Picard-Fuchs Differential Equations for Families of K3 Surfaces

Abstract

This thesis studies some examples of families of K3 surfaces with Picard lattices of maximal rank. These families occur as invariants of finite automorphism groups. The Picard-Fuchs differential equations describing the variation of Hodge structure in these families are considered. Techniques are developed to find the corresponding monodromy groups as arithmetic Fuchsian groups acting on the families' period spaces.