We give a simplified and more algebraic proof of the finiteness of the families of Calabi-Yau n-folds with non-vanishing of Yukawa-coupling over a fixed base curve and with fixed degeneration locus. We also give a generalization of this result. Our method is variation of Hodge structure and poly-stability of Higgs bundles.
We classify three fold isolated quotient Gorenstein singularity C^ 3/G . These singularities are rigid, ie there is no non-trivial deformation, and we conjecture that they define 4d C^ 3/G SCFTs which do not have a Coulomb branch.
We propose definitions of quasilocal energy and momentum surface energy of a spacelike 2-surface with positive intrinsic curvature in a spacetime. Our definitions do not depend on the compact spacelike hypersurface it bounds. We show that the quasilocal energy of the boundary of a compact spacelike hypersurface which satisfies the local energy condition is strictly positive unless the spacetime is flat along the spacelike hypersurface.