Maximal automorphisms of Calabi-Yau manifolds versus maximally unipotent monodromy (Q2268174)

This paper constructs new examples of Calabi--Yau threefolds, \(X\), with maximal automorphisms (\(\alpha\) of degree 3), which extend to the local universal deformation. Such automorphisms do not act by \(\pm1\) on \(H^3 (X,\mathbb C)\). For such a Calabi--Yau threefold \(X\) with maximal automorphism \(\alpha\), it is proved that the subbundle \(F^2 (H^3 )\) of the variation of Hodge structures of the local universal deformation is constant. One consequence of this result is that \(X\) cannot be a fiber of a maximal family with maximally unipotent monodromy, and hence, mirror symmetry for \(X\) is not fulfilled. Further, more examples of Calabi--Yau threefolds with maximal automorphisms are constructed. Among other things, it is shown that the period domain is a complex ball containing a sense set of \(CM\) points given by a Shimura variety. The group of maximal automorphisms of \(X\) is determined. It is given up to the subgroup of automorphisms acting trivially on \(H^3 (X, \mathbb C)\) by \(\{e\},\mathbb{Z}/n\) where \(n = 2, 3, 4\) or \(6\).