Schwarz's map for Appell's second hypergeometric system with quarter integer parameters (Q2075421)

For \(z\in\mathbb{C}\setminus\{0,1\}\), the smooth projective curve \(C_{z}\) that is associated with the equation \(w^{4}=v^{3}(1-v)(1-zv)\) is a hyper-elliptic curve of genus 3, whose projection to \(\mathbb{P}^{1}\) via the \(v\)-coordinate is cyclic Galois of order 4. Considering the part of the Abel-Jacobi map of \(C_{z}\) into the part of its Jacobian that is inverted by the Galois element of order 2, one obtains the an embedding of \(C_{z}\) into the self-product of an elliptic curve. Carrying this out in a family, one obtains a map into the self-product of the universal elliptic curve over the upper half-plane. The authors relate this image to the Schwarz map associated with Appell's second hypergeometric series with the parameters \(\big(\frac{1}{2},\frac{1}{4},\frac{1}{4},\frac{1}{2},\frac{1}{2}\big)\). In more detail, the space of holomorphic differentials on \(C_{z}\) is spanned by 3 forms, one for each non-trivial character of the cyclic Galois group of the map \(v:C_{z}\to\mathbb{P}^{1}\). The form associated with the order 2 character yields a 1-dimensional part of the Jacobian, and the forms corresponding to the two other characters yield a Prym variety, both with polarizations of degree 2. The latter is a quotient of the self-product of an elliptic curve \(T_{\tau}\) with itself for some \(\tau\) in the upper half-plane \(\mathcal{H}\), and the Prym part of the Abel-Jacobi map of \(C_{z}\) embeds this curve into \(T_{\tau} \times T_{\tau}\), with degree 2 over each factor. Letting \(\tau\) vary, so that the product yields the self-product of the universal family over \(\mathcal{H}\) given by \(\mathbb{Z}^{4}\backslash\mathbb{C}^{2}\times\mathcal{H}\) (with \(\mathbb{Z}^{4}\) acts as translations by \((\mathbb{Z}\oplus\mathbb{Z}\tau)^{2}\subseteq\mathbb{C}^{2}\) over \(\tau\)), and after we also gather all the curves \(C_{z}\) as a universal family over \(\mathbb{C}\setminus\{0,1\}\), we obtain a map from the latter universal family to the former. On the other hand, given two variables \(x_{1}\) and \(x_{2}\), as well as parameters \(a\), \(b_{1}\), \(b_{2}\), \(c_{1}\), and \(c_{2}\), the integral \[ f(x_{1},x_{2})=\iint_{D}\frac{t_{1}^{b_{1}-1}(1-t_{1})^{c_{1}-1}t_{2}^{b_{2}-1}(1-t_{2})^{b_{c}-1}}{(1-t_{1}-t_{2})^{a}}dt_{1}dt_{2} \] over appropriate domains \(D\) in the plane solves the two differential equations \[ x_{i}(1-x_{i})\partial_{i}^{2}f+\big(c_{i}-(a+b_{i}+1)x_{i}\big)\partial_{i}f-x_{1}x_{2}\partial_{1}\partial_{2}f-b_{i}x_{3-i}\partial_{3-i}f-ab_{i}f=0 \] for \(i\in\{1,2\}\), called Appell's second system with the parameters \((a,b_{1},b_{2},c_{1},c_{2})\). The solutions are spanned by 4 different choices of \(D\), yielding 4 functions \(f_{i}(x)\), for \(x=(x_{1},x_{2})\) and \(1 \leq i \leq 4\), which in case \(c_{1}=c_{2}=a\) have simpler expressions, either in terms of Appell's first hypergeometric series, or using the classical hypergeometric series and the variable \(z=\frac{1-x_{1}-x_{2}}{(1-x_{1})(1-x_{2})}\). These functions are defined locally, and extend in a single-valued manner by analytic continuation for the parameters \(\big(\frac{1}{2},\frac{1}{4},\frac{1}{4},\frac{1}{2},\frac{1}{2}\big)\) from above. The Schwarz map takes \(x=(x_{1},x_{2})\) in this case to the \(\mathbb{P}^{3}\)-image of the vector with the \(f_{i}(x)\)'s as entries. The first main result of this paper relates the value of this Schwarz function at \(x\) to the point \(\tau\in\mathcal{H}\) associated with \(C_{z}\) with that \(z=\frac{1-x_{1}-x_{2}}{(1-x_{1})(1-x_{2})}\), as well as to the Prym part of the Abel-Jacobi map of two specific points on \(C_{z}\) that depend on \(x\). This is used for determining the ramification locus of the projection from the image of \(C_{z}\) onto each factor \(T_{\tau}\). The monodromy group of the Schwarz map is then evaluated as a semi-direct product in which a congruence group times a Klein 4-group acts on a lattice of rank 4, which is then used for characterizing the image of the Schwarz map in terms of a theta function identity inside the universal family, as well as for finding an inverse to the Schwarz map using theta functions. The authors also observe that the curve \(C_{z}\) has an additional involution, generating a dihedral group with the Galois group of \(v\). Various functions on \(C_{z}\), that are invariant under different elements in that dihedral group, can be presented in terms of theta functions, which yields another proof of some of the relations with theta functions from above. This paper is divided into 8 sections, plus an appendix. Section 1 is the Introduction. Section 2 reviews Appell's second system and the associated hypergeometric series, with their integral representations. Section 3 presents the Schwarz map from the two parameters into \(\mathbb{P}^{3}\). Section 4 considers the curves \(C_{z}\) with their homology and Jacobian decomposition, and Section 5 establishes the properties of the Abel-Jacobi map and of the Prym part of the Jacobian. Section 6 relates the Schwarz map and the Abel-Jacobi map in the universal family, while Section 7 determines the monodromy group of the former map. Section 8 introduces theta functions, and uses them for determining the image of the Schwarz map and for inverting it. Finally, the Appendix defines the additional involution on \(C_{z}\), finding the quotient of that curve by various groups of automorphisms, and deduces the relations with the theta functions through them.