Polarized relations on horizontal \(\operatorname{SL}(2)\)'s (Q2315431)

In the paper under review, the authors use representation theory to study degenerations of variations of Hodge structure over a product of the punctured disk \((\Delta^*)^r\). As a period map \(\Phi: (\Delta^*)^r \to \Gamma \backslash D\) (where \(D\) is a Mumford-Tate subdomain of a period domain) is asymptotically approximated by a nilpotent orbit which can be further approximated by a horizontal \(\mathrm{SL}_2\)-orbit, the authors consider the real conjugacy classes \(\Psi_D\) of horizontal \(\mathrm{SL}_2\)-orbits (see \S2). As the main object of study, a polarized (or, Hodge theoretically realizable) relation \(\preceq\) on \(\Psi_D\) is introduced in \S3 which is expected to describe when is the \(\mathbb{R}\)-split polarized mixed Hodge structure of a horizontal \(\mathrm{SL}_2\)-orbit more degenerate than that of another horizontal \(\mathrm{SL}_2\)-orbit. A useful method for determining \(\preceq\) is given in Theorem 3.11. The cases when \(D\) is a period domain, when \(D\) is a Hermitian symmetric domain (the ``classical'' case), and when the isotropy subgroup of \(D\) is a torus (the ``maximally nonclassical'' case) are studied in greater detail in \S5, \S6, and \S7 respectively. Many interesting examples, including period domains for curves, \(K3\) surfaces, surfaces with \(p_g=2\), and Calabi-Yau \(3\)-folds, are worked out. A polarized relation on the equivalence classes of nilpotent orbits is discussed in \S8. The paper under review relies on some earlier work of the authors [\textit{M. Kerr} and \textit{G. Pearlstein}, Ann. Inst. Fourier 64, No. 6, 2659--2714 (2014; Zbl 1327.14056); \textit{C. Robles}, Compos. Math. 152, No. 5, 918--954 (2016; Zbl 1506.14024)]. Another important ingredient is the multivariable \(\mathrm{SL}(2)\)-orbit theorem for Mumford-Tate subdomains proved in \S4 which generalizes the theorem of Cattani, Kaplan and Schmid for period domains.