The identification of three moduli spaces

arXivmath/9905195MaRDI QIDQ6501337FDOQ6501337

Abstract: It is one of the wonderful ``coincidences of the theory of finite groups that the simple group G of order 25920 arises as both a symplectic group in characteristic 3 and a unitary group in characteristic 2. These two realizations of G yield two G-covers of the moduli space of configurations of six points on the projective line modulo PGL_2, via the 3- and 2-torsion of the Jacobians of the double and triple cyclic covers of P^1 branched at those six points. Remarkably these two covers are isomorphic. This was proved over C by transcendental methods by Hunt and Weintraub. We give an algebraic proof valid over any field not of characteristic 2 or 3 that contains the cube roots of unity. We then explore the connection between this $G$ -cover and the elliptic surface $y^2 = x^3 + sextic(t), whose Mordell-Weil lattice is E_8 with automorphisms by a central extension of G.

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Families, moduli of curves (algebraic) (14H10) Jacobians, Prym varieties (14H40) Rational and ruled surfaces (14J26) Special surfaces (14J25) Elliptic surfaces, elliptic or Calabi-Yau fibrations (14J27) Fine and coarse moduli spaces (14D22) Special algebraic curves and curves of low genus (14H45)

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