Cyclic monotone independence is an algebraic notion of noncommutative independence, introduced in the study of multi-matrix random matrix models with small rank. Its algebraic form turns out to be surprisingly close to monotone independence, which is why it was named cyclic monotone independence. This paper conceptualizes this notion by showing that the same random matrix model is also a model for the monotone convergence with an appropriately chosen state. This observation provides a unified nonrandom matrix model for both types of monotone independences.

A. We establish the functional relations between generating series of higher order free cumulants and moments in higher order free probability, solving an open problem posed fteen years ago by Collins, Mingo, Śniady and Speicher. We propose an extension of free probability theory, which governs the all-order topological expansion in unitarily invariant matrix ensembles, with a corresponding notion of free cumulants and give as well their relation to moments via functional relations. Our approach is based on the study of a master transformation involving double monotone Hurwitz numbers via semi-in nite wedge techniques, building on the recent advances of the last-named author with Bychkov, Dunin-Barkowski and Kazarian.

Simple Hurwitz numbers are classical invariants in enumerative geometry counting branched morphisms between Riemann surfaces with fixed ramification data. In recent years, several modifications of this notion for genus 0 base curves have appeared in the literature. Among them are so-called monotone Hurwitz numbers, which are related to the Harish–Chandra–Itzykson–Zuber integral in random matrix theory and strictly monotone Hurwitz numbers which enumerate certain Grothendieck dessins d’enfants. We generalise the notion of Hurwitz numbers to interpolations between simple, monotone and strictly monotone Hurwitz numbers for arbitrary genera and any number of arbitrary but fixed ramification profiles. This yields generalisations of several results known for Hurwitz numbers. When the target surface is of genus one, we show that the generating series of these interpolated Hurwitz numbers are quasimodular forms. In the case that all ramification is simple, we refine this result by writing this series as a sum of quasimodular forms corresponding to tropical covers weighted by Gromov–Witten invariants. Moreover, we derive a quantum curve for monotone and Grothendieck dessins d’enfants Hurwitz numbers for arbitrary genera and one arbitrary but fixed ramification profile. Thus, we obtain spectral curves via the semi-classical limit as input data for the Chekhov–Eynard–Orantin (CEO) topological recursion. Astonishingly, we find that the CEO topological recursion for the genus 1 spectral curve of the strictly monotone Hurwitz numbers computes the monotone Hurwitz numbers in genus 0. Thus, we give a new proof that monotone Hurwitz numbers satisfy CEO topological recursion. This points to an unknown relation between those enumerative invariants. Finally, specializing to target surface ℙ^1 , we find recursions for monotone and Grothendieck dessins d’enfants double Hurwitz numbers, which enables the computation of the respective Hurwitz numbers for any genera with one arbitrary but fixed ramification profile.