Let $X$ be a compact Riemann surface. Let $(E,\theta )$ be a stable Higgs bundle of degree $0$ on $X$. Let $h_{\det (E)}$ denote a flat metric of the determinant bundle $\det (E)$. For any $t\gt 0$, there exists a unique harmonic metric $h_t$ of $(E,t\theta )$ such that $\det (h_t)=h_{\det (E)}$. We prove that if the Higgs bundle is induced by a line bundle on the normalization of the spectral curve, then the sequence $h_t$ is convergent to the naturally defined decoupled harmonic metric at the speed of the exponential order. We also obtain a uniform convergence for such a family of Higgs bundles.

Following the work of Mazzeo–Swoboda–Weiß–Witt [Duke Math. J. 165 (2016), 2227–2271] and Mochizuki [J. Topol. 9 (2016), 1021–1073], there is a map $\overline{\Xi }$ between the algebraic compactification of the Dolbeault moduli space of ${\rm SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$ Higgs bundles on a smooth projective curve coming from the $\mathbb{C}^\ast$ action and the analytic compactification of Hitchin’s moduli space of solutions to the $\mathsf{SU}(2)$ self-duality equations on a Riemann surface obtained by adding solutions to the decoupled equations, known as ‘limiting configurations’. This map extends the classical Kobayashi–Hitchin correspondence. The main result that this article will show is that $\overline{\Xi }$ fails to be continuous at the boundary over a certain subset of the discriminant locus of the Hitchin fibration.

In this paper we study the $\mathbb {C}^*$-fixed points in moduli spaces of Higgs bundles over a compact Riemann surface for a complex semisimple Lie group and its real forms. These fixed points are called Hodge bundles and correspond to complex variations of Hodge structure. We introduce a topological invariant for Hodge bundles that generalizes the Toledo invariant appearing for Hermitian Lie groups. An important result of this paper is a bound on this invariant which generalizes the Milnor–Wood inequality for a Hodge bundle in the Hermitian case, and is analogous to the Arakelov inequalities of classical variations of Hodge structure. When the generalized Toledo invariant is maximal, we establish rigidity results for the associated variations of Hodge structure which generalize known rigidity results for maximal Higgs bundles and their associated maximal representations in the Hermitian case.

Given a compact Kähler manifold X, it is shown that pairs of the form $(E,\, D)$ , where E is a trivial holomorphic vector bundle on X, and D is an integrable holomorphic connection on E, produce a neutral Tannakian category. The corresponding pro-algebraic affine group scheme is studied. In particular, it is shown that this pro-algebraic affine group scheme for a compact Riemann surface determines uniquely the isomorphism class of the Riemann surface.

Fix a $\tau$-connection DL on a line bundle L over $X\times \mathbb{C}$, where X is a compact connected Riemann surface of genus at least three. Let $\mathcal{M}_X(D_L)$ denote the moduli space of all semistable $\tau$-connections of rank n, where $n\geq 2$, with the property that the induced $\tau$-connection on the top exterior product is isomorphic to (L, DL). Let $\mathcal{M}_Y(D_M)$ be the similar moduli space for another Riemann surface Y with genus(Y) = genus(X), where DM is a $\tau$-connection on a line bundle M over $Y\times \mathbb{C}$. We prove that if the variety $\mathcal{M}_X(D_L)$ is isomorphic to $\mathcal{M}_Y(D_M)$, then X is isomorphic to Y.

Let $\mathcal{M}^D_X$ denote the moduli space of all rank n flat connections on X. We prove that $\mathcal{M}^D_X$ determines X up to finitely many Riemann surfaces. For the very general Riemann surface X, the variety $\mathcal{M}^D_X$ determines X.