Deformations of varieties of general type (Q2070313)

In this article the following theorem is proved: Theorem 1. Let \(g : X\to S\) be a flat, proper morphism of complex analytic spaces. Fix a point \(0 \in S\) and assume that the fiber \(X_0\) is projective, of general type, and with canonical singularities. Then there is an open neighborhood \(0 \in U \subset S\) such that 1) the plurigenera of \(X_s\) are independent of \(s \in U\) for every \(r\), and 2) the fibers \(X_s\) are projective for every \(s \in U\). That is, small deformations of a projective variety of general type are also projective varieties of general type, with the same plurigenera. This is a generalisation of earlier results of the author. The proof of the smooth case goes back as early as to Kodaira. The paper contains a number of illustrative examples.