Primitive Calabi-Yau threefolds (Q1364624)

This article continues the study of deformation theory of singular Calabi-Yau threefolds. If \(\widetilde{X}\) is a non-singular Calabi-Yau threefold, we say \(\widetilde{X}\) is primitive if there is no birational contraction morphism \(\widetilde{X}\to X\) such that \(X\) is smoothable to a Calabi-Yau threefold not deformation equivalent to \(\widetilde{X}\). To study the properties of such threefolds, we first finish the analysis of smoothability of singular Calabi-Yau threefolds \(X\) obtained via a primitive contraction \(\pi:\widetilde{X}\to X\). The case that \(X\) has isolated singularities was considered previously; here we consider the case that \(X\) has a curve of singularities. We find that \(X\) is smoothable unless \(\pi\) contracts a rational surface \(E\) with \(E^3=7\) or 8. We then apply these results to study the structure of primitive Calabi-Yau threefolds. One sample result is the following: if \(\widetilde{X}\) is primitive, then either \(\widetilde{X}\) has Picard number 1, or \(\widetilde{X}\) possesses a small contraction, or there is a \(\text{nef }\mathbb{R}\)-divisor \(D\) with \(D^3=0\).