Weight filtration of Hurwitz spaces and quantum shuffle algebras

Abstract: We prove an equivalence between filtrations of primitive bialgebras and filtrations of factorizable perverse sheaves, generalizing the results obtained by Kapranov-Schechtman. Under this equivalence, we find that the word length filtration of quantum shuffle algebras as defined in Ellenberg-Tran-Westerland corresponds to the codimension filtration of factorizable perverse sheaves. Furthermore, we find that the geometric weight filtration of factorizable perverse sheaves corresponds to a filtration on quantum shuffle algebras which has not been previously defined in the literature, and we call this the algebraic weight filtration. To apply this to Hurwitz spaces, we prove a comparison theorem between the weight filtrations for Hurwitz spaces over $\mathbb F_p$ and $\mathbb C$, generalizing the comparison theorem of Ellenberg-Venkatesh-Westerland. This allows us to determine the cohomological weights for Hurwitz spaces explicitly using the algebraic weight filtration of the corresponding quantum shuffle algebra. As a consequence, we find that most weights of Hurwitz spaces are smaller than expected from cohomological degree, and we prove explicit nontrivial upper bounds for weights in some cases, such as when $G=S_3$ and $c$ is the conjugacy class of transpositions.