No label defined (Q4233902)

Let \(E\) be an elliptic curve and let \(\Delta\) be the discriminant of its (cubic) equation for the plane model associated to the Weierstrass form. \(\Delta\) gives rise to a definition of ``discriminant'' function on the moduli spaces of marked or unmarked elliptic curves (where the marking consists in the choice of a base for \(H_1(E,{\mathbb Z})\)). The (unmarked) discriminant \(\delta\) can be also defined starting with a flat metric \(\mu\) on \(E\) such that vol\(_\mu(E)=1\), taking the Laplacian \(\Delta_\mu\) and setting \(\delta=\) log det\(^*\Delta_\mu\) (the 0 eigenvalue is excluded). The second characterization of the discriminant suggests a natural extension to the case of polarized K3 surfaces \((X,L)\). Indeed one puts \(\delta(X,L)=\) log det\(^* \Delta^{(0,1)}\), where \(\Delta^{(0,1)}\) is defined in terms of the spectrum of the Laplacian on smooth \((0,1)\) forms \(\overline\partial_0\overline\partial_0^*+\overline\partial_1^* \overline\partial_1\) with adjunction determined by \(L\) via the compatible Einstein-Kähler metric. The authors introduce here this definition of discriminant on the moduli space of polarized K3 surfaces, then they study its variational properties, mainly related to the construction of potentials for the Weil-Petersson metric. Applications to the degeneration of K3 surfaces (as Kummer surfaces) are examined. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0908.00032].