Extension of twisted Hodge metrics for Kähler morphisms (Q1036200)

The authors provide a very general and deep result of positivity of direct image sheaves of adjoint bundles under Kähler fiber space \(f:X\rightarrow Y\). This extends their previous work where they assumed the smoothness of the morphism [Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér. (4) 41, No.~6, 905--924 (2008; Zbl 1167.14027)]. To be more precise, we need to introduce the set up. Let \(f:X\rightarrow Y\) be a holomorphic map of complex manifolds. A real \(d\)-closed \((1,1)\) form \(\omega\) on \(X\) is said to be a relative Kähler form for \(f\) if for all points \(y\in Y\), there is a smooth plurisubharmonic function \(\psi\) on a neighborhood of \(y\) such that \(\omega + f^*(\sqrt{-1}\partial \bar{\partial}\psi)\) is a Kähler form. A morphism is said to be Kähler if there exists a relative Kähler form for \(f\), and \(f:X\rightarrow Y\) is said to be a Kähler fiber space if it is proper, Kähler and a surjective morphism with connected fibers. Consider \((E,h)\) a Nakano semi-positive holomorphic vector bundle on \(X\) and an integer \(0\leq q \leq n\). Let us call \(\Delta\) the discriminant locus of \(f\), i.e., the minimum closed analytic subset of \(Y\) such that \(f\) is smooth over \(Y\setminus \Delta\). Let us consider \(S_q \subset \Delta\) the minimum closed analytic subset of codimension \(\geq 2\) such that the torsion-free sheaf \(R^q f_*(K_{X/Y}\otimes E)\) is locally free on \(Y\setminus S_q\). Then, one of the main results of the authors' can be stated the following way. For every relatively compact open subset \(Y'\subset Y\), the line bundle \(\mathcal{O}(1)|_{\pi^{-1}(Y_0\setminus S_q)}\) on \(\mathbb{P}(R^q f_*(K_{X/Y}\otimes E)|_{Y_0\setminus S_q})\) has a singular Hermitian metric with semi-positive curvature which is smooth on \(\pi^{-1}(Y_0 \setminus \Delta)\). If \(f\) is a morphism as above between smooth projective varieties, then the sheaf \(R^q f_*(K_{X/Y}\otimes E)\) is weakly positive over the smooth locus of \(f\) in the sense of Viewheg. If, moreover, \(R^q f_*(K_{X/Y}\otimes E)\) is locally free, one finally obtains a pseudo-effective vector bundle. The main idea of the proof is to generalize the work of \textit{T. Fujita} [Proc. Japan Acad., Ser. A 54, 183--184 (1978; Zbl 0412.32029)]. The initial step is to consider the Hodge metric, which is defined by fixing a Kähler form on \(X\), a metric on \(h\) on \(E\) and \(f\) (see op. cit.). Then, the authors manage to give a positive lower bound of its singularities. This corresponds to a uniform upper estimate for a family of plurisubharmonic functions defined around \(\Delta\). If \(Y\) is a curve, the work of the authors and T. Fujita's results can be applied. In the general case, for a singular fiber, one considers a semi-stable reduction. After taking ramified cover, one considers a local model for \(Y\), which is seen as biholomorphic to a unit polydisc in \(\mathbb{C}^m\) together with assuming \(f^*\Delta\) to have simple normal crossing, and one fixes \(Y'\) another copy of the polydisc in \(\mathbb{C}^m\). Next, one considers the fiber product \(X_0=X\times_Y Y'\), \(X_1\) the normalization of \(X_0\) and \(X_2\) the resolution of singularities of \(X_1\). Then, one needs to understand the behavior of the Hodge metric under the induced map \(X_2 \rightarrow X_0\), which leads to deal with degenerate Kähler forms. Thus, the authors develop a Takegoshi theory for relative harmonic forms with respect to degenerate Kähler forms on \(X_2\). They manage to bound the singularities of the Hodge metric which is crucial to get the extension of the quotient metric. As one can expect these technical issues are very delicate. The paper is well written. It will be useful to complex geometers.