Thetanullwerte on a moduli space of curves and hyperelliptic loci (Q1183079)

Let \({\mathcal M}_{g,\ell}\) be the moduli space of smooth curves of genus \(g\) with level \(\ell\) structure, and let \(J_{g,\ell}\) be the Jacobi locus in the moduli space \({\mathcal A}_{g,\ell}\) of principally polarized abelian varieties (p.p.a.v.) of dimension \(g\) with level \(\ell\) structure. Let \(j_ \ell\) denote the Jacobi map of \({\mathcal M}_{g,\ell}\) onto \(J_{g,\ell}\), which is generically a two to one mapping if \(4\mid\ell\). Let \(\theta[k]\) be a thetanullwert with even characteristic \(k\); let \(\theta[k]_{J_{g,\ell}}\) be the restriction of \(\theta[k]\) to \(J_{g,\ell}\), and let \(\theta[k]_{{\mathcal M}_{g,\ell}}=j^*_ \ell(\theta[k]_{J_{g,\ell}})\). It is shown at first, that \(\sqrt{\theta[k]_{{\mathcal M}_{g,\ell}}}\) is well-defined if \(4\mid\ell\). Let \({\mathcal H}_{g,\ell}\) be the subvarieties of \({\mathcal M}_{g,\ell}\) consisting of hyperelliptic points. The author computes the number of components of \({\mathcal H}_{g,2}\), and shows that \({\mathcal H}_{g,\ell}\) does not decompose for \(2\mid\ell\). Let \({\mathcal H}^ 0_{g,\ell}\) be some irreducible component of \({\mathcal H}_{g,\ell}\). It is shown that for \(\ell\) such that \((4,8)\mid\ell\) (see the author's notations) thetanullwerte vanishing at \({\mathcal H}^ 0_{g,\ell}\) define ideal-theoretically \({\mathcal H}^ 0_{g,\ell}\) in \({\mathcal A}_{g,\ell}\) if \(g=4\), and define it up to embedded primes for \(g\) general. In the last section the author computes the self-intersection number of the sheaf on the closure of \({\mathcal H}_{g,\ell}\) obtained by restricting the sheaf of modular forms on \({\mathcal A}_{g,\ell}\), and gives some applications; for example he shows a new proof of the Schottky problem for genus four.