Base spaces of non-isotrivial families of smooth minimal models (Q3147686)

The paper under review addresses the question of which complex quasi-projective varieties, say \(U\), admit a non-constant morphism, \(f\), to the moduli stack of canonically polarized complex manifolds with fixed Hilbert polynomial, \(h\). In the case of curves, that is \(\deg h=1\), there are well known restrictions to \(U\), or better to a projective non-singular compactification, \(Y\). The existence of \(f\) forces \(\Omega_Y^1(\log S)\) to be big, where \(S=Y\setminus U\) is a normal crossing divisor. Many papers addressed a similar problem for higher degree \(h\) [see for instance: \textit{L. Migliorini}, J. Algebr. Geom. 4, No. 2, 353-361 (1995; Zbl 0834.14021); \textit{S. J. Kovács}, Math. Ann. 308, No. 2, 347-359 (1997; Zbl 0922.14024); \textit{E. Bedulev} and \textit{E. Viehweg}, Invent. Math. 139, No. 3, 603-615 (2000; Zbl 1057.14044)]. In this case the above vector bundle is not necessarily big but still it has some positivity properties. The main result of the paper is that the existence of a non-constant morphism \(f\) is only possible if \(U\) carries multi-differential forms with logarithmic singularities at infinity. The techniques are partly based on previous results by the authors [\textit{E. Viehweg} and \textit{K. Zuo}, J. Algebr. Geom. 10, No. 4, 781-799 (2001; Zbl 1079.14503)] were the case of \(U\) of dimension one is studied, and provide also a vanishing theorem for the space of sections of symmetric powers of logarithmic one forms. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0989.00069].