Higher multiplier ideals

Abstract: We associate a family of ideal sheaves to any Q-effective divisor on a complex manifold, called the higher multiplier ideals, using the theory of mixed Hodge modules and V-filtrations. This family is indexed by two parameters, an integer indicating the Hodge level and a rational number, and these ideals admit a weight filtration. When the Hodge level is zero, they recover the usual multiplier ideals. We study the local and global properties of higher multiplier ideals systematically. In particular, we prove vanishing theorems and restriction theorems, and provide criteria for the nontriviality of the new ideals. The main idea is to exploit the global structure of the V-filtration along an effective divisor using the notion of twisted Hodge modules. In the local theory, we introduce the notion of the center of minimal exponent, which generalizes the notion of minimal log canonical center. As applications, we prove some cases of conjectures by Debarre, Casalaina-Martin and Grushevsky on singularities of theta divisors on principally polarized abelian varieties and the geometric Riemann-Schottky problem.