Deformation of pairs and semiregularity

Abstract

In this paper, we study relative deformations of maps into a family of K\"ahler manifolds whose images are divisors. We show that if the map satisfies a condition called semiregularity, then it allows relative deformations if and only if the cycle class of the image remains Hodge in the family. This gives a refinement of the so-called variational Hodge conjecture. We also show that the semiregularity of maps is related to classical notions such as Cayley-Bacharach conditions and d-semistability.