Rigidity for families of polarized Calabi-Yau varieties (Q2566619)

This paper studies the analogue of Shafarevich's conjecture for polarized Calabi-Yau varieties. The Shafarevich conjecture is formulated geometrically as follows: Let \(C\) be a smooth projective curve \(C\) of genus \(g(C)\) and \(S\subset C\) a finite subset. Fix a pair \((C,S)\) and an integer \(q\geq 2\). Then there are only finitely many non-isotrivial smooth families of curves of genus \(q\) over \(C\setminus S\). Here an algebraic family over \(C\) is said to be isotrivial if over an open dense subscheme of \(C\) any two smooth fibers are isomorphic. The paper under review discusses the analogue of the Shafarevich conjecture for higher dimensional polarized varieties, in particular, Calabi-Yau varieties. Fix a pair \((C, S)\) where \(C\) is a non-singular projective curve and \(S\subset C\) a finite subset. The polarization, \(Sh(C,S,K)\), is the set of all equivalence classes of non-isotrivial smooth polarized family \(\{(f:\mathcal X\to C\setminus S,\mathcal L)\}\) satisfying \({\mathcal X}_b=f^{-1}(b)\) is a smooth projective variety with type \(K\), \(\mathcal L\) is an invertible sheaf on \(\mathcal X\), relatively ample over \(C\setminus S\) with a fixed Hilbert polynomial \(h(\nu)\) for any \(b\in C\setminus S\) and \(\nu >>0 \). Here is the formulation of the conjecture. Shafarevich Conjecture for higher dimensional polarized varieties: {Fix a pair \((C,S)\) and a Hilbert polynomial \(h(\nu)\). (B) (Boundedness) The elements of \(Sh(C,S,K)\) are parameterized by points of a scheme \({\mathbf T}\) of finite type over \({\mathbf C}\). (R) (Rigidity) When does the rigidity hold, i.e., \(\dim {\mathbf T}=0\)? (H) (Hyperbolicity) \({\mathbf T}\neq\emptyset\Rightarrow 2g(C)-2+\#S> 0\). (WB) (Weak boundedness) For a family \((f: X\to C)\in Sh(C,S,K)\), deg\(f_*\omega^m_{X/C}\) is bounded above only by \(g(C),\#S,\, h\) and \(m\). In particular, the bound is independent of \(f\).} The main results of this paper concern the rigidity of Calabi--Yau varieties. Theorem 1. Any non-isotrivial Lefschetz pencil \(f: {\mathcal X}\to {\mathbb P}^1\) of Calabi-Yau varieties of odd dimension is rigid. The proof rests on the construction of Lefschetz pencils along the line of \textit{P. Deligne}'s proof of the Weil conjecture [Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 43, 273--307 (1974; Zbl 0287.14001)]. Theorem 2. Any non-isotrivial strongly degenerated family is rigid. (This result is valid not only for families of Calabi-Yau varieties, but for more general polarized varieties.) A family over a projective smooth curve is said to be strongly degenerate if it has a singular fiber with only pure Hodge type cohomology. The proof rests on the study of Hodge types. Theorem 3. Any family of Calabi-Yau varieties over an algebraic curve admitting a degeneration with maximal unipotent monodromy is rigid. The proof uses the criterion of Viehweg-Zuo for rigidity that a family of Calabi-Yau varieties over an algebraic curve is rigid if its Yukawa coupling is non-zero.