Search arXivSearch

arXiv · math/0007048

The Complex Hyperbolic Geometry of the Moduli Space of Cubic Surfaces

Abstract

Recall that the moduli space of smooth (that is, stable) cubic curves is isomorphic to the quotient of the upper half plane by the group of fractional linear transformations with integer coefficients. We establish a similar result for stable cubic surfaces: the moduli space is biholomorphic to a quotient of the compex 4-ball by an explict arithmetic group generated by complex reflections. This identification gives interesting structural information on the moduli space and allows one to locate the points in complex hyperbolic 4-space corresponding to cubic surfaces with symmetry, e.g., the Fermat cubic surface. Related results, not quite as extensive, were announced in alg-geom/9709016.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

BibTeXRIS

Daniel Allcock, James A. Carlson, Domingo Toledo. 2000-07-09. The Complex Hyperbolic Geometry of the Moduli Space of Cubic Surfaces. https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0007048

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Perverse Euler Characteristics of Hermitian Locally Symmetric Spaces

We prove that finite-volume locally Hermitian symmetric spaces of noncompact type have nonnegative perverse Euler characteristics. To show this, we obtain a nefness result for the logarithmic cotangent bundle of a smooth toroidal compactification. Combining this with a positivity criterion for Euler characteristics of perverse sheaves, we deduce the nonnegativity result. We further prove that the inequality is strict for perverse sheaves with full support. As applications, we get nonnegativity results for perverse Euler characteristics on various moduli spaces.

math.AG

Coupled Pklt Tuples and Varieties of Pklt Type

We introduce asymptotic multiplier ideal sheaves and log canonical thresholds associated with tuples of pseudoeffective divisors on a projective klt pair. We prove that the threshold of a coupled potentially klt tuple is computed by a quasi-monomial valuation. For varieties of potentially klt type, we prove that every big divisor admits a birational Zariski decomposition with semiample positive part. We also prove finite generation of multisection rings of big divisors and give a criterion for a variety of potentially klt type to be a Mori dream space.

math.AG

Graded Betti numbers of general curves of large degree

Let $C$ be a smooth projective complex curve of genus $g$ and gonality $k$, and $L$ be a very ample line bundle on $C$. When $L$ has sufficiently large degree, the vanishing and nonvanishing of the Koszul cohomology groups $K_{p,q}(C,L)$ have been determined previously, but the exact values of the graded Betti numbers $\kappa_{p,q}(C, L)$ remain largely unknown. In this paper, we give explicit closed formulas for all graded Betti numbers $\kappa_{p,q}(C, L)$ when the Brill--Noether locus $W_k^1(C)$ has the expected dimension and $H^1(C, L \otimes \omega_C^{-1})=0$. Consequently, we determine the complete Betti table for a general curve when $\deg L \geq 4g-3$ or when $\deg L \geq 3g-3$ and $L$ is general. We also explicitly compute the Boij--S\"{o}derberg coefficient of the section ring $R(C, L)$ governing asymptotic purity, and show eventual monotonicity of the remaining coefficients: they decrease for hyperelliptic curves and increase under a natural generic reducedness assumption on the relevant Brill--Noether loci.

math.AG