On the Transcendence of Period Images

Abstract

Let $f : X \to S$ be a family of smooth projective algebraic varieties over a smooth connected base $S$, with everything defined over $\overline{\mathbb{Q}}$. Denote by $\mathbb{V} = R^{2i} f_{*} \mathbb{Z}(i)$ the associated integral variation of Hodge structure on the degree $2i$ cohomology. We consider the following question: when can a fibre $\mathbb{V}_{s}$ above an algebraic point $s \in S(\overline{\mathbb{Q}})$ be isomorphic to a transcendental fibre $\mathbb{V}_{s'}$ with $s' \in S(\mathbb{C}) \setminus S(\overline{\mathbb{Q}})$? When $\mathbb{V}$ induces a quasi-finite period map $\varphi : S \to \Gamma \backslash D$, conjectures in Hodge theory predict that such isomorphisms cannot exist. We introduce new differential-algebraic techniques to show this is true for all points $s \in S(\overline{\mathbb{Q}})$ outside of an explicit proper closed algebraic subset of $S$. As a corollary we establish the existence of a canonical $\overline{\mathbb{Q}}$-algebraic model for normalizations of period images.