Given integers d≥3 and N≥3. Let G be a finite abelian group
acting faithfully and linearly on a smooth hypersurface of degree d in the
complex projective space PN−1. Suppose G⊂PGL(N,C) can be lifted to a subgroup of GL(N,C). Suppose
moreover that there exists an element g in G such that G/⟨g⟩
has order coprime to d−1. Then all possible G are determined (Theorem 4.3).
As an application, we derive (Theorem 4.8) all possible orders of linear
automorphisms of smooth hypersurfaces for any given (d,N). In particular, we
show (Proposition 5.1) that the order of an automorphism of a smooth cubic
fourfold is a factor of 21, 30, 32, 33, 36 or 48, and each of those 6 numbers
is achieved by a unique (up to isomorphism) cubic fourfold.Comment: 14 pages. Theorem 4.3 is restated and a gap in its original proof is
fixed. To appear in Israel Journal of Mathematic