We show that the set of real polynomials in two variables that are sums of three squares of rational functions is dense in the set of those that are positive semidefinite. We also prove that the set of real surfaces in P^3 whose function field has level 2 is dense in the set of those that have no real points.
Consider a smooth projective 3-fold $X$ satisfying the Bogomolov-Gieseker conjecture of Bayer-Macr`{i}-Toda (such as $mathbb P^3$, the quintic threefold or an abelian threefold). Let $L$ be a line bundle supported on a very positive surface in $X$. If $c_1(L)$ is a primitive cohomology class then we show it has very negative square.
We prove the Noether-Lefschetz conjecture on the moduli space of quasi-polarized K3 surfaces. This is deduced as a particular case of a general theorem that states that low degree cohomology classes of arithmetic manifolds of orthogonal type are dual to the classes of special cycles, i.e. sub-arithmetic manifolds of the same type. For compact manifolds this was proved in cite{BMM11}, here we extend the results of cite{BMM11} to non-compact manifolds. This allows us to apply our results to the moduli spaces of quasi-polarized K3 surfaces.
Let $Z$ be a closed subscheme of a smooth complex projective complete intersection variety $Ysubseteq Ps^N$, with $dim Y=2r+1geq 3$. We describe the Neron-Severi group $NS_r(X)$ of a general smooth hypersurface $Xsubset Y$ of sufficiently large degree containing $Z$.
Noether-Lefschetz divisors in the moduli of K3 surfaces are the loci corresponding to Picard rank at least 2. We relate the degrees of the Noether-Lefschetz divisors in 1-parameter families of K3 surfaces to the Gromov-Witten theory of the 3-fold total space. The reduced K3 theory and the Yau-Zaslow formula play an important role. We use results of Borcherds and Kudla-Millson for O(2,19) lattices to determine the Noether-Lefschetz degrees in classical families of K3 surfaces of degrees 2, 4, 6 and 8. For the quartic K3 surfaces, the Noether-Lefschetz degrees are proven to be the Fourier coefficients of an explicitly computed modular form of weight 21/2 and level 8. The interplay with mirror symmetry is discussed. We close with a conjecture on the Picard ranks of moduli spaces of K3 surfaces.
Let $Z$ be a closed subscheme of a smooth complex projective variety $Ysubseteq Ps^N$, with $dim,Y=2r+1geq 3$. We describe the intermediate Neron-Severi group (i.e. the image of the cycle map $A_r(X)to H_{2r}(X;mathbb{Z})$) of a general smooth hypersurface $Xsubset Y$ of sufficiently large degree containing $Z$.