Integrability of $\mathcal W({\mathfrak{sl}_d})$-symmetric Toda conformal field theories I : Quantum geometry (1801.03433v4)

Abstract: In this article which is the first of a series of three, we consider $\mathcal W({\mathfrak{sl}_d})$-symmetric conformal field theory in topological regimes for a generic value of the background charge, where $\mathcal W({\mathfrak{sl}_d})$ is the W-algebra associated to the affine Lie algebra $\widehat{\mathfrak{sl}_d}$, whose vertex operator algebra is included to that of the affine Lie algebra $\widehat{\mathfrak g}_1$ at level 1. In such regimes, the theory admits a free field representation. We show that the generalized Ward identities assumed to be satisfied by chiral conformal blocks with current insertions can be solved perturbatively in topological regimes. This resolution uses a generalization of the topological recursion to non-commutative, or quantum, spectral curves. In turn, special geometry arguments yields a conjecture for the perturbative reconstruction of a particular chiral block.