A homology theory for tropical cycles on integral affine manifolds and a perfect pairing

Abstract

We introduce a cap product pairing for homology and cohomology of tropical cycles on integral affine manifolds with singularities. We show the pairing is perfect over $\mathbb{Q}$ in degree one when the manifold has at worst symple singularities. By joint work with Siebert, the pairing computes period integrals and its perfectness implies the versality of canonical Calabi-Yau degenerations. We also give an intersection theoretic application for Strominger-Yau-Zaslow fibrations. The treatment of the cap product and Poincare-Lefschetz by simplicial methods for constructible sheaves might be of independent interest.