Finiteness and infiniteness results for Torelli groups of (hyper-)Kähler manifolds (Q2235234)

This article provides counterexamples to certain claimed results from a highly-cited paper by \textit{M.~Verbitsky} [Duke Math.~J. 162, No.~15, 2929--2986 (2013; Zbl 1295.53042)] concerning the Torelli groups of compact Kähler and hyper-Kähler manifolds (an erratum has since been published by \textit{M.~Verbitsky} in [Duke Math.~J.~169, No.~5, 1037--1038 (2020)]). Recall that the mapping class group of a closed, connected, oriented, smooth manifold \(X\) is the group of connected components of the space of orientation-preserving self-diffeomorphisms of \(X\). The Torelli group of \(X\) is the subgroup consisting of diffeomorphisms such that the induced action on the integral cohomology ring of \(X\) is trivial. Verbitsky had claimed that simply connected Kähler manifolds of real dimension at least six always have finite Torelli group and that the same holds for hyper-Kähler manifolds (without any additional assumptions). The authors construct counterexamples to the first claim in every dimension. In fact, they show that \(X(d)\), a hypersurface in \(\mathbb{C}P^4\) of degree \(d>1\), has infinite Torelli group. Taking products with copies of \(\mathbb{C}P^1\) then yields counterexamples in higher dimensions. Furthermore, they prove that if \(X\) is a simply connected eight-manifold then certain inequalities on the Betti numbers imply that the Torelli group is infinite. This criterion is then used to provide an eight-dimensional counterexample to the second claim. Finally, it is shown that the Torelli group of the Hilbert scheme of two points on a K3 surface is finite, confirming Verbitsky's claim in this case.