Moduli of nodal sextic curves via periods of \(K3\) surfaces (Q6135873)

The study of nodal plane curves has a long history. \textit{F. Severi} [Lezioni di geometria algebrica: geometria sopra una curva: superficie di Riemann; integrali abeliani. Padova: Draghi (1908; JFM 39.0638.17)] and \textit{J. Harris} [Invent. Math. 84, 445--461 (1986; Zbl 0596.14017)] made fundamental contribution to the theory of moduli space of nodal plane curves with fixed degree and number of nodes, proving the smoothness and connectedness of such space. In this paper, the authors study nodal sextic curves by the approach of their relevant nodal \(K3\) surfaces, as the double cover of \(\mathbb{P}^2\) branched along a plane sextic is a \(K3\) surfaces of degree 2 and a generic \(K3\) surface of degree 2 can be built up by the sextic brached locus in this way. Thanks to the period map of \(K3\) surfaces, \textit{J. Shah} [Ann. Math. (2) 112, 485--510 (1980; Zbl 0412.14016)] interpolates the GIT compatification of the moduli space of sextic curves as an explicit modification of the Baily-Borel compatification. Then \textit{E. Looijenga} [Duke Math. J. 118, No. 1, 151--187 (2003; Zbl 1052.14036); Duke Math. J. 119, No. 3, 527--588 (2003; Zbl 1079.14045)] develops a theory for compatifications of arithmetric quotients of arrangement complements in hyperbolic balls or type IV domains. Under this framework,the authors prove as main results, the period map \(\mathscr{P}\) from the moduli space \(\mathcal{F}_T\) of sextic curves of singular type \(T\) to the global period domain \(\Gamma/\mathbb{D}\) is an algebraic open embedding and it extends to an isomorphism between the GIT compactification and Looijgenga compatification.