New explicit formulas for Faltings' delta-invariant (Q2407538)

The article is concerned with a crucial invariant for the Arakelov theory of arithmetic surfaces, the Faltings' \(\delta\)-invariant for compact and connected Riemann surfaces. It was introduced by \textit{G. Faltings} in his well-known paper [Ann. Math. (2) 119, 387--424 (1984; Zbl 0559.14005)]; it represents the archimedean contribution to Faltings' arithmetic Noether formula. The value of \(\delta\) is known for elliptic curves [loc. cit.], and for genus 2 curves [\textit{B. Pioline}, J. Number Theory 163, 520--541 (2016; Zbl 1408.14096)]. In this paper new explicit formulas for curves of any genus are given, and some applications are derived, including lower bounds for \(\delta\). Let \(X\) be a compact and connected Riemann surface of genus \(g\geq 1\). Denote by \(\| \theta\|\) the normed theta function on \(\mathrm{Pic}_{g-1}(X)\) introduced by Faltings, and let \(\nu\) be the Kähler form on \(\mathrm{Pic}_{g-1}(X)\) coming from the Hodge metric on \(\mathrm{Pic}_{0}(X)\) through the canonically identification with \(\mathrm{Pic}_{g-1}(X)\). The main result in the paper is the following: Theorem. The Faltings \(\delta\) invariant and the Zhang-Kawazumi invariant of \(X\) are related by the following equation whenever \(g\geq 1\) \[ \delta(X)=-24\int_{\mathrm{Pic}_{g-1}(X)}\log\|\theta\|\frac{\nu^g}{g!}+2\varphi(X)-8g\log 2\pi. \] The proof of the theorem is reduced to the hyperelliptic case. Then the Laplace operator on the moduli space \({\mathcal M}_g\) is applied to \(\log\|\theta\|\) and the integral in the formula above is pulled back to the \((g+1)\)-power of the universal Riemann surface with level 2 structure. Deligne pairings are used to find a proper expression of the first Chern class of this \((g+1)\)-power. As application of the theorem the author provides a lower bound for \(\delta\): Corollary. Any compact connected Riemann surface \(X\) of genus \(g\geq 1\) satisfies \[ \delta(X)>-2g\log 2\pi^4. \] The following explicit formulas for \(\delta\) and \(\nu\) are derived from the main theorem: Theorem. For any compact connected Riemann surface of genus \(g\geq 1\) the invariants \(\delta(X)\) and \(\varphi(X)\) satisfy: \[ \delta(X)=2(g-7)\int_{\mathrm{Pic}_{g-1}(X)}\log\|\theta\| \frac{\nu^g}{g!}-2\int_{\Theta} \log\|\eta\| \frac{\nu^{g-1}}{g!}-4g\log 2\pi, \] \[ \varphi(X)=(g+5)\int_{\mathrm{Pic}_{g-1}(X)}\log\|\theta\| \frac{\nu^g}{g!}-\int_{\Theta} \log\|\eta\| \frac{\nu^{g-1}}{g!}+2g\log 2\pi, \] where \(\Theta\subset \mathrm{Pic}_{g-1}(X)\) is the canonical theta divisor and \(\|\eta\|\) is the normed \(\eta\) function introduced by \textit{R. de Jong} [in: Modular forms on Schiermonnikoog. Based on the conference on modular forms, Schiermonnikoog, Netherlands, October 2006. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 67--78 (2008; Zbl 1170.14033)]. These formulas give the canonical extension of the definition of the invariants \(\delta\) and \(\varphi\) to indecomposable principally polarised abelian varieties. The author finds also the following explicit formulas for the Arakelov-Green function \(G\) on \(X\times X\) when \textbf{\(g\geq 2\)}: \[ \log G(P,Q)=\int_{\Theta+P-Q}\log\|\theta\| \frac{\nu^{g-1}}{g!} +\frac{1}{2g}\varphi(X)-\int_{\mathrm{Pic}_{g-1}(X)} \log\|\theta\| \frac{\nu^g}{g!} \] From this expressions he derives an upper bound for \(G\) in terms of Faltings' invariant: \[ \sup_{P,Q\in X} \log G(P,Q) <\frac1{24g}\max(6,g+1)\delta(X)+\frac34g\log g+4. \] Finally, a generalization of Rosenhain formula is also proved.