Frobenius' theta function and Arakelov invariants in genus three (Q2658466)

Let \(X\) be a compact and connected genus \(g \geq 1\) Riemann surface. Respectively, the Kawazumi-Zhang invariant \(\phi(X)\) and the Faltings invariant \(\delta(X)\), see, for example \textit{S.-W. Zhang} [Invent. Math. 179, No. 1, 1--73 (2010; Zbl 1193.14031)] and \textit{G. Faltings} [Ann. Math. (2) 119, 387--424 (1984; Zbl 0559.14005)], capture certain arithmetic archimedean features of \(X\). Moreover, these invariants may be interpreted as naturally defined real valued functions on \(\mathcal{M}_g\), the moduli space of genus \(g\) compact Riemann surfaces. In the article under review, the author focuses on the case that \(g=3\). The main result builds on work of \textit{R. Wilms} [Invent. Math. 209, No. 2, 481--539 (2017; Zbl 1390.14073)]. It gives new explicit descriptions of the invariants \(\phi(X)\) and \(\delta(X)\). Moreover, as an application, the author uses this result to give a representative of the Hain-Reed \(\beta\)-invariant, a concept which was defined in [\textit{R. Hain} and \textit{D. Reed}, J. Differ. Geom. 67, No. 2, 195--228 (2004; Zbl 1118.14029)]. Finally, this article contains a significant expository component. For example, the author has taken care to expose, in detail, the main properties of Frobenius' theta function.