Separation of periods of quartic surfaces (Q6183411)

Let \(f\) be a homogeneous polynomial in \(4\) variables of degree \(4\) with algebraic coefficients, defining a smooth quartic surface \(X_f\) in \({\mathbb{P}}^3({\mathbb{C}})\). There are \(21\) periods \(\alpha_1,\dots,\alpha_{21}\) in \({\mathbb{C}}\) of \(X_f\) such that any period of \(X_f\) is a linear combination with integer coefficients of these periods. The authors prove that there is a computable constant \(c\) such that, for \(x_1,\dots,x_{21}\) in \({\mathbb{Z}}\) with \(x_1\alpha_1+\cdots+x_{21}\alpha_{21}\not=0\), we have \(|x_1\alpha_1+\cdots+x_{21}\alpha_{21}|>2^{-c^{X^9}}\), with \(X=\max_{1\le i\le 21}|x_i|\). As a consequence they deduce that some Liouville type transcendental numbers are not a quotient of two periods of the same quartic smooth surface defined over the field of algebraic numbers. Their result gives an algorithm to check the equality between two such periods, answering in this particular case a question raised in [\textit{M. Kontsevich} and \textit{D. Zagier}, in: Mathematics unlimited -- 2001 and beyond. Berlin: Springer. 771--808 (2001; Zbl 1039.11002)].