At the least, the Dirichlet integral should be eliminated from the proofs in genus $`0`$ and $`1`$.

###### Remark 10

The Hurwitz space $`H_{g,N}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$ covers the Stein manifold $`^{(M)}\mathrm{\Delta }`$ and, therefore, also is a Stein manifold. Here $`M=2g+2N2`$, $`^{(M)}`$ is the $`M`$-th symmetric power of $``$, $`\mathrm{\Delta }=_{i,j}\{\lambda _i=\lambda _j\}`$; the number of sheets of the covering

$$H_{g,N}(1,\mathrm{},1)^{(M)}\mathrm{\Delta }$$

(or, equivalently, the degree of the Lyashko-Looijenga map) is finite and equals (up to the factor $`N!`$) to the Hurwitz number $`h_{g,N}`$. Due to Remark 3, in case $`g=0,1`$ the $`12`$-th power $`\tau _W^{12}`$ of the Wirtinger tau-function gives a global holomorphic function on $`H_{g,N}(1,\mathrm{},1)`$. It is interesting whether the $`\tau _W^{12}`$ has critical points. It should be noted that for two-fold genus 2 coverings the answer to the analogous question is negative. For such coverings the $`20`$-th power of $`\tau _W`$ is just the Vandermonde determinant $`V(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _6)`$. Applying to $`V(\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _6)`$ the Euler theorem for homogeneous functions, we see that the first derivatives of $`\tau _W^{20}`$ never vanish simultaneously on $`H_{2,2}(1,1)=^{(6)}\mathrm{\Delta }`$.

It could also be very interesting to connect the Wirtinger tau-function with the Hurwitz numbers $`h_{g,N}`$ and elucidate the relationship of our tau-functions with $`G`$-function of Frobenius manifolds .