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Radu Laza

Publications and source records attributed to Radu Laza.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2019

Automorphisms and Periods of Cubic Fourfolds

We classify the symplectic automorphism groups for cubic fourfolds. The main inputs are the global Torelli theorem for cubic fourfolds and the classification of the fixed-point sublattices of the Leech lattice. Among the highlights of our results, we note that there are 34 possible groups of symplectic automorphisms, with 6 maximal cases. The six maximal cases correspond to 8 non-isomorphic, and isolated in moduli, cubic fourfolds; six of them previously identified by other authors. Finally, the Fermat cubic fourfold has the largest possible order (174,960) for the automorphism group (non-necessarily symplectic) among all smooth cubic fourfolds.

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arXiv2018

On the moduli space of pairs consisting of a cubic threefold and a hyperplane

We study the moduli space of pairs $(X,H)$ consisting of a cubic threefold $X$ and a hyperplane $H$ in $\mathbb P^4$. The interest in this moduli comes from two sources: the study of certain weighted hypersurfaces whose middle cohomology admit Hodge structures of $K3$ type and, on the other hand, the study of the singularity $O_{16}$ (the cone over a cubic surface). In this paper, we give a Hodge theoretic construction of the moduli space of cubic pairs by relating $(X,H)$ to certain "lattice polarized" cubic fourfolds $Y$. A period map for the pairs $(X,H)$ is then defined using the periods of the cubic fourfolds $Y$. The main result is that the period map induces an isomorphism between a GIT model for the pairs $(X,H)$ and the Baily-Borel compactification of some locally symmetric domain of type IV.

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arXiv2018

Remarks on degenerations of hyper-Kähler manifolds

Using the Minimal Model Program, any degeneration of K-trivial varieties can be arranged to be in a Kulikov type form, i.e. with trivial relative canonical divisor and mild singularities. In the hyper-Kähler setting, we can then deduce a finiteness statement for monodromy acting on $H^2$, once one knows that one component of the central fiber is not uniruled. Independently of this, using deep results from the geometry of hyper-Kähler manifolds, we prove that a finite monodromy projective degeneration of hyper-Kähler manifolds has a smooth filling (after base change and birational modifications). As a consequence of these two results, we prove a generalization of Huybrechts' theorem about birational versus deformation equivalence, allowing singular central fibers. As an application, we give simple proofs for the deformation type of certain geometric constructions of hyper-Kähler manifolds (e.g. Debarre--Voisin or Laza--Saccà--Voisin). In a slightly different direction, we establish some basic properties (dimension and rational homology type) for the dual complex of a Kulikov type degeneration of hyper-Kähler manifolds.

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arXiv2018

GIT versus Baily-Borel compactification for $K3$'s which are double covers of $\mathbb P^1\times\mathbb P^1$

In previous work, we have introduced a program aimed at studying the birational geometry of locally symmetric varieties of Type IV associated to moduli of certain projective varieties of K3 type. In particular, a concrete goal of our program is to understand the relationship between GIT and Baily-Borel compactifications for quartic K3 surfaces, K3's which are double covers of a smooth quadric surface, and double EPW sextics. In our first paper (arXiv:1607.01324), based on arithmetic considerations, we have given conjectural decompositions into simple birational transformations of the period maps from the GIT moduli spaces mentioned above to the corresponding Baily-Borel compactifications. In our second paper (arXiv:1612.07432) we studied the case of quartic K3's; we have given geometric meaning to this decomposition and we have partially verified our conjectures. Here, we give a full proof of our conjectures for the moduli space of K3's which are double covers of a smooth quadric surface. The main new tool here is VGIT for (2,4) complete intersection curves.

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arXiv2018

Maximally Algebraic potentially irrational Cubic Fourfolds

A well known conjecture asserts that a cubic fourfold $X$ whose transcendental cohomology $T_X$ can not be realized as the transcendental cohomology of a $K3$ surface is irrational. Since the geometry of cubic fourfolds is intricately related to the existence of algebraic $2$-cycles on them, it is natural to ask for the most algebraic cubic fourfolds $X$ to which this conjecture is still applicable. In this paper, we show that for an appropriate `algebraicity index' $κ_X$, there exists a unique class of cubics maximizing $κ_X$, not having an associated $K3$ surface; namely, the cubic fourfolds with an Eckardt point (previously investigated in [LPZ17]). Arguably, they are the most algebraic potentially irrational cubic fourfolds, and thus a good testing ground for the Harris, Hassett, Kuznetsov conjectures.

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arXiv2017

GIT versus Baily-Borel compactification for quartic K3 surfaces

Looijenga has introduced new compactifications of locally symmetric varieties that give a complete understanding of the period map from the GIT moduli space of plane sextics to the Baily-Borel compactification of the moduli space polarized K3's of degree 2, and also of the period map of cubic fourfolds. On the other hand, the period map of the GIT moduli space of quartic surfaces is significantly more subtle. In our previous paper, we introduced a Hassett-Keel-Looijenga program for certain locally symmetric varieties of Type IV. As a consequence, we gave a complete conjectural decomposition into a product of elementary birational modifications of the period map for the GIT moduli spaces of quartic surfaces. The purpose of this note is to provide compelling evidence in favor of our program. Specifically, we propose a matching between the arithmetic strata in the period space and suitable strata of the GIT moduli spaces of quartic surfaces. We then partially verify that the proposed matching actually holds.

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arXiv2017

A hyper-Kähler compactification of the Intermediate Jacobian fibration associated to a cubic fourfold

For a general cubic fourfold, it was observed by Donagi and Markman that the relative intermediate Jacobian fibration associated to the family of its hyperplane sections carries a natural holomorphic symplectic form making the fibration Lagrangian. In this paper, we obtain a smooth projective compactification of the intermediate Jacobian fibration giving a ten-dimensional compact hyper-Kähler manifold, which we then show to be deformation equivalent to the exceptional example of O'Grady. This proves a conjecture by Markushevich.

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arXiv2016

Birational geometry of the moduli space of quartic K3 surfaces

By work of Looijenga and others, one has a good understanding of the relationship between GIT and Baily-Borel compactifications for the moduli spaces of degree 2 K3 surfaces, cubic fourfolds, and a few other related examples. The similar-looking cases of degree 4 K3 surfaces and double EPW sextics turn out to be much more complicated for arithmetic reasons. In this paper, we refine work of Looijenga to allow us to handle these cases. Specifically, in analogy with the so-called Hassett-Keel program for the moduli space of curves, we study the variation of log canonical models for locally symmetric varieties of Type IV associated to D lattices. In particular, for the dimension 19 case, we conjecturally obtain a continuous one-parameter interpolation (via a directed MMP) between the GIT and Baily-Borel compactifications for the moduli of degree 4 K3 surfaces. The predictions for the similar 18 dimensional case, corresponding geometrically to hyperelliptic degree 4 K3 surfaces, can be verified by means of VGIT -- this will be discussed elsewhere.

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arXiv2015

Extending the Prym map to toroidal compactifications of the moduli space of abelian varieties

The main purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual approach to understanding the extension of the Prym map from the space of admissible double covers of stable curves to different toroidal compactifications of the moduli space of principally polarized abelian varieties. By separating the combinatorial problems from the geometric aspects we can reduce this to the computation of certain monodromy cones. In this way we not only shed new light on the extension results of Alexeev, Birkenhake, Hulek, and Vologodsky for the second Voronoi toroidal compactification, but we also apply this to other toroidal compactifications, in particular the perfect cone compactification, for which we obtain a combinatorial characterization of the indeterminacy locus, as well as a geometric description up to codimension six, and an explicit toroidal resolution of the Prym map up to codimension four.

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arXiv2013

On some Hermitian variations of Hodge structure of Calabi-Yau type with real multiplication

We prove that, for every totally real number field E_0, there exists a weight three variation of Hodge structure of Calabi-Yau type defined over the rational numbers with associated endomorphism algebra E_0 such that the unique irreducible factor of Calabi-Yau type of the corresponding real variation of Hodge structure is the canonical real VHS of CY type over the Hermitian symmetric domain II_6, associated to the real group SO^*(12). The main point is a rationality result for the half spin representations of a form of the group SO^*(4m) defined over a number field.

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arXiv2013

Semi-algebraic horizontal subvarieties of Calabi-Yau type

We study horizontal subvarieties $Z$ of a Griffiths period domain $\mathbb D$. If $Z$ is defined by algebraic equations, and if $Z$ is also invariant under a large discrete subgroup in an appropriate sense, we prove that $Z$ is a Hermitian symmetric domain $\mathcal D$, embedded via a totally geodesic embedding in $\mathbb D$. Next we discuss the case when $Z$ is in addition of Calabi-Yau type. We classify the possible VHS of Calabi-Yau type parametrized by Hermitian symmetric domains $\mathcal D$ and show that they are essentially those found by Gross and Sheng-Zuo, up to taking factors of symmetric powers and certain shift operations. In the weight three case, we explicitly describe the embedding $Z\hookrightarrow \mathbb D$ from the perspective of Griffiths transversality and relate this description to the Harish-Chandra realization of $\mathcal D$ and to the Korányi-Wolf tube domain description. There are further connections to homogeneous Legendrian varieties and the four Severi varieties of Zak.

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arXiv2013

Log canonical models and variation of GIT for genus four canonical curves

We discuss GIT for canonically embedded genus four curves and the connection to the Hassett-Keel program. A canonical genus four curve is a complete intersection of a quadric and a cubic, and, in contrast to the genus three case, there is a family of GIT quotients that depend on a choice of linearization. We discuss the corresponding VGIT problem and show that the resulting spaces give the final steps in the Hassett-Keel program for genus four curves.

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arXiv2012

The KSBA compactification for the moduli space of degree two K3 pairs

Inspired by the ideas of the minimal model program, Shepherd-Barron, Kollár, and Alexeev have constructed a geometric compactification for the moduli space of surfaces of log general type. In this paper, we discuss one of the simplest examples that fits into this framework: the case of pairs (X,H) consisting of a degree two K3 surface X and an ample divisor H. Specifically, we construct and describe explicitly a geometric compactification $\bar{P_2}$ for the moduli of degree two K3 pairs. This compactification has a natural forgetful map to the Baily-Borel compactification of the moduli space $F_2$ of degree two K3 surfaces. Using this map and the modular meaning of $\bar{P_2}$, we obtain a better understanding of the geometry of the standard compactifications of $F_2$.

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arXiv2012

GIT and moduli with a twist

We survey the role played by GIT in the study of moduli spaces, with an emphasis on the birational geometry of GIT quotients.

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arXiv2012

The moduli space of cubic fourfolds via the period map

We characterize the image of the period map for cubic fourfolds with at worst simple singularities as the complement of an arrangement of hyperplanes in the period space. It follows then that the GIT compactification of the moduli space of cubic fourfolds is isomorphic to the Looijenga's compactification associated to this arrangement. This work builds on and is a natural continuation of our previous paper on the GIT compactification of the moduli space of cubic fourfolds.

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arXiv2012

The moduli space of cubic threefolds via degenerations of the intermediate Jacobian

A well known result of Clemens and Griffiths says that a smooth cubic threefold can be recovered from its intermediate Jacobian. In this paper we discuss the possible degenerations of these abelian varieties, and thus give a description of the compactification of the moduli space of cubic threefolds obtained in this way. The relation between this compactification and those constructed in the work of Allcock-Carlson-Toledo and Looijenga-Swierstra is also considered, and is similar in spirit to the relation between the various compactifications of the moduli spaces of low genus curves.

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