Boundaries of cycle spaces and degenerating Hodge structures (Q482141)

The aim of the work is to interpret the boundary points of the Satake compactifications \(\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}_S\) and the toroidal compactifications \(\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H} _{\Sigma}\) of arithmetic quotients \(\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}\) of the Siegel space \(\mathcal{H} = \text{Sp} (n, {\mathbb R}) / \text{U}(n)\) by limiting mixed Hodge structures. This is accomplished by extending the natural projection \(D = \text{Sp} (n, {\mathbb R}) / \prod _j \text{U}(n_j) \rightarrow \mathcal{H}\), \(\sum _j n_j = n\), of an odd weight period domain \(D\) to a map \(\Gamma \setminus D_{\Sigma} \rightarrow \Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}_S\) from Kato-Usui's partial compactification \(\Gamma \setminus D_{\Sigma}\), associated with an appropriate fan \(\Sigma\) or to a map \(\Gamma \setminus D_{\Sigma} \rightarrow \overline{\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}_S}\) to the complex conjugate \(\overline{\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}_S}\) of \(\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}_S\). The maps in question are factored through the toroidal compactifications \(\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}_{\Sigma}\) and their complex conjugates \(\overline{\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}_{\Sigma}}\), respectively. Bearing in mind that the Satake and the toroidal compactifications of \(\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}\) are studied extensively, the constructions are expected to shed a light on the geometry of Kato-Usui's compactifications \(\Gamma \setminus D_{\Sigma}\). In the case of \(D = \text{Sp} (2, {\mathbb R}) / \text{U}(1) \times \text{U}(1)\), the discussed correspondence is shown to be continuous. In order to sketch the construction, recall that \(D\) classifies the polarized Hodge structures with Hodge numbers \(n_j\) on the complexification \(H_{\mathbb C}\) of a lattice \(H_{\mathbb Z}\). Let us identify the points of \(D\) with their corresponding Hodge filtrations \(F\) of \(H_{\mathbb C}\), shift the weight to \(-1\) and restrict to mixed Hodge structures on the points of the compact dual \(\check{D}\), which arise from a two-step nilpotent element \(N \in \mathfrak{g}_{\mathbb C}\). The restriction \(N^2=0\) is quite natural for the set up of the problem, as far as the Satake and the toroidal compactifications of \(\mathcal{H}\) and \(\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}\), \(\Gamma \leq G_{\mathbb Z} \simeq \text{Sp} (n, {\mathbb Z})\), are related to the parabolic subgroups \(P\) of \(G\) and the unipotent radicals of \(P\) are two-step nilpotent. The assumption \(N^2 =0\) provides a monodromy weight filtration \(W(N) _0 = H_{\mathbb R} \supseteq W(N) _{-1} = \text{Ker} N \supseteq W(N) _{-2} = \text{Im} N\). Under appropriate restrictions, the pair \((W(N), F)\) is a limiting mixed Hodge structure and admits the Deligne decomposition \(H_{\mathbb C} = \bigoplus _{p+q = 0,-1,-2} I^{p,q}\). For any \(z \in {\mathbb C}\) with \(\text{Im} (z) >0\), the author shows the existence of a decomposition \(H^{p, -p-1} = I^{p,-p-1} \oplus \exp (zN) I^{p,-p} \oplus \exp ( \overline{z} N) I^{p+1,-p-1}\). Denote by \[ {\mathbf n} _{-} = \left( \begin{matrix} 0 & 1 \\ 0 & 0 \end{matrix} \right), \;\;{\mathbf h} = \left( \begin{matrix} -1 & 0 \\ 0 & 1 \end{matrix} \right), \;\;{\mathbf n} _{+} = \left( \begin{matrix} 0 & 0 \\ 1 & 0 \end{matrix} \right) \] the standard generators of the Lie algebra \(\text{sl} (2, {\mathbb C})\). According to the \(\text{SL}(2)\)-orbit theorem, for any \(N \in \mathfrak{g}_{\mathbb C}\) with \(N^2 = 0\) there is a Lie group homomorphism \(\rho : \text{SL} (2, {\mathbb C}) \rightarrow G_{\mathbb C} = \text{Sp} (n, {\mathbb C})\) defined over \({\mathbb R}\) and a \(\rho\)-equivariant holomorphic map \(\phi : {\mathbb P} ^1 ( {\mathbb C}) \rightarrow \check{D}\) such that \((W(N), \phi (0) = \widehat{F})\) is an \({\mathbb R}\)-split limiting mixed Hodge structure, \(\rho _* : \text{sl}(2, {\mathbb C}) \rightarrow \mathfrak{g}_{\mathbb C}\) is a \((0,0)\)-morphism, \(\rho _* ( {\mathbf n} _{-}) = N\) and \(\rho _* ( {\mathbf h}) v = (p+q+1)v\) for all \(v \in I^{p,q}\). The article establishes that \(X := \frac{1}{2} ( i \rho _* ( {\mathbf n} _{-} ) - \rho _* ( {\mathbf h}) + i \rho _* ( {\mathbf n} _{+} ) ) \in \mathfrak{g} ^{-1,1} _{\mathbb C}\) is of weight \((-1,1)\) with respect to the reference point \(F_0 = \exp (iN) \widehat{F}\) of \(D\) and \(X \exp (iN) v = - \text{exp} ( - iN) v\) for all \(v \in I^{p,-p}\). If \(K_0 \simeq U(n)\) is the maximal compact subgroup of \(G = \text{Sp} (n, {\mathbb R})\) containing the stabilizer of \(F_0\), then the \(K_0\)-orbit \(C_0\) of \(F_0\) is a compact submanifold of \(D\). The cycle space \(\mathcal{M}_{\check{D}}\) of the compact dual \(\check{D}\) of \(D\) consists of the translates \(gC_0\) of \(C_0\) by all \(g \in G_{\mathbb C}\). The cycle space \(\mathcal{M}_D \) of the period domain \(D\) contains only those \(gC_0 \in \mathcal{M}_{\check{D}}\) which lie in \(D\). The space \(\mathcal{M}_D\) is known to be isomorphic to \(\mathcal{B} \times \overline{\mathcal{B}}\), where \(\mathcal{B}\) stands for the Siegel space \(\mathcal{H} = \text{Sp} (n, {\mathbb R}) / U(n)\), viewed as a bounded symmetric domain. The article shows that \(\exp (X) \in G_{\mathbb C}\) maps the reference point \(C_0 \in \mathcal{M}_D\) into the point \(\exp (X) C_0 \in \mathcal{M}_{\check{D}}\) from the topological closure \(\mathcal{M}_D ^{\text{cl}} \simeq \mathcal{B}^{\text{cl}} \times \overline{{\mathcal{B}}^{\text{cl}}}\) of \(\mathcal{M}_D\) in \(\mathcal{M}_{\check{D}}\). This relates the boundary of the cycle space \(\mathcal{M}_D\) with the limiting mixed Hodge structure \((W(N), \widehat{F})\) associated with \(N\) and \(X\). A nilpotent cone \(\sigma\) in \(\mathfrak{g}\) is a finitely generated rational polyhedral cone \(\sigma = \sum _{j=1} ^n {\mathbb R}_{\geq 0} N_j \subset \mathfrak{g}_{\mathbb R}\), whose elements are nilpotent and commute with each other. For \(F \in \check{D}\) the pair \(( \sigma, \exp ( \sigma _{\mathbb C}) F)\) is a \(\sigma\)-nilpotent orbit if \(N F^p \subset F^{p-1}\) for all \(N \in \sigma\) and \(\text{exp} (zN) F \in D\) for \(z \in {\mathbb C}\) with sufficiently large \(\text{Im} z >0\) and all \(N\) from the relative interior \(\sigma ^{o}\) of \(\sigma\). The monodromy weight filtration \(W(N)\) on \(F\) is independent of the choice of \(N \in \sigma\) and denoted by \(W( \sigma )\). A nilpotent orbit \(( \sigma, \exp ( \sigma _{\mathbb C}) F)\) is of even type (respectively, of odd type) if \(N^2 =0\) for all \(N \in \sigma ^{o}\) and \(I^{p,-p} =0\) for all odd integers (respectively, \(I^{p,-p} =0\) for all even integers \(p\)) with respect to the limiting mixed Hodge structure \((W( \sigma), F)\). A nilpotent cone \(\sigma\) is of even type (respectively, of odd type) if all \(\sigma\)-nilpotent orbits are of even type (respectively, of odd type). A fan \(\Sigma\) is of even type (respectively, of odd type) if any face of \(\Sigma\) is an even type (respectively, an odd type) nilpotent cone. Let \(( \sigma, \exp ( \sigma _{\mathbb C}) F)\) be a nilpotent orbit and \(C_0\) be the orbit of \(F\) under the maximal compact subgroup \(K_0\) of \(G = \text{Sp} (n, {\mathbb R})\) containing the stabilizer of \(F\). Any \(N \in \sigma^{o}\) is associated with \(X(N) \in \mathfrak{g} ^{-1,1}\) by means of the \(\text{SL}(2)\)-orbit theorem. The article establishes that a basic feature of the nilpotent orbits \((\sigma, \exp ( \sigma _{\mathbb C} ) F)\) of even type and odd type is \(\exp (X(N)) C_0 \subset \mathcal{B}^{\text{cl}}\) and \(\exp (X(N)) C_0 \subset \overline{\mathcal{B}}^{\text{cl}}\), respectively, for all \(N \in \sigma ^{o}\). Moreover, \(\exp (X(N)) C_0\) is shown to be independent of \(N \in \sigma ^{o}\) and \(F \in \exp (\sigma _{\mathbb C})F\). Let \({\mathbf B}_S( \sigma)\) be the Satake boundary component of \(\mathcal{B} \simeq \text{Sp} (n, {\mathbb R}) / \text{U}(n)\) corresponding to the real totally isotropic subspace \(W( \sigma) _{-2} = \text{Im} N\), \(N \in \sigma ^{o}\), and let \({\mathbf B} ( \sigma)\) be the set of all \(\sigma\)-nilpotent orbits for a nilpotent cone \(\sigma\) of even type or of odd type. The aforementioned properties of \(\exp (X(N)) C_0\) imply the presence of well defined maps \({\mathbf B} ( \sigma) \rightarrow {\mathbf B} _S( \sigma)\) and \({\mathbf B} ( \sigma) \rightarrow \overline{{\mathbf B} _S ( \sigma )}\), respectively. Thus, for any fan \(\Sigma\) of even type or odd type, there arise correspondences \(p^{\text{ev}} : D_{\Sigma} := \coprod _{\sigma \in \Sigma} {\mathbf B} ( \sigma) \rightarrow \mathcal{H} _S\) and \(p^{\text{od}}: D_{\Sigma} \rightarrow \overline{\mathcal{H}_S}\), respectively, in the Satake compactification \(\mathcal{H}_S\) of \(\mathcal{H} = \text{Sp} (n, {\mathbb R}) / U(n)\) or in its complex conjugate \(\overline{\mathcal{H}_S}\). A subgroup \(\Gamma\) of \(G_{\mathbb Z} = \text{Sp} (n, {\mathbb Z})\) is compatible with a fan \(\Sigma\) of nilpotent cones \(\sigma \subset \mathfrak{g}_{\mathbb R}\) if \(\Sigma\) is invariant under the adjoint action of \(\Gamma\). If \(\Gamma\) is compatible with a fan \(\Sigma\) of even type or of odd type, then there are maps \(p^{\text{ev}} : \Gamma \setminus D_{\Sigma} \rightarrow \Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H} _S\) and \(p^{\text{od}} : \Gamma \setminus D_{\Sigma} \rightarrow \overline{\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}_S}\), respectively, in the Satake compactification \(\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}_S\) of \(\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}\) or in its complex conjugate \(\overline{\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}_S}\). Let \(( \sigma , \exp ( \sigma _{\mathbb C}) \widehat{F})\) be an \({\mathbb R}\)-split nilpotent orbit and \(H_{\mathbb C} = \bigoplus _{p +q = 0, -1,-2} I^{p,q}\) be the Deligne decomposition with respect to the limiting mixed Hodge structure \((W( \sigma), \widehat{F})\). If \(( \sigma , \exp ( \sigma _{\mathbb C}) \widehat{F})\) is of even type, consider the point \(\widetilde{F} ^{o} = \left( \bigoplus _{ p: \, \text{even} } I^{p, -p-1} \right) \oplus \left( \bigoplus _p I^{p,-p} \right)\) of the compact dual \(\check{\mathcal{H}}\) of \(\mathcal{H}\). For \((\sigma , \exp ( \sigma _{\mathbb C} ) \widehat{F})\) of odd type put \(\widetilde{F}^{o} = \left( \bigoplus _{ p: \, \text{odd}} I^{p, -p-1} \right) \oplus \left( \bigoplus _p I^{p,-p} \right) \in \check{\mathcal{H}}\). After showing that \(p^{\text{ev}} (\exp (zN) \widehat{F}) = \exp (zN) \widetilde{F}\) and \(p^{\text{od}} ( \exp ( \overline{z} N) \widehat{F}) = \exp ( \overline{z} N) \widetilde{F}\), respectively, for all \(z \in {\mathbb C}\) with \(\text{Im} z >0\) and all \(N \in \sigma ^{o}\), the author establishes that \(p^{\text{ev}} : \Gamma \setminus D_{\Sigma} \rightarrow \Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H} _S\) and \(p^{\text{od}} : \Gamma \setminus D_{\Sigma} \rightarrow \overline{\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}_S}\), respectively, factor through maps \(\widetilde{p} ^{\text{ev}} : \Gamma \setminus D_{\Sigma} \rightarrow \Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}_{\Sigma}\) and \(\widetilde{p} ^{\text{od}} : \Gamma \setminus D_{\Sigma} \rightarrow \overline{\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}_{\Sigma}}\), respectively, in the toroidal compactification \(\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}_{\Sigma}\) of \(\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}\) associated with \(\Sigma\) and in its complex conjugate \(\overline{\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}_{\Sigma}}\), respectively. In the case of \(D = \text{Sp} (2, {\mathbb R}) / \text{U}(1) \times \text{U}(1)\), let us fix a basis \(e_1, \dots , e_4\) of \(H_{\mathbb Z}\) with \[ ( \langle e_j, e_k \rangle )_{j,k} = \left( \begin{matrix} 0 & - I_2 \\ I_2 & 0 \end{matrix} \right), \] where \(I_2\) stands for the unit \(2 \times 2\)-matrix. If \(\sigma = {\mathbb R}_{\geq 0} N\) for some \(N \in G_{\mathbb Z} = \text{Sp} (2, {\mathbb Z})\) with \(N(e_3) = e_1\) and \(N(e_j) =1\) for \(j = 1,2,4\), then \(\Sigma _{\text{ev}} := \{ \text{Ad} (g) \sigma \;\;| \;\;g \in G_{\mathbb Z} \}\) is the fan of all nilpotent cones of even type. The article shows that for any subgroup \(\Gamma < G_{\mathbb Z}\) containing the generators of the cones from \(\Sigma _{\text{ev}}\), the maps \(\widetilde{p} ^{\text{ev}} : \Gamma \setminus D_{\Sigma _{\text{ev}}} \rightarrow \Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}_{\Sigma _{\text{ev}}}\) and \(p^{\text{ev}} : \Gamma \setminus D_{\Sigma _{\text{ev}}} \rightarrow \Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}_S\) are continuous. This is done by explicit descriptions of neighborhoods of the boundary points \((\sigma, \text{exp} ( \sigma _{\mathbb C}) \widetilde{F}) \in \Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H} _{\Sigma _{\text{ev}}}\) and \((\sigma, \text{exp} ( \sigma _{\mathbb C}) F) \in \Gamma \setminus D_{\Sigma _{\text{ev}}}\). Similarly, the fan \(\Sigma _{\text{od}}\) of all nilpotent cones of odd type consists of \(Ad (g) \sigma _m\), where \(g \in G_{\mathbb Z}\) and \(\sigma _m = {\mathbb R} _{\geq 0} N_m\) for some square-free positive integer \(m\), \(N_m \in \mathfrak{g}_{\mathbb C}\), \(N_m ^2 =0\), \(N_m (e_3) = -e_1\), \(N_m ( e_4) = - m e_2\), \(N_m (e_1) = N_m (e_2) =0\). If the generators of all the cones from \(\Sigma _{\text{od}}\) belong to a subgroup \(\Gamma\) of \(G_{\mathbb Z}\), then \(\widetilde{p} ^{\text{od}} : \Gamma \setminus D_{\Sigma _{\text{od}}} \rightarrow \overline{\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}_{\Sigma _{\text{od}}}}\) and \(p^{\text{od}} : \Gamma \setminus D_{\Sigma _{\text{od}}} \rightarrow \overline{\Gamma \setminus \mathcal{H}_S}\) are shown to be continuous.