Let $X$ be a smooth projective algebraic curve of genus $g\geq 2$ defined over a field $K$. We show that $X$ can be defined over its field of moduli if it has odd signature, i.e. if the signature of the covering $X\to X/\Aut(X)$ is of type $(0;c_1,...,c_k)$, where some $c_i$ appears an odd number of times. This result is applied to $q$-gonal curves and to plane quartics. For $q$-gonal curves, we prove that non-normal $q$-gonal curves can be defined over their field of moduli and we construct examples of normal $q$-gonal curves with field of moduli $\mathbb{R}$ that can not be defined over $\mathbb{R}$. For plane quartics, we prove that they can be defined over their field of moduli if the automorphism group is not isomorphic to either $C_2$ or $C_2\times C_2$.
We compute the rational cohomology of the moduli space of non-singular non-hyperelliptic complex projective curves of genus 3 with an odd theta characteristic.
The moduli space $M(c_2)$, of stable rank two vector bundles of degree one on a very general quintic surface $X\subset {\mathbb P}^3$, is irreducible for all $c_2\geq 4$ and empty otherwise.
The problem of irreducibility of the moduli space I_n of rank-2 mathematical instanton vector bundles with arbitrary positive second Chern class n on the projective 3-space is considered. The irreducibility of I_n was known for small values of n: Barth 1977 (n=1), Hartshorne 1978 (n=2), Ellingsrud and Stromme 1981 (n=3), Barth 1981 (n=4), Coanda, Tikhomirov and Trautmann 2003 (n=5). In this paper we prove the irreducibility of I_n for an arbitrary odd n.
We propose a three-step program for the classification of stable rank 2 bundles on the projective space $\mathbb{P}^3$ inspired by an article by Hartshorne and Rao. While this classification program has been successfully completed for stable rank 2 bundles with even determinant and $c_2\le5$, much less is known for bundles with odd determinant. After revising the known facts about these objects, we list all possible spectra and minimal monads for stable rank 2 bundles with odd determinant and $c_2\le8$. We provide a full classification of all bundles with positive minimal monads, provide a neg…
Let $C$ be a smooth projective curve of genus $g\geq 3$ and let $η$ be an odd theta characteristic on it such that $h^0(C,η) = 1$. Pick a point $p$ from the support of $η$ and consider the one-dimensional linear system $|η+ p|$. In general this linear system is base-point free and all its ramification points (i.e. ramification points of the corresponding branched cover $C\to\mathbb P^1\simeq \mathbb PH^0(C,η+p)$) are simple. We study the locus in the moduli space of odd spin curves where the linear system $|η+ p|$ fails to have this general behavior. This locus splits into a union of three div…
We describe new irreducible components of the moduli space of rank $2$ semistable torsion free sheaves on the three-dimensional projective space whose generic point corresponds to non-locally free sheaves whose singular locus is either 0-dimensional or consists of a line plus disjoint points. In particular, we prove that the moduli spaces of semistable sheaves with Chern classes $(c_1,c_2,c_3)=(-1,2n,0)$ and $(c_1,c_2,c_3)=(0,n,0)$ always contain at least one rational irreducible component. As an application, we prove that the number of such components grows as the second Chern class grows, an…
The global geometry of the moduli spaces of higher spin curves and their birational classification is largely unknown for g >= 2 and r > 2. Using quite related geometric constructions, we almost complete the picture of the known results in genus g <= 4 showing the rationality of the moduli spaces of even and odd 4-spin curves of genus 3, of odd spin curves of genus 4 and of 3-spin curves of genus 4.
We introduce dessins d'enfants from the various existing points of view: As topological covering spaces, as surfaces with triangulations, and as algebraic curves with functions ramified over three points. We prove Belyi's theorem that such curves are defined over number fields, and define the action of the absolute Galois group Gal($\overline Q/Q$) on dessins d'enfants. We prove that several kinds of dessins d'enfants are defined over their field of moduli: regular dessins, dessins with no nontrivial automorphisms and dessins with one face. In the last part, we give two examples of regular des…
We determine conditions that guarantee that a hyperelliptic or plane curve over a field of characteristic not equal to 2 can be defined over its field of moduli. We also give new examples of curves not definable over their fields of moduli.
We show that each of the irreducible components of moduli of rank 2 torsion-free sheaves with odd Euler characteristic over a reducible nodal curve is rational.
We study moduli of odd-framed $\mathcal{N}=2$ elliptic curves subject to certain conditions, and show that the fermionic part of the moduli problem is essentially controlled by the Appell-Lerch sum, familiar from the theory of mock modular forms.
An orthogonal bundle over a curve has an isotropic Segre invariant determined by the maximal degree of a Lagrangian subbundle. This invariant, and the induced stratifications on moduli spaces of orthogonal bundles, were studied for bundles of even rank in [4]. In this paper, we obtain analogous results for bundles of odd rank. We obtain a sharp upper bound on the isotropic Segre invariant. We show the irreducibility of the induced strata on the moduli spaces of orthogonal bundles of odd rank, and compute their dimensions. As a key ingredient of the proofs, we study the correspondence between L…
In this paper we investigate the cohomological obstruction for the field of moduli of a $G$-cover to be a field of definition, in the case of local fields and covers with tame admissible reduction. This applies in particular to $p$-adic fields where $p$ does not divide the order of the group $G$. We give examples of $G$-covers with field of moduli $\QQ_p$ that cannot be defined over $\QQ_p$, for all primes $p>5$.
As a consequence of the Riemann-Roch theorem, a closed Riemann surface $S$ can be described by a non-singular complex projective algebraic curve $C$. A field of definition for $S$ is any subfield $D$ of $\mathbb{C}$ so that we may choose $C$ to be defined by polynomials in $D[x_0, \ldots, x_n]$. The field of moduli of $S$ is ${\mathbb R}$ if and only if $S$ admits an anticonformal automorphism. In the case that the field of moduli of $S$ is ${\mathbb R}$, then $S$ can be defined over the field of moduli if and only if $S$ admits an anticonformal involution. It may happen that the field of modu…
Let M_2 be the moduli space that classifies genus 2 curves. If a curve C is defined over a field k, the corresponding moduli point P=[C] is defined over k. Mestre solved the converse problem for curves with Aut(C) isomorphic to C_2. Given a moduli point defined over k, Mestre finds an obstruction to the existence of a corresponding curve defined over k, that is an element in Br_2(k) not always trivial. In this paper we prove that for all the other possibilities of Aut(C), every moduli point defined over k is represented by a curve defined over k. We also give an explicit construction of such a…
Given a smooth plane curve $\overline{C}$ of genus $g\geq 3$ over an algebraically closed field $\overline{k}$, a field $L\subseteq\overline{k}$ is said to be a \emph{plane model-field of definition for $\overline{C}$} if $L$ is a field of definition for $\overline{C}$, i.e. $\exists$ a smooth curve $C'$ defined over $L$ where $C'\times_L\overline{k}\cong \overline{C}$, and such that $C'$ is $L$-isomorphic to a non-singular plane model $F(X,Y,Z)=0$ in $\mathbb{P}^2_{L}$. {In this short note, we construct a smooth plane curve $\overline{C}$ over $\overline{\mathbb{Q}}$, such that the field of m…
We define syzygy points of projective schemes, and introduce a program of studying their GIT stability. Then we describe two cases where we have managed to make some progress in this program, that of polarized K3 surfaces of odd genus, and of genus six canonical curves. Applications of our results include effectivity statements for divisor classes on the moduli space of odd genus K3 surfaces, and a new construction in the Hassett-Keel program for the moduli space of genus six curves.
We build a database of genus 2 curves defined over $\mathbb Q$ which contains all curves with minimal absolute height $h \leq 5$, all curves with moduli height $\mathfrak h \leq 20$, and all curves with extra automorphisms in standard form $y^2=f(x^2)$ defined over $\mathbb Q$ with height $h \leq 101$. For each isomorphism class in the database, an equation over its minimal field of definition is provided, the automorphism group of the curve, Clebsch and Igusa invariants. The distribution of rational points in the moduli space $\mathcal M_2$ for which the field of moduli is a field of definiti…
We show that a general canonical curve is uniquely determined by the finite set of hyperplanes cutting theta-characteristics on it. Geometrical and combinatorial properties of the moduli space of stable spin curves are proved, which play an essential role.
We consider the space $\mathcal R_{g,S_3}^{S_3}$ of curves with a connected $S_3$-cover, proving that for any odd genus $g\geq 13$ this moduli is of general type. Furthermore we develop a set of tools that are essential in approaching the case of $G$-covers for any finite group $G$.
Let N be the moduli space of stable rank 2 quasiparabolic vector bundles of fixed degree on the projective line with 2g+1 marked points, where g>1, and stability is with respect to the weights {0,1/2} at each marked point. In this note we show that N is isomorphic to the variety of (g-2)-dimensional linear subspaces of P^{2g}, contained in the intersection of two quadrics. The proof relies on the work of Bhosle on the relation among quasiparabolic vector bundles on P^1 and invariant vector bundles on hyperelliptic curves, and the description by Bhosle and Ramanan of the moduli space of stable …
In this article, we prove the Hodge conjecture for a desingularization of the moduli space of rank 2, semi-stable, torsion-free sheaves with fixed odd degree determinant over a very general irreducible nodal curve of genus at least 2. We also compute the algebraic Poincare polynomial of the associated cohomology ring.
The moduli spaces of stable surfaces serve as compactifications of the moduli spaces of canonical models of smooth surfaces in the same way the moduli spaces of stable curves compactify the moduli spaces of smooth curves. However, the natural definition of the moduli functor of stable surfaces allows in extra components parameterizing surfaces which do not smooth. This article verifies that these components are also proper.
The computation of the field of moduli of a closed Riemann surface seems to be a very difficult problem and even more difficult is to determine if the field of moduli is a field of definition. In this paper we consider the family of closed Riemann surfaces of genus five admitting a group of conformal automorphisms isomorphic to ${\mathbb Z}_{2}^{4}$. These surfaces are non-hyperelliptic ones and turn out to be the highest branched abelian covers of the orbifolds of genus zero and five cone points of order two. We compute the field of moduli of these surfaces and we prove that they are fields o…
The goal of the paper is to give an analytic proof of the formula of G. Farkas for the divisor class of spinors with multiple zeros in the moduli space of odd spin curves. We make use of the technique developed by Korotkin and Zograf that is based on properties of the Bergman tau function. We also show how the Farkas formula for the {\it theta-null} in the rational Picard group of the moduli space of even spin curves can be derived from classical theory of theta functions.
Let X be a complex projective curve which is smooth and irreducible of genus 2. The moduli space M_2 of semistable symplectic vector bundles of rank 4 over X is a variety of dimension 10. After assembling some results on vector bundles of rank 2 and odd degree over X, we construct a generically finite cover of M_2 by a family of 5-dimensional projective spaces, and outline some applications.
We extend the definition of an m-stable curve introduced by Smyth to the setting of maps to a projective variety X, generalizing the definition of a Kontsevich stable map in genus one. We prove that the moduli problem of n-pointed m-stable genus one maps of class β is representable by a proper Deligne-Mumford stack \sMbar_{1,n}^m(X, β) over Spec Z[1/6]. For X = P^r, we explicitly describe all of the irreducible components of \sMbar_{1,n}(P^r,d) and \sMbar_{1,n}^m(P^r,d), and in particular deduce that \sMbar_{1,n}^m(P^r,d) is irreducible for m >= min(r,d) + n. We show that \sMbar_{1,n}^m(P^r,d)…
We prove that the moduli space of cubic fourfolds $\mathcal{C}$ contains a divisor $\mathcal{C}_{42}$ whose general member has a unirational parametrization of degree 13. This result follows from a thorough study of the Hilbert scheme of rational scrolls and an explicit construction of examples. We also show that $\mathcal{C}_{42}$ is uniruled.
We propose an alternative definition for families of stable pairs $(X,D)$ over a possibly non-reduced base when $D$ is reduced, by replacing $(X,D)$ with an appropriate orbifold pair $(\mathcal X,\mathcal D)$. This definition of a stable family ends up being equivalent to previous ones, but has the advantage of being more amenable to the tools of deformation theory. Moreover, adjunction for $(\mathcal X,\mathcal D)$ holds on the nose; there is no correction term coming from the different. This leads to the existence of functorial gluing morphisms for families of stable surfaces and functorial …
Gareth Jones asked during the 2014 SIGMAP conference for examples of regular dessins with nonabelian fields of moduli. In this paper, we first construct dessins whose moduli fields are nonabelian Galois extensions of the form $\mathbb{Q}(ζ_p,\sqrt[p]{q})$, where $p$ is an odd prime and $ζ_p$ is a $p$th root of unity and $q\in\mathbb{Q}$ is not a $p$th power, and we then show that their regular closures have the same moduli fields. Finally, in the special case $p=q=3$ we give another example of a regular dessin with moduli field $\mathbb{Q}(ζ_3,\sqrt[3]{3})$ of degree $2^{19}\cdot3^4$ and genus…
Tropical geometry is a relatively recent field in mathematics created as a simplified model for certain problems in algebraic geometry. We introduce the definition of abstract and planar tropical curves as well as their properties, including combinatorial type and degree. We also talk about the moduli space, a geometric object that parameterizes all possible types of abstract or planar tropical curves subject to certain conditions. Our research focuses on the moduli spaces of planar tropical curves of genus one, arbitrary degree d and any number of marked, unbounded edges. We prove that these …
In this expository article we give a categorical definition of the integral cohomology ring of a stack. We show that for quotient stacks the categorical cohomology may be identified with equivariant cohomology. Via this identification we show that for Deligne-Mumford quotient stacks this cohomology is rationally isomorphic to the rational cohomology of the coarse moduli space. The theory is presented with a focus on the stacks of smooth and stable curves.
In this paper, we propose a definition of the moduli stack of stable relative ideal sheaves, and prove that it is a separated and proper Deligne-Mumford stack. It is the first part of the project of relative Donaldson-Thomas theory of ideal sheaves on projective threefolds, which in the end provides a degeneration formula of Donaldson-Thomas invariants of threefolds.
Let $X$ be a smooth projective curve of genus $g \geq 2$ and $M$ be the moduli space of rank 2 stable vector bundles on $X$ whose determinants are isomorphic to a fixed odd degree line bundle $L$. There has been a lot of works studying the moduli and recently the bounded derived category of coherent sheaves on $M$ draws lots of attentions. It was proved that the derived category of $X$ can be embedded into the derived category of $M$ by the second named author and Fonarev-Kuznetsov. In this paper we prove that the derived category of the second symmetric product of $X$ can be embedded into der…
Let S be the variety of irreducible sextics with six cusps as singularities. Let W be one of irreducible components of W. Denoting by M_4 the space of moduli of smooth curves of genus 4, the moduli map of W is the rational map from W to M_4 sending the general point of W, corresponding to a plane curve D, to the point of M_4 parametrizing the normalization curve of D. The number of moduli of W is, by definition the dimension of the image of W with respect to the moduli map. We know that this number is at most equal to seven. In this paper we prove that both irreducible components of S have num…
Let C be a smooth projective curve of genus at least 2 over a field k. Given a line bundle L on C, we consider the moduli stack of rank 2n vector bundles E on C endowed with a nowhere degenerate symplectic form $b: E \otimes E \to L$ up to scalars. We prove that this stack is birational to BG_m times an affine space A^s if n and the degree of L are both odd and C admits a k-rational point as well as a line bundle of degree 0 whose square is nontrivial. It follows that the corresponding coarse moduli scheme is rational in this case.
In this note we define moduli functors of (primitively) polarized K3 spaces. We show that they are representable by Deligne-Mumford stacks over Spec(Z). Further, we look at K3 spaces with a level structure. Our main result is that the moduli functors of K3 spaces with a primitive polarization of degree 2d and a level structure are representable by smooth algebraic spaces over open parts of Spec(Z). To do this we use ideas of Grothendieck, Deligne, Mumford, Artin and others. These results are the starting point for the theory of complex multiplication for K3 surfaces and the definition of Kuga-…
We define the tropical moduli space of covers of a tropical line in the plane as weighted abstract polyhedral complex, and the tropical branch map recording the images of the simple ramifications. Our main result is the invariance of the degree of the branch map, which enables us to give a tropical intersection-theoretic definition of tropical triple Hurwitz numbers. We show that our intersection-theoretic definition coincides with the one given by Bertrand, Brugallé and Mikhalkin in the article "Tropical Open Hurwitz numbers" where a Correspondence Theorem for Hurwitz numbers is proved. Thus …
The enumerative geometry of r-th roots of line bundles is the subject of Witten's conjecture and occurs in the calculation of Gromov-Witten invariants of orbifolds. It requires the definition of the suitable compact moduli stack and the generalization of the standard techniques from the theory of moduli of stable curves. In math.AG/0603687, we construct a compact stack by describing the notion of stability in the context of twisted curves. In this paper, by working with stable twisted curves, we extend Mumford's formula for the Chern character of the Hodge bundle to the direct image of the uni…
The Weddle surface is classically known to be a birational (partially desingularized) model of the Kummer surface. In this note we go through its relations with moduli spaces of abelian varieties and of rank two vector bundles on a genus 2 curve. First we construct a moduli space A\_2(3)^- parametrizing abelian surfaces with a symmetric theta structure and an odd theta characteristic. Such objects can in fact be seen as Weddle surfaces. We prove that A\_2(3)^- is rational. Then, given a genus 2 curve C, we give an interpretation of the Weddle surface as a moduli space of extensions classes (in…
Let $X$ be a smooth projective curve of genus $g\geq 2$ over the complex numbers. A holomorphic triple $(E_1,E_2,ϕ)$ on $X$ consists of two holomorphic vector bundles $E_1$ and $E_2$ over $X$ and a holomorphic map $ϕ:E_2 \to E_1$. There is a concept of stability for triples which depends on a real parameter $σ$. In this paper, we determine the Hodge polynomials of the moduli spaces of $σ$-stable triples with $\rk(E_1)=3$, $\rk(E_2)=1$, using the theory of mixed Hodge structures. This gives in particular the Poincaré polynomials of these moduli spaces. As a byproduct, we recover the Hodge polyn…
Roughly speaking, a conic bundle is a surface, fibered over a curve, such that the fibers are conics (not necessarily smooth). We define stability for conic bundles and construct a moduli space. We prove that (after fixing some invariants) these moduli spaces are irreducible (under some conditions). Conic bundles can be thought of as generalizations of orthogonal bundles on curves. We show that in this particular case our definition of stability agrees with the definition of stability for orthogonal bundles. Finally, in an appendix by I. Mundet i Riera, a Hitchin-Kobayashi correspondence is st…
We study the rational Chow motives of certain moduli spaces of vector bundles on a smooth projective curve with additional structure (such as a parabolic structure or Higgs field). In the parabolic case, these moduli spaces depend on a choice of stability condition given by weights; our approach is to use explicit descriptions of variation of this stability condition in terms of simple birational transformations (standard flips/flops and Mukai flops) for which we understand the variation of the Chow motives. For moduli spaces of parabolic vector bundles, we describe the change in motive under …
We give a definition of tropical orbit spaces and their morphisms. We show that, under certain conditions, the weighted number of preimages of a point in the target of such a morphism does not depend on the choice of this point. We equip the moduli spaces of elliptic tropical curves with a structure of tropical orbit space and, using our results on tropical orbit spaces, simplify the known proof of the fact that the weighted number of plane elliptic tropical curves of degree d with fixed j-invariant which pass through 3d-1 points in general position in $\RR^2$ is independent of the choice of a…
Let $S$ be a closed Riemann surface of genus $g\geq 2$ and let ${\rm Aut}(S)$ be its group of conformal automorphisms. It is well known that if either: (i) ${\rm Aut}(S)$ is trivial or (ii) $S/{\rm Aut}(S)$ is an orbifold of genus zero with exactly three cone points, then $S$ is definable over its field of moduli ${\mathcal M}(S)$. In the complementary situation, explicit examples for which ${\mathcal M}(S)$ is not a field of definition are known. We provide upper bounds for the minimal degree extension of ${\mathcal M}(S)$ by a field of definition in terms of the quotient orbifold $S/{\rm Aut…
We produce an equality between the Gromov-Witten invariants of the moduli space M of rank two odd degree stable vector bundles over a Riemann surface $Σ$ and the Donaldson invariants of the algebraic surface $Σ\times P^1$. We discuss on to how extent the Quantum cohomology of M determines its Gromow-Witten invariants. Finally we find the isomorphism between the usual cohomology and the Quantum cohomology for the moduli space M over a Riemann surface of genus g=3.
