Kähler geometry on Hurwitz spaces (Q1757201)

Summary: The classical Hurwitz space \(\mathcal{H}^{n,b}\) is a fine moduli space for simple branched coverings of the Riemann sphere \(\mathbb{P}^1\) by compact hyperbolic Riemann surfaces. In the article we study a generalized Weil-Petersson metric on the Hurwitz space, which was introduced in [\textit{R. Axelsson} et al., Manuscr. Math. 147, No. 1--2, 63--79 (2015; Zbl 1319.32012)]. For this purpose, Horikawa's deformation theory of holomorphic maps is refined in the presence of hermitian metrics in order to single out distinguished representatives. Our main result is a curvature formula for a subbundle of the tangent bundle on the Hurwitz space obtained as a direct image. This covers the case of the curvature of the fibers of the natural map \(\mathcal{H}^{n,b} \to \mathcal{M}_g\).