This paper is a survey of the authors' recent results on "abc-surfaces" and the monodromy of their natural Lefschetz fibrations and projections to P^1 x P^1, see (arXiv:0910.2142). The results being surveyed explore various fundamental questions about complex deformation vs. symplectomorphism vs. diffeomorphism from the perspective of one explicit family of examples; the paper also contains some remarks which were not in earlier papers.
In this paper we investigate two stratifications of the moduli space of elliptically fibred K3 surfaces. The first comes from Shimada's classification of connected components of elliptically fibred K3 surfaces and is closely related to the root lattice of the fibration. The second is the monodromy stratification defined by Bogomolov, Petrov and Tschinkel. The main result of the paper is a classification of all positive-dimensional ambi-typical strata, that is strata which are both Shimada root strata and monodromy strata. We further discuss the connection with moduli spaces of lattice-polarise…
We compute the Z/\ell and \ell-adic monodromy of every irreducible component of the moduli space M_g^f of curves of genus and and p-rank f. In particular, we prove that the Z/\ell-monodromy of every component of M_g^f is the symplectic group Sp_{2g}(Z/\ell) if g>=3 and \ell is a prime distinct from p. We give applications to the generic behavior of automorphism groups, Jacobians, class groups, and zeta functions of curves of given genus and p-rank.
We study the monodromy of the Hitchin fibration for moduli spaces of parabolic G-Higgs bundles in the cases when G=SL(2,R), GL(2,R) and PGL(2,R) A calculation of the orbits of the monodromy with Z2-coefficients provides an exact count of the components of the moduli spaces for these groups.
Bidouble covers $π: S \mapsto Q$ of the quadric Q are parametrized by connected families depending on four positive integers a,b,c,d. In the special case where b=d we call them abc-surfaces. Such a Galois covering $π$ admits a small perturbation yielding a general 4-tuple covering of Q with branch curve $\De$, and a natural Lefschetz fibration obtained from a small perturbation of the composition of $ π$ with the first projection. We prove a more general result implying that the braid monodromy factorization corresponding to $\De$ determines the three integers a,b,c in the case of abc-surfaces…
Let $\mathcal{M}_{n,2n+2}$ be the coarse moduli space of CY manifolds arising from a crepant resolution of double covers of $\mathbb{P}^n$ branched along $2n+2$ hyperplanes in general position. We show that the monodromy group of a good family for $\mathcal{M}_{n,2n+2}$ is Zariski dense in the corresponding symplectic or orthogonal group if $n\geq 3$. In particular, the period map does not give a uniformization of any partial compactification of the coarse moduli space as a Shimura variety whenever $n\geq 3$. This disproves a conjecture of Dolgachev. As a consequence, the fundamental group of …
Let S be a K3 surface and Aut D(S) the group of auto-equivalences of the derived category of S. We construct a natural representation of Aut D(S) on the cohomology of all moduli spaces of stable sheaves (with primitive Mukai vectors) on S. The main result of this paper is the precise relation of this action with the monodromy of the Hilbert schemes S^[n] of points on the surface. A formula is provided for the monodromy representation, in terms of the Chern character of the universal sheaf. Isometries of the second cohomology of S^[n] are lifted, via this formula, to monodromy operators of the …
We compute the $\integ/\ell$ and $\integ_\ell$ monodromy of every irreducible component of the moduli spaces of hyperelliptic and trielliptic curves. In particular, we provide a proof that the $\integ/\ell$ monodromy of the moduli space of hyperelliptic curves of genus $g$ is the symplectic group $\sp_{2g}(\integ/\ell)$. We prove that the $\integ/\ell$ monodromy of the moduli space of trielliptic curves with signature $(r,s)$ is the special unitary group $\su_{(r,s)}(\integ/\ell\tensor\integ[ζ_3])$.
We speculate on the relationship between the solvable monodromy extension (SME) property and log canonical models. A motivating example is the moduli space of smooth curves which, by earlier work, is known to have this SME property. In this case the maximal SME compactification is the moduli space of stable nodal curves which coincides with its log canonical model.
It is a fundamental problem in geometry to decide which moduli spaces of polarized algebraic varieties are embedded by their period maps as Zariski open subsets of locally Hermitian symmetric domains. In the present work we prove that the moduli space of Calabi-Yau threefolds coming from eight planes in $\mathbb{P}^3$ does {\em not} have this property. We show furthermore that the monodromy group of a good family is Zariski dense in the corresponding symplectic group. Moreover, we study a natural sublocus which we call hyperelliptic locus, over which the variation of Hodge structures is natura…
Let S be a K3 surface. In part I of this paper, we constructed a representation of the group Aut D(S), of auto-equivalences of the derived category of S. We interpreted this infinite dimensional representation, as the natural action of Aut D(S) on the cohomology of all moduli spaces of stable sheaves (with primitive Mukai vectors) on S. The main result, of part I, is the precise relation of this action with the monodromy of the Hilbert schemes S^[n] of points on the surface. The proof of the above result was reduced, in part I, to the case of two monodromy operators of S^[n], associated with c…
We complement Catanese's results on isotrivially fibred surfaces by completely describing the components containing an isotrivial surface with monodromy group $\ZZ/2\ZZ$. We also give an example for deformation equivalent isotrivial surfaces with different monodromy group.
We analyze the link between the occurrence of massless B-type D-branes for specific values of moduli and monodromy around such points in the moduli space. This allows us to propose a classification of all massless B-type D-branes at any point in the moduli space of Calabi-Yau's. This classification then justifies a previous conjecture due to Horja for the general form of monodromy. Our analysis is based on using monodromies around points in moduli space where a single D-brane becomes massless to generate monodromies around points where an infinite number become massless. We discuss the various…
Monodromy of Calabi-Yau threefold flops via grade restriction rule and their quantum Kahler moduli
Korea Institute for Advanced Study（韩国高等研究院）；Center for Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Fudan University（复旦大学数学交叉科学中心）；Shanghai Institute for Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences（上海数学与交叉科学研究院）
We prove a fixed point theorem for the action of certain local monodromy groups on étale covers and use it to deduce lower bounds in essential dimension. In particular, we give more geometric proofs of many (but not all) of the results of the preprint of Farb, Kisin and Wolfson, which uses arithmetic methods to prove incompressibility results for Shimura varieties and moduli spaces of curves. Our method allows us to prove results for exceptional groups, and also for the reduction modulo good primes of Shimura varieties and moduli spaces of curves.
In this paper, we give a systematic construction of ten isomonodromic families of connections of rank two on $\mathbb{P}^1$ inducing Painlevé equations. The classification of ten families is given by considering the Riemann-Hilbert morphism from a moduli space of connections with certain type of regular and irregular singularities to a corresponding catetorical moduli space of analytic data (i.e., ordinary monodromy, Stokes matrices and links), which is called the monodromy space. Explicit equations of the monodromy spaces for ten families are calculated. Moreover, we obtain natural explicit f…
We show that there are obstructions to the existence of certain types of invariant subspaces of the Milnor monodromy; this places restrictions on the cohomology of Milnor fibres of non-isolated hypersurface singularities.
We will give an explicit construction of the invariant Hermitian form for the monodromy of an $A$-hypergeometric system given that there is a Mellin-Barnes basis of solutions.
We consider components of Hurwitz moduli space of G-Galois covers and set up a powerful algebraic framework to study the set of corresponding equivalence classes of monodromy maps. Within that we study geometric stabilisation by various G-covers branched over the disc. Our results addresses the problem to decide equivalence and stable equivalence algebraically. We recover a homological invariant, which we show to distinguish the equivalence classes of given boundary monodromy and Nielsen type, if the latter is sufficiently large in the appropriate sense.
We obtain an explicit formula for the characteristic polynomial of the local monodromy of $A$-hypergeometric functions with respect to small loops around a coordinate hyperplane $x_i =0$. This formula is similar to the one obtained by Ando, Esterov and Takeuchi for the local monodromy at infinity. Our proof is combinatorial and can be adapted to provide an alternative proof for the latter formula as well. On the other hand, we also prove that the solution space at a nonsingular point of certain irregular and irreducible $A$--hypergeometric $D$--modules has a nontrivial global monodromy invaria…
In "Curves on Heisenberg invariant quartic surfaces in projective 3-space", Eklund showed that a general $(\mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z})^{4}$-invariant quartic K3 surface contains at least $320$ conics. In this paper we analyse the field of definition of those conics as well as their Monodromy group. As a result, we prove that the moduli space $(\mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z})^{4}$-invariant quartic K3 surface with a marked conic has $10$ irreducible components.
Multisummation provides a transparent description of Stokes matrices which is reviewed here together with some applications. Examples of moduli spaces for Stokes matrices are computed and discussed. A moduli space for a third Painlevé equation is made explicit. It is shown that the monodromy identity, relating the topological monodromy and Stokes matrices, is useful for some quantum differential equations and for confluent generalized hypergeometric equations.
We compute the monodromy of the Hitchin fibration for the moduli space of $L$-twisted $SL(n,\mathbb{C})$ and $GL(n,\mathbb{C})$-Higgs bundles for any $n$, on a compact Riemann surface of genus $g>1$. We require the line bundle $L$ to either be the canonical bundle or satisfy $deg(L) > 2g-2$. The monodromy group is generated by Picard-Lefschetz transformations associated to vanishing cycles of singular spectral curves. We construct such vanishing cycles explicitly and use this to show that the $SL(n,\mathbb{C})$ monodromy group is a {\em skew-symmetric vanishing lattice} in the sense of Janssen…
Fix a semisimple Lie algebra g. Gaudin algebras are commutative algebras acting on tensor product multiplicity spaces for g-representations. These algebras depend on a parameter which is a point in the Deligne-Mumford moduli space of marked stable genus 0 curves. When the parameter is real, then the Gaudin algebra acts with simple spectrum on the tensor product multiplicity space and gives us a basis of eigenvectors. In this paper, we study the monodromy of these eigenvectors as the parameter varies within the real locus; this gives an action of the fundamental group of this moduli space, whic…
In this paper we construct a coarse moduli scheme of stable unramified irregular singular parabolic connections on a smooth projective curve and prove that the constructed moduli space is smooth and has a symplectic structure. Moreover we will construct the moduli space of generalized monodromy data coming from topological monodromies, formal monodromies, links and Stokes data associated to the generic irregular connections. We will prove that for a generic choice of generalized local exponents, the generalized Riemann-Hilbert correspondence from the moduli space of the connections to the modu…
In this paper we construct effective invariants for braid monodromy of affine curves. We also prove that, for some curves, braid monodromy determines their topology. We apply this result to find a pair of curves with conjugate equations in a number field but which do not admit any orientation-preserving homeomorphism.
In this paper a monodromy invariant for isotropic classes on generalized Kummer type manifolds is constructed. This invariant is used to determine the polarization type of Lagrangian fibrations on such manifolds - a notion which was introduced in an earlier paper of the author. The result shows that the polarization type of a Lagrangian fibration of generalized Kummer type depends on the connected component of the moduli space.
The Tannakian formalism allows to attach to any subvariety of an abelian variety an algebraic group in a natural way. The arising groups are closely related to moduli questions such as the Schottky problem, but their geometric interpretation is still mysterious. We show that for the theta divisor on the intermediate Jacobian of a cubic threefold, the Tannaka group is an exceptional group of type E_6. This is the first known exceptional case, and it suggests a connection with the monodromy of the Gauss map.
Hodge classes on the moduli space of admissible covers with monodromy group G are associated to irreducible representations of G. We evaluate all linear Hodge integrals over moduli spaces of admissible covers with abelian monodromy in terms of multiplication in an associated wreath group algebra. In case G is cyclic and the representation is faithful, the evaluation is in terms of double Hurwitz numbers. In case G is trivial, the formula specializes to the well-known result of Ekedahl-Lando-Shapiro-Vainshtein for linear Hodge integrals over the moduli space of curves in terms of single Hurwitz…
Starting from a beautiful idea of Kanev, we construct a uniformization of the moduli space A_6 of principally polarized abelian 6-folds in terms of curves and monodromy data. We show that the general ppav of dimension 6 is a Prym-Tyurin variety corresponding to a degree 27 cover of the projective line having monodromy the Weyl group of the E_6 lattice. Along the way, we establish numerous facts concerning the geometry of the Hurwitz space of such E_6-covers, including: (1) a proof that the canonical class of the Hurwitz space is big, (2) a concrete geometric description of the Hodge-Hurwitz ei…
We introduce a formalism of descent of moduli spaces, and use it to produce limit linear series moduli spaces for families of curves in which the components of fibers may have monodromy. We then construct a universal stack of limit linear series over the stack of semistable curves of compact type, and produce new results on existence of real curves with few real linear series.
We extend the analytic theory of Frobenius manifolds to semisimple points with coalescing eigenvalues of the operator of multiplication by the Euler vector field. We clarify which freedoms, ambiguities and mutual constraints are allowed in the definition of monodromy data, in view of their importance for conjectural relationships between Frobenius manifolds and derived categories. Detailed examples and applications are taken from singularity and quantum cohomology theories. We explicitly compute the monodromy data at points of the Maxwell Stratum of the A3-Frobenius manifold, as well as at the…
Let $k$ be an algebraically closed field of characteristic $0$. For a log curve $X/k^{\times}$ over the standard log point, we define (algebraically) a combinatorial monodromy operator on its log-de Rham cohomology group. The invariant part of this action has a cohomological description, it is the Du Bois cohomology of $X$. This can be seen as an analogue of the invariant cycles exact sequence for a semistable family (as in the complex, étale and $p$-adic settings). In the specific case in which $k=\mathbb C$ and $X$ is the central fiber of a semistable degeneration over the complex disc, our …
We interprete results of Markman on monodromy operators as a universality statement for descendent integrals over moduli spaces of stable sheaves on $K3$ surfaces. This yields effective methods to reduce these descendent integrals to integrals over the punctual Hilbert scheme of the $K3$ surface. As an application we establish the higher rank Segre-Verlinde correspondence for $K3$ surfaces as conjectured by Göttsche and Kool.
We explore some aspects of monodromies of D-branes in the Kahler moduli space of Calabi-Yau compactifications. Here a D-brane is viewed as an object of the derived category of coherent sheaves. We compute all the interesting monodromies in some nontrivial examples and link our work to recent results and conjectures concerning helices and mutations. We note some particular properties of the 0-brane.
The Riemann-Hilbert correspondence is an isomorphism between the de Rham moduli space and the Betti moduli space, defined by associating to each Fuchsian system its monodromy representation class. In 1997 Hitchin proved that this map is a symplectomorphism. In this paper, we address the question of what happens to this theory if we extend the de Rham moduli space by allowing connections with higher order poles. In our previous paper arXiv:1511.03851, based on the idea of interpreting higher order poles in the connection as boundary components with bordered cusps (vertices of ideal triangles in…
The twistor space of representations on an open variety maps to a weight two space of local monodromy transformations around a divisor component at infinty. The space of $σ$-invariant sections of this slope-two bundle over the twistor line is a real 3 dimensional space whose parameters correspond to the complex residue of the Higgs field, and the real parabolic weight of a harmonic bundle.
In this paper we are concerned with the monodromy of Picard-Fuch differential equations associated with one-parameter families of Calabi-Yau threefolds. Our results show that in the hypergeometric cases the matrix representations of monodromy relative to the Frobenius bases can be expressed in terms of the geometric invariants of the underlying Calabi-Yau threefolds. This phenomenon is also verified numerically for other families of Calabi-Yau threefolds in the paper. Furthermore, we discover that under a suitable change of bases the monodromy groups are contained in certain congruence subgrou…
We survey recent results about the Torelli question for holomorphic-symplectic varieties. Following are the main topics. A Hodge theoretic Torelli theorem. A study of the subgroup W, of the isometry group of the weight 2 Hodge structure, generated by reflection with respect to exceptional divisors. A description of the birational Kahler cone as a fundamental domain for the W-action on the positive cone. A proof of a weak version of Morrison's movable cone conjecture. A description of the moduli spaces of polarized holomorphic symplectic varieties as monodromy quotients of period domains of typ…
We consider the moduli space MN of flat unitary connections on an open Kaehler manifold U (complement of a divisor with normal crossings) with restrictions on their monodromy transformations. Using intersection and L2 cohomologies with degenerating coefficients we construct a natural symplectic form F on MN. When U is quasi-projective we prove that F is actually a Kaehler form.
We consider an arbitrary polynomial map $f:{\mathbb C}^{n+1}\to {\mathbb C} $ and we study the Alexander invariants of ${\mathbb C}^{n+1}\setminus X$ for any fiber $X$ of $f$. The article has two major messages. First, the most important qualitative properties of the Alexander modules are completely independent of the behaviour of $f$ at infinity, or about the special fibers. Second, all the Alexander invariants of all the fibers of the polynomial $f$ are closely related to the monodromy representation of $f$. In fact, all the torsion parts of the Alexander modules (associated with all the pos…
We study low-degree curves on one-parameter Calabi-Yau hypersurfaces, and their contribution to the space-time superpotential in a superstring compactification with D-branes. We identify all lines that are invariant under at least one permutation of the homogeneous variables, and calculate the inhomogeneous Picard-Fuchs equation. The irrational large volume expansions satisfy the recently discovered algebraic integrality. The bulk of our work is a careful study of the topological integrality of monodromy under navigation around the complex structure moduli space. This is a powerful method to r…
In this paper the ubiquity of the Igusa quartic $B \subset \mathbb P^4$ shows up again, this time related to the Prym map $\mathfrak p : \mathcal R_6 \to \mathcal A_5$. We introduce the moduli space $\mathcal X$ of those quartic threefolds $X$ cutting twice a quadratic section of $B$. A general $X$ is $30$-nodal and the intermediate Jacobian $J(X)$ of its natural desingularization is a $5$-dimensional p.p. abelian variety. Let $\frak j: \mathcal X \to \mathcal A_5$ be the period map sending $X$ to $J(X)$, in the paper we study $\frak j$ and its relation to $\frak p$. As is well known the degre…
We prove that the moduli space of Calabi-Yau 3-folds coming from eight planes of $P^3$ in general positions is not modular. In fact we show the stronger statement that the Zariski closure of the monodromy group is actually the whole $Sp(20,R)$. We construct an interesting submoduli, which we call \emph{hyperelliptic locus}, over which the weight 3 $Q$-Hodge structure is the third wedge product of the weight 1 $Q$-Hodge structure on the corresponding hyperelliptic curve. The non-extendibility of the hyperelliptic locus inside the moduli space of a genuine Shimura subvariety is proved.
