Linear manifolds in the moduli space of one-forms

DOI10.1215/00127094-2008-041MaRDI QIDQ943564zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Publication date 9 September 2008

Published in Duke Mathematical Journal (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0703145

Hilbert modular variety Hodge bundle holomorphic one-form hyperelliptic locus moduli space Riemann surface Teichmüller curve

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Variation of Hodge structures (algebro-geometric aspects) (14D07) Moduli of Riemann surfaces, Teichmüller theory (complex-analytic aspects in several variables) (32G15) Period matrices, variation of Hodge structure; degenerations (32G20)

Abstract: We study closures of GL_2(R)-orbits on the total space of the Hodge bundle over the moduli space of curves under the assumption that they are algebraic manifolds. We show that, in the generic stratum, such manifolds are the whole stratum, the hyperelliptic locus or parameterize curves whose Jacobian has additional endomorphisms. This follows from a cohomological description of the tangent bundle to strata. For non-generic strata similar results can be shown by a case-by-case inspection. We also propose to study a notion of 'linear manifold' that comprises Teichmueller curves, Hilbert modular surfaces and the ball quotients of Deligne and Mostow. Moreover, we give an explanation for the difference between Hilbert modular surfaces and Hilbert modular threefolds with respect to this notion of linearity.

Review text

Let \(M_g\) denote the moduli space of curves of genus \(g\). The total space of the Hodge bundle \(\Omega M_g\) over \(M_g\) is the space of pairs \((X,\omega)\) where \(X\) is a Riemann surface of genus \(g\) and \(\omega\) a holomorphic one-form on \(X\). The space \(\Omega M_g\) admits a linear structure, induced by the operation of integration of one-forms over a basis of the first homology relative to the zeros of one-forms. From this linear structure, one deduces a natural action of \(\mathrm{GL}_2^+(\mathbb{R})\) on \(M_g\), and an important question that has been raised in the last few years is the classification of the closures of the orbits of this action. The question is partly motivated by a result by Marina Ratner on the classification of orbit closures in homogeneous manifolds. The question studied in the paper under review has been answered by \textit{C. T. McMullen} for the case \(g=2\), in his paper [Ann. Math. (2) 165, 397--456 (2007; Zbl 1131.14027)]. The author analyzes the case \(g\geq 3\). For that purpose, he splits the question of orbit closure into three subquestions: (1) to show that the orbit closures are complex manifolds; (2) to show that these complex manifolds are algebraic; (3) to classify these algebraic manifolds. The author shows the importance of the hyperelliptic loci in this classification problem. The main result is the following: Theorem: Let \(B\) be an algebraic manifold of the generic stratum \(S\) of \(\Omega M_g\) with linear structure. Then, there are three possibilites: {\parindent6mm \begin{itemize}\item[(1)] \(B\) is a connected component of \(S\); \item[(2)] \(g\geq 3\) and \(B\) is the preimage in \(S\) of the hyperelliptic locus in \(M_g\); \item[(3)] \(B\) parametrizes curves with a Jacobian whose endomorphism ring is strictly larger than \(\mathbb{Z}\). \end{itemize}} The author also obtains statements for nongeneric strata, mostly by a case-by-case inspection. The results obtained in this paper are based on a cohomological description of the tangent bundle to \(\Omega M_g\). The author also introduces a notion of \textit{linear manifold} that includes Teichmüller curves, Hilbert modular surfaces, and the ball quotients of Deligne and Mostow. He proposes an explanation for the difference between the linearity of the eigenform bundle over a Hilbert modular surface and the nonlinearity of the Hilbert modular threefold parametrizing Abelian varieties of dimension three with real multiplication by \(\mathbb{Z}[\zeta_7+\zeta^{-1}_7]\). This difference was pointed out by \textit{C. T. McMullen} in his paper [J. Am. Math. Soc. 16, 857--885 (2003; Zbl 1030.32012)].

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