Variations of mixed Hodge structure and semipositivity theorems (Q476096)

Positivity and vanishing theorems of higher direct image sheaves are important tools for the investigation of families of projective vareties. The notion of a simple crossing pair \((X,D)\) is used frequently in the log minimal program for higher dimensional varieties with bad singularities. The authors consider here such a pair, in particular \(X\) may be reducible, they deal with a projective morphism \(f : X \to Y\), where \(Y\) is smooth and complete. A corollary of their main work says that \( R^i f_{\ast} \omega_{X/Y}(D)\) is locally free and that it is semipositive in the sense of Fujita--Kawamata, if certain conditions are satisfied. This paper is then a remarkable extension of the findings due to \textit{Y. Kawamata} [Pure Appl. Math. Q. 7, No. 4, 1427--1447 (2011; Zbl 1316.14015)]. The roadmap of the proof is based on Griffiths' concept of variation of Hodge structure, it follows the direction started by Fujita, Kawamata and Zucker [\textit{S. Zucker}, J. Math. Soc. Japan 34, 47--54 (1982; Zbl 0503.14002)]. The authors study the mixed Hodge structure for cohomology with compact support of quasi-projective simple normal crossing pairs; they prove that in the situation at hand one has graded polarizable admissible variations of mixed Hodge structure, whose degenerating properties can be exploited to yield the semipositivity theorems. In the introduction it is explained that an alternative proof of the matter has in the meantime appeared in their joint work with \textit{M. Saito} [\textit{O. Fujino} et al., Publ. Res. Inst. Math. Sci. 50, No. 1, 85--112 (2014; Zbl 1326.14018)]). The methods of this other paper are based on the theory of mixed Hodge modules.