Some new enumerative properties of cubic threefolds via Prym theory
In this talk we will report about some new enumerative results on a general smooth cubic threefold \(V\), obtained jointly with Martí Lahoz and Andrés Rojas. We consider the Fano surface \(F(V)\) of the lines contained in \(V\) and the curve
$$
\Gamma=\{l\in F(V)\mid \exists\text{ a 2-plane \(\pi\) and a line \(r\in F(V)\) with }V\cdot\pi=l+2r\}
$$
parametrizing the lines \(l\in F(V)\) whose conic bundle structure has a singular discriminant curve. We prove that \(\Gamma\) is numerically equivalent to \(8 K_{F(X)}\) and has exactly \(1485\) ordinary nodes as singularities.
This amounts to say that there are exactly \(1485\) lines \(l\subset V\) for which there exist \(2\)-planes \(\pi_1,\pi_2\subset\mathbb{P}^4\) and lines \(r_1,r_2\subset V\) satisfying \(V\cdot\pi_i=l+2r_i\) \((i=1,2)\).
The first part of the talk will be a survey about classical topics as the non-rationality of \(V\), the Clemens-Griffiths approach via the intermediate Jacobian \(JV\), and the representation of \(JV\) as Prym varieties of coverings of plane quintics via conic bundle structures. Then we will introduce the moduli spaces of coverings, their Picard groups and the properties of the Prym maps defined on them. Finally, we will give a rough idea of the proof of the enumerative results.