A transcendental Brauer-Manin obstruction to weak approximation on a Calabi-Yau threefold (Q2071043)

In the context of mirror symmetry, \textit{S. Hosono} and \textit{H. Takagi} [J. Differ. Geom. 104, No. 3, 443--497 (2016; Zbl 1364.32018); J. Algebr. Geom. 23, No. 2, 279--312 (2014; Zbl 1298.14043)] introduce and study the Calabi-Yau threefolds \(Y_P\) associated with a four dimensional linear system \(P\) of quadrics in \(\mathbb{P}^4\). In the paper under review, the authors study the arithmetic of these threefolds. Among other things, they prove that if \(P\) is regular, generated by quadrics defined over \(\mathbb{Q}\) and contains a quadric of real signature \((1,1,1,1,0)\) or \((-1,-1,-1,-1,0)\), then \(Y_P\) does not satisfy weak approximation. In particular, \(Y_P\) comes with a transcendental element \(\alpha_P\in \mathrm{Br}(Y_P)\) of order \(2\) providing the obstruction to the weak approximation. In fact, they also show that \(Y_P\) has trivial algebraic Brauer group and its transcendental Brauer group is generated by \(\alpha_P\). Only few examples of transcendental obstruction to weak approximation are known. The paper in object provides a first example with Calabi-Yau threefolds.