Cubic threefolds and abelian varieties of dimension five

Abstract

This paper proves the following converse to a theorem of Mumford: Let $A$ be a principally polarized abelian variety of dimension five, whose theta divisor has a unique singular point, and suppose that the multiplicity of the singular point is three. Then $A$ is isomorphic as a principally polarized abelian variety to the intermediate Jacobian of a smooth cubic threefold. The method of proof is to analyze the possible singularities of the theta divisor of $A$, and eventually to show that $A$ is the Prym variety of a possibly singular plane quintic.

LaTeX, 34 pages, one theorem strengthened, improved historical discussion, references added