The sigma function over a family of curves with a singular fiber (Q2089815)

Let \(s\) be in the disc \(D_\varepsilon:=\{s\in\mathbb{C}||s|<\varepsilon\}\). The aim of this paper is to investigate the behavior of the sigma function of a degenerating family of trigonal curves \(X_s\), given by the following affine equation \[ y^3=x(x-s)(x-b_1)(x-b_2). \] The authors compare the sigma function over the punctured disc \(D^*_\mu:=D_\varepsilon\backslash\{0\}\) with the extension over \(s=0\) that specializes to the sigma function of the normalization \(X_{\widehat{0}}\) of the singular curve \(X_{s=0}\) by investigating explicitly the behavior of a basis of the first algebraic de Rham cohomology group and its period integrals. They prove, using modular properties, that sigma, unlike the theta function, has a limit. In particular, they obtain the limit of the theta characteristics and an explicit description of the theta divisor translated by the Riemann constant. The strategy is the following: in [\textit{J. C. Eilbeck} et al., Int. Math. Res. Not. 2008, Article ID rnm140, 38 p. (2008; Zbl 1210.14032); \textit{S. Matsutani} and \textit{E. Previato}, Collect. Math. 66, No. 3, 311--349 (2015; Zbl 1342.14066)], the authors obtained explicit properties of the sigma function \(\sigma_{X_s}\) for the non-singular curve \(X_s\) over the punctured disc \(s\in D^*_\mu:=D_\varepsilon\backslash\{0\}\) in [\textit{S. Matsutani} and \textit{J. Komeda}, J. Geom. Symmetry Phys. 30, 75--91 (2013; Zbl 1311.14033); \textit{J. Komeda} et al., Lett. Math. Phys. 109, No. 2, 423--447 (2019; Zbl 1441.14145)], they analyzed \(\sigma_{X_{\widehat{0}}}\) for the normalized curve \(X_{\widehat{0}}\) of \(X_0=X_{s=0}\) given by the affine equation: \(y^3=x^2(x-b_1)(x-b_2)\). Here, they consider the degenerating family of curves \(\{(x,y,s)|(x,y)\in X_s,s\in D_\varepsilon\}\) and exhibit the first algebraic de Rham cohomology groups, whose generators are given by first and second-kind differentials, as well as their period matrices, for \(X_s\) when \(s\in D_\varepsilon\), and for \(X_{\widehat{0}}\). The precise behavior of the integrals are shown in appendices A and B. Finally, the authors compare these objects over the non-singular fiber \(X_s\) to those of \(X_{\widehat{0}}\) at \(s=0\). Using this analysis, they construct the sigma functions \(\sigma_{X_s}\) and \(\sigma_{X_{\widehat{0}}}\) of \(X_s\) (\(s\in D^*_s\)) and of \(X_{\widehat{0}}\). Using the fact that a section of the divisor that gives the principal polarization with the given modular behavior over the family is unique, The authors view the sigma functions \(\sigma_{X_s}\) and \(\sigma_{X_{\widehat{0}}}\) as the canonical bases of the translate theta line bundles \(\mathcal{L}_{\mathcal{J}_s}\) and \(\mathcal{L}_{\mathcal{J}_{\widehat{0}}}\) on the Jacobi varieties, \(\mathcal{J}_s\) and \(\mathcal{J}_{\widehat{0}}\). They obtain an explicit extension in the limit \(\rightarrow0\) from \(\mathcal{L}_{\mathcal{J}_s}\), \(s\in D^*_\varepsilon\), to \(\mathcal{J}_{\widehat{0}}\), and produce an explicit line bundle over the Jacobian fibration of the family. In the family, using the sigma functions, they provide the connection to the Jacobian of the desingularization \(X_{\widehat{0}}\) over the central fiber. Based on results obtained by other authors, they explicitly compare the structure of the limit of \(\mathcal{L}_{\mathcal{J}_s}\) with that of \(\mathcal{L}_{\mathcal{J}_{\widehat{0}}}\) and the ramified covering \(\widetilde{D}^*_\varepsilon\) of \(D^*_\varepsilon\) given by the cyclic group of order three. Furthermore, the authors apply the technique of this paper to the case of such a degenerate family of elliptic curves in appendix C. They make use of a very simple expression for the elliptic al function, whereas for the present trigonal case defining al requires an elaborate configuration of triple covers of the Jacobian. They give an explicit description of the behavior of sigma for the degeneration of type IV. This paper is organized as follows: The first section is an introduction to the subject. The second section contains a review of the sigma function \(\sigma_{X_s}\) of \(X_s\) for \(s\in D^*_\varepsilon\). In the third section, at \(s=0\), by considering the normalization \(X_{\widehat{0}}\) of the singular curve \(X_0\) and the Jacobian \(\mathcal{J}_{\widehat{0}}\), the authors give properties of the sigma function \(\sigma_{X_{\widehat{0}}}\). In the forth section, they investigate the degeneration explicitly and present the main result. The paper is supported by three appendices. Appendix A is devoted to the study of the integrals associated with the period matrices over the degeneration. Appendix B gives the explicit behavior of the period matrices in the limit \(s\rightarrow0\), the crux of this paper. Appendix C gives the behavior of the Weierstrass sigma function over the degenerating family of elliptic curves which is classified as type IV by \textit{K. Kodaira} [Ann. Math. (2) 77, 563--626 (1963; Zbl 0118.15802)].