Topological recursion for spin enumeration of hypermaps

Abstract

We establish topological recursion for the spin enumeration of hypermaps, or, in the dual language, spin dessins d'enfants. This problem has remarkable features distinguishing it from other applications of topological recursion to enumerative combinatorics. First, the spectral curve is elliptic rather than rational, as in most cases studied before. Second, it contains degenerate ramification points, and one has to apply a version of degenerate topological recursion. Finally, the meromorphic correlator differentials have "moving" poles on the antidiagonals between pairs of distinct arguments, and one has to adjust the loop equations to this kind of degeneracy as well. The computations involve concepts of different kinds, such as BKP integrability, Gaussian integrals, the x-y swap, and symplectic duality.