Computing period integrals of rigid double octic Calabi-Yau threefolds with Picard-Fuchs operator (Q2223363)

This paper is concerned with double octic Calabi-Yau threefolds, which are rigid. The rigid Calabi-Yau threefolds considered here is birational to a smooth resolution of a special member of a one-parameter family \(\{X_t\}_{t\in\mathbb{C}}\) whose general element is a Calabi-Yau threefold with \(h^{1,2}=1\). There is a Picard-Fuch differential equaion associated to each of these families, which is of order \(4\). All Picard-Fuchs equations considered here have three regular singular points: a MUM point at \(0\), a conifold point \(t_0\), and another regular singular point at \(\infty\). Assume that \(X_{t_0}\) is singular whose smooth resolution is a rigid Calabi-Yau threefold \(\overline{X}_{t_0}\). By \textit{F. Q. Gouvêa} and \textit{N. Yui} [Expo. Math. 29, No. 1, 142--149 (2011; Zbl 1230.14056)], any rigid Calabi-Yau threefold over \(\mathbb{Q}\) is modular, so its \(L\)-funbction is a modular form of weight \(4\) on some congruence subgroup \(\Gamma_0(N)\). This paper presents a method of numerically computing period integrals of \(\overline{X}_{t_0}\), using only the Picard--Fuch opetator of the family \(\{X_t\}\). This work is extension of \textit{S. Cynk} and \textit{D. van Straten} [Ann. Pol. Math. 123, Part 1, 243--258 (2019; Zbl 1436.14073)], in which they gave numerical evidences that the period integrals are proportional to the special values of the \(L\)-function of the corresponding modular form. For a double octic Calabi-Yau threefold, an arrangement defined by real planes gives a decomposition of \(\mathbb{P}^3(\mathbb{R})\) into a finite number of polyhedral cells, and hence real polyhedral \(3\)-cycles on \(\overline{X}_{t_0}\). At a conifold point \(t_0\), the Picard-Fuch equation of the family has the local exponents \(0,1,1,2\), and there is the conifold period \(f_2\). The main idea is to determine \(f_2\) analytically continuing solutions repeatedly along a loop starting in the neighbourhood of the conifold point \(t_0\) and encirling the MUM point. This is done using MAPLE's procedure formal$_-$sol from DEtools library. Define \(\mathcal{L}_{p,t_0}:=\mathbb{Z}\text{-span} (\{\Re(T_0^n(f_2)(t_0), \Im(T_0^n(f_2)(t_0)i; n\in\mathbb{N}\})\), \(T_0\) is the local monodromy opertor at \(0\). Then \(\mathcal{L}_{p,t_0}\) is shown (numerically) to be a lattice commensurable with the lattice of period integrals of \(\overline{X}_{t_0}\). This determines numerically the period integrals of rigid Calabi-Yau threefolds in consideration. With this method, 49 conifold points appearing in 29 double octic families are studied yielding numerical approximations of the real and imaginary period integrals. The resulting observation is that the real and imaginary period integrals of \(\overline{X}_{t_0}\) are multiples of \(L(f,1)\) and \(L(f,2)/2\pi i\) where \(L(f,1)\) and \(L(f,2)\) are special values of the \(L\)-function of the modular form corresponding to \(\overline{X}_{t_0}\).