Defining equations of the universal abelian surfaces with level three structure (Q813276)

Hesse's cubic curve \(x^3+ y^3+ z^3- 3\mu xyz\) can be considered as a cubic theta relation. In [J. Math. Soc. Japan 56, No. 2, 375--403 (2004; Zbl 1143.11317)] the author determined the coefficient \(\mu\) as a modular function. In the present paper he investigates the analogous questions for principally polarized abelian surfaces. In this case quadratic theta relations are known classically and cubic theta relations were given by \textit{Ch. Birkenhake} and the reviewer [J. Reine Angew. Math. 407, 167--177 (1990; Zbl 0727.14025)]. In the present paper the coefficients of these quadratic and cubic theta relations are identified explicitly as modular forms of level 3 with some character of order 3. The main results are: For any principally polarized abelian surface \((A, L)\) consider the the embedding \(A\to\mathbb{P}_8\) given by the line bundle \(L^3\). Then (1) \(A\) in \(\mathbb{P}^8\) is the zero set of 9 explicitly given quadrics and 3 explicitly given cubics. (2) The coefficients of the defining equations are written by theta functions of quadratic forms, belonging to the space of Siegel modular forms of degree 2, level 3 with a certain character of order at most 2.