On the maximal variation problem and Lefschetz pencils

We study the maximal variation problem for linear systems associated with a very ample line bundle, using Hodge theory and Picard-Lefschetz theory. We provide an affirmative answer to the maximal variation problem for a broad class of smooth projective varieties. This includes varieties $X$ of dimension $n\geq2$ with $p_g=h^{n,0}(X)>0$ and $H^{n-1,0}(X)=\{0\}$, Enriques surfaces, irregular surfaces with maximal Albanese dimension, smooth hyperk\"ahler varieties, and all the smooth not Fano hypersurfaces in $\mathbb{P}^n$. As a consequence, by a result of Beauville, we establish a Lefschetz property for the Jacobian rings of smooth hypersurfaces in $\mathbb{P}^n$ of degree n+1.