N ov 2 00 2 OPERS AND THETA FUNCTIONS

We construct natural maps (the Klein and Wirtinger maps) from moduli spaces of vector bundles on an algebraic curve X to affine spaces, as quotients of the nonabelian theta linear series. We prove a finiteness result for these maps over generalized Kummer varieties (moduli of torus bundles), leading us to conjecture that the maps are finite in general. The conjecture provides canonical explicit coordinates on the moduli space. The finiteness results give low–dimensional parametrizations of Jacobians (in P for generic curves), described by 2Θ functions or second logarithmic derivatives of theta. We interpret the Klein and Wirtinger maps in terms of opers on X. Opers are generalizations of projective structures, and can be considered as differential operators, kernel functions or special bundles with connection. The matrix opers (analogues of opers for matrix differential operators) combine the structures of flat vector bundle and projective connection, and map to opers via generalized Hitchin maps. For vector bundles off the theta divisor, the Szegö kernel gives a natural construction of matrix oper. The Wirtinger map from bundles off the theta divisor to the affine space of opers is then defined as the determinant of the Szegö kernel. This generalizes the Wirtinger projective connections associated to theta characteristics, and the assoicated Klein bidifferentials.