Modular Calabi-Yau threefolds (Q2577619)

One of the most significant developments in the last two decades in theoretical physics (high energy) is, arguably, string theory and mirror symmetry. Calabi-Yau manifolds are major players in string theory and mirror symmetry. A Calabi-Yau variety of dimension \(d\) is a complex manifold with trivial canonical bundle and vanishing Hodge numbers \(h^{i,0},\,0 <i<d\). For instance, a \(1\)-dimensional Calabi-Yau variety is an elliptic curve, a \(2\)-dimensional one is a \(K3\) surface, and in dimension \(3\), we simply call it a Calabi-Yau threefold. In the course of studying string theory and mirror symmetry, it has become apparent that Calabi-Yau varieties enjoy tremendously rich arithmetic properties. For instance, arithmetic objects such as modular forms and modular functions of one and several variables, algebraic cycles, Galois representations, zeta-functions, \(L\)-series, among others, have popped up onto the scene. The monograph by Meyer provides an introduction to the arithmetic of Calabi-Yau threefolds from theoretical and algorithmic points of view. The main theme of the book is the connection between Calabi-Yau threefolds defined over the field \(\mathbb Q\) of rational numbers and modular (automorphic) forms, along the line of the Langlands Program. A Calabi-Yau threefold over \(\mathbb Q\) is said to be modular if its \(L\)-series is determined by modular (automorphic) forms. The book presents the general theory about modular Calabi-Yau threefolds, and more than hundreds of new examples of modular Calabi-Yau threefolds. Calabi-Yau threefolds are classified into two classes depending on the Hodge number \(h^{2,1}\) (which is the dimension of the space of complex deformations) being zero or non-zero. In the first case, Calabi-Yau threefolds are said to be rigid and the latter case non-rigid. Rigid Calabi-Yau threefolds are the most natural generalizations of elliptic curves, which are \(1\)-dimensional Calabi-Yau manifolds. The modularity of elliptic curves over \(\mathbb Q\), established by Wiles et al., is undoubtedly one of the monumental results in the last century. It asserts that every elliptic curve \(E\) defined over \(\mathbb Q\) is modular in the sense that its \(L\)-series is parameterized by a modular form of weight \(2=\dim(E) +1\) on some congruence subgroup of \(\text{PSL}_2(\mathbb{Z})\) of finite index. For a Calabi-Yau threefold defined over \(\mathbb Q\), one can define its \(L\)-series via the \(\ell\)-adic étale middle cohomology group. The general synthesis of the Langlands Program is that \(L\)-series is determined by modular (automorphic) forms. However, it is a difficult problem to actually determine modular (automorphic) forms that parameterize given Calabi-Yau threefolds over \(\mathbb Q\). Yet, there is one class of Calabi-Yau threefolds over \(\mathbb Q\) which are accessible in this endeavor. They are rigid Calabi-Yau threefolds. Associated with a rigid Calabi-Yau threefold over \(\mathbb Q\), one has the \(2\)-dimensional Galois representation, and it is possible to formulate the explicit modularity conjecture: Every rigid Calabi-Yau threefold \(X\) over \(\mathbb Q\) is modular in the sense that its \(L\)-series is determined by a modular form of weight \(4=\dim(X) +1\) on some congruence subgroup of \(\text{PSL}_2(\mathbb{Z})\) of finite index. For a Calabi--Yau threefold defined over \(\mathbb{Q}\), one can define its \(L\)-series via the \(\ell\)-adic étale middle cohomology group. The general synthesis of the Langlands program is that the \(L\)-series is determined by modular (automorphic) forms. However, it is a difficult problem to actually determine modular (automorphic) forms that parametrize given Calabi--Yau threefolds over \(\mathbb{Q}\). Yet, there is one class of Calabi--Yau threefolds over \(\mathbb{Q}\) which are accessible in this endeavor. They are rigid Calabi--Yau threefolds. Associated with a rigid Calabi--Yau threefold over \(\mathbb{Q}\) one has the 2-dimensional Galois representation, and it is possible to formulate the Explicit modularity conjecture. Every Calabi--Yau threefold \(X\) over \(\mathbb{Q}\) is modular in the sense that its \(L\)-series is determined by a modular form of weight \(4=\dim(X)+1\) on some congruence subgroup of \(\text{PSL}_2(\mathbb{Z})\) of finite index. In fact, under mild technical conditions, this conjecture has been established in the affirmative for a huge class of rigid Calabi-Yau threefolds defined over \(\mathbb Q\) with good reduction at \(3\) and \(7\) by \textit{C. Dieulefait} and \textit{J. Manoharmayum} in [Calabi-Yau Varieties and Mirror Symmetry, Fields Institute Communications Vol. 38, 159--166 (2003; Zbl 1096.14014)]. For non-rigid Calabi-Yau threefolds over \(\mathbb Q\), the Galois representations associated to them have large dimension, and it is not even possible to formulate a precise conjecture. However, when the Galois representation is highly reducible and splits into the product of \(2\)-dimensional pieces, the modularity question may be tackled. Meyer discusses some of these examples. The book under review presents a large number of new examples of rigid and non-rigid modular Calabi-Yau threefolds over \(\mathbb Q\). The construction of Calabi-Yau threefolds is a challenging and interesting problem, and new examples of Calabi-Yau threefolds are constructed by considering double octics (double covers of \(\mathbb P^3\) branched along an octic surface). Appendix contains tables of arrangements of eight planes defined over \(\mathbb Q\), modular double octics and and tables of modular forms of weight \(4\) and large levels. The present monograph is a nice addition to the existing literatures ([loc. cit.],[\textit{Mirror Symmetry V}, AMS/IP Studies in Advanced Mathematics, Noriko Yui, Shing-Tung Yau and James D. Lewis (eds.), American Mathematical Society (to appear in 2006)], and numerous research articles in mathematics and physics) on arithmetic of Calabi-Yau varieties, and it will serve as a friendly introduction to graduate students as well as to researchers, who wish to learn about the arithmetic aspects of Calabi-Yau varieties.