hyperelliptic(.ncag).info

the classification of hyperelliptic varieties in dimensions 2, 3 and 4

Completeness in dimension 4

In dimensions $2$ and $3$ the classification of hyperelliptic varieties is complete: every entry on this site corresponds to an actual variety, and the list is exhaustive (Bagnera–De Franchis; Uchida–Yoshihara, Lange, and Catanese–Demleitner).

In dimension $4$ the situation is different. Demleitner classifies the $79$ finite groups that can occur as the holonomy group, and for each group the tangent representations satisfying the necessary conditions

  1. $\rho$ is faithful;
  2. every $g \neq 1$ has eigenvalue $1$;
  3. $\rho \oplus \overline{\rho}$ is realizable over $\mathbb{Z}$.

These conditions are necessary for a hyperelliptic fourfold, but not known to be sufficient group by group: whether a given representation is realized by an actual fourfold, and the moduli of such, requires a separate analysis of the free actions (the translation parts). This is carried out only in special cases so far, for instance the $16$ rigid fourfolds with holonomy $\mathrm{C}_3^2$ or $\mathrm{Heis}(3)$.

This last example also illustrates what the database counts. Every page here is a tangent representation $(G,\rho)$, not a variety. Exactly two representations are rigid ($q = 0$ and $0$ moduli): one for $\mathrm{C}_3^2$ and one for $\mathrm{Heis}(3)$. Demleitner–Gleissner's $16$ rigid fourfolds are the varieties these two representations realize, counted up to biholomorphism: different tori and translation parts on the same $(G,\rho)$ give different rigid fourfolds. The database stops at the representation and its $(G,\rho)$-invariants, so it shows two entries where the finer classification finds sixteen varieties.

Consequently the dimension-4 list contains every hyperelliptic fourfold, but may contain representations that are not realized. Object pages that are not known to be realized carry a caution mark; those that are known to occur do not.

References

  1. K. Uchida, H. Yoshihara, Discontinuous groups of affine transformations of $\mathbb{C}^3$, Tôhoku Math. J. (2) 28 (1976) 89–94. MR400271 doi
  2. H. Lange, Hyperelliptic varieties, Tôhoku Math. J. (2) 53 (2001) 491–510. MR1862215 doi
  3. F. Catanese, A. Demleitner, The classification of hyperelliptic threefolds, Groups Geom. Dyn. 14 (2020) 1447–1454. MR4186481 doi
  4. A. Demleitner, The classification of hyperelliptic groups in dimension 4. arXiv:2211.07998
  5. A. Demleitner, C. Gleissner, The classification of rigid hyperelliptic fourfolds, Ann. Mat. Pura Appl. (4) 202 (2023) 1425–1450. MR4576947 doi
  6. P. Belmans, A. Demleitner, P. Núñez, The Albanese morphism for hyperelliptic varieties, Indag. Math. (N.S.) 37 (2026) 1450–1475. MR5103244 doi