Algebraic approximation and the decomposition theorem for Kähler Calabi-Yau varieties (Q2138742)

For a compact Kähler manifold \(X\) with vanishing first Chern class, there are two well-known structure theorems: \begin{itemize} \item The Beauville-Bogomolov (BB) decomposition theorem, stating that up to a finite étale cover, \(X\) is a product of irreducible holomorphic symplectic manifolds, irreducible (or strict) Calabi-Yau manifolds, and a complex torus. \item The Bogomolov-Tian-Todorov (BTT) unobstructedness theorem, stating that the local deformation space \(\mathrm{Def}(X)\) is smooth. Consequently, \(X\) admits arbitrarily small projective deformations (the so-called Kodaira problem). \end{itemize} These two results are more or less logically independent (of course both rely on Yau's solution to the Calabi conjecture). If \(X\) has klt singularities, the BB theorem has been established by \textit{A. Höring} and \textit{T. Peternell} [Invent. Math. 216, No. 2, 395--419 (2019; Zbl 07061101)] (and \textit{S. Druel} and \textit{H. Guenancia} [J. Éc. Polytech., Math. 5, 117--147 (2018; Zbl 1468.14030)] and \textit{D. Greb} et al. [Geom. Topol. 23, No. 4, 2051--2124 (2019; Zbl 1423.14110)]), but only if \(X\) is projective. The BTT theorem (for locally trivial deformations) remained open even in the projective case. In this epic paper, the authors establish the BB theorem in the Kähler setting via the following route: first, they prove a weak version of BTT which is sufficient for solving the Kodaira problem. Then, they use the deformation given by the first step to push the decomposition of the projective fibres (which exists by Höring and Peternell [loc. cit.]) into the central fibre \(X\).