Integrable discrete Schrödinger equations and a characterization of Prym varieties by a pair of quadrisecants

Abstract

We prove that Prym varieties are characterized geometrically by the existence of a symmetric pair of quadrisecant planes of the associated Kummer variety. We also show that Prym varieties are characterized by certain (new) theta-functional equations. For this purpose we construct and study a difference-differential analog of the Novikov-Veselov hierarchy.