Smooth threefolds in ${\Bbb P}^5$ without apparent triple or quadruple points and a quadruple-point formula

For a projective variety X of codimension 2 in defined over the complex number field , it is traditionally said that X has no apparent -ple points if the -secant lines of X do not fill up the ambient projective space , equivalently, the locus of -ple points of a generic projection of X to ${\Bbb P}^{n+1}$ is empty. We show that a smooth threefold in has no apparent triple points if and only if it is contained in a quadric hypersurface. We also obtain an enumerative formula counting the quadrisecant lines of X passing through a general point of and give necessary cohomological conditions for smooth threefolds in without apparent quadruple points. This work is intended to generalize the work of F. Severi [fSe] and A. Aure [Au], where it was shown that a smooth surface in has no triple points if and only if it is either a quintic elliptic scroll or contained in a hyperquadric. Furthermore we give open questions along these lines. Received: 24 January 2000 / Published online: 18 June 2001     

A tropical approach to secant dimensions

Tropical geometry yields good lower bounds, in terms of certain combinatorial-polyhedral optimisation problems, on the dimensions of secant varieties. The approach is especially successful for toric varieties such as Segre-Veronese embeddings. In particular, it gives an attractive pictorial proof of the theorem of Hirschowitz that all Veronese embeddings of the projective plane except for the quadratic one and the quartic one are non-defective; and indeed, no Segre-Veronese embeddings are known where the tropical lower bound does not give the correct dimension. Short self-contained introductions to secant varieties and the required tropical geometry are included.     

Scorza varieties and Jordan algebras

In this paper, I give two very direct proves of the correspondance between a geometric object (Scorza varieties) and an algebraic one (Jordan algebras). I also give a short proof of the homogeneity of Scorza varieties, and a new and very simple proof of properties of the automorphism group of a Jordan algebra.     

Classification of polarized manifolds admitting homogeneous varieties as ample divisors

We give a complete classification of smooth polarized varieties (X, L) such that the linear system |L| has a homogeneous member A.     

Parabolic bundles and representations¶of the fundamental group

Let X be a smooth complex projective variety with Neron–Severi group isomorphic to ℤ, and D an irreducible divisor with normal crossing singularities. Assume 1<r≤ 3. We prove that if π₁(X) doesn't have irreducible PU(r) representations, then π₁(X- D) doesn't have irreducible U(r) representations. The proof uses the non-existence of certain stable parabolic bundles. We also obtain a similar result for GL(2) when D is smooth. Received: 20 December 1999 / Revised version: 7 May 2000     

On some smooth projective two-orbit varieties with Picard number 1

We classify all smooth projective horospherical varieties with Picard number 1. We prove that the automorphism group of any such variety X acts with at most two orbits and that this group still acts with only two orbits on X blown up at the closed orbit. We characterize all smooth projective two-orbit varieties with Picard number 1 that satisfy this latter property.     

On secant varieties of compact Hermitian symmetric spaces

We show that the secant varieties of rank three compact Hermitian symmetric spaces in their minimal homogeneous embeddings are normal, with rational singularities. We show that their ideals are generated in degree three—with one exception, the secant variety of the 21-dimensional spinor variety in P⁶³ where we show that the ideal is generated in degree four. We also discuss the coordinate rings of secant varieties of compact Hermitian symmetric spaces.     

Secant varieties of toric varieties

Let X_P be a smooth projective toric variety of dimension n embedded in P^r using all of the lattice points of the polytope P. We compute the dimension and degree of the secant variety . We also give explicit formulas in dimensions 2 and 3 and obtain partial results for the projective varieties X_A embedded using a set of lattice points A⊂P∩Zⁿ containing the vertices of P and their nearest neighbors.     

The singular locus of the secant varieties of a smooth projective curve

Let X be a smooth irreducible non-degenerated projective curve in some projective space P^N. Let r be a positive integer such that 2r + 1 < N and let S_r(X) be the r-th secant variety of X. It is a variety of dimension 2r + 1. In this paper we prove that the singular locus is the (r - 1)-th secant variety S_{r- 1}(X) if X does not have any (2r + 2)-secant 2r-space divisor. Received: 26 November 2002     

Singularities of the secant variety

We give positivity conditions on the embedding of a smooth variety which guarantee the normality of the secant variety, generalizing earlier results of the author and others. We also give classes of secant varieties satisfying the Hodge conjecture as well as a result on the singular locus of degenerate secant varieties.     

Dyson's theorem for curves

Let K be a number field and X₁ and X₂ two smooth projective curves defined over it. In this paper we prove an analogue of the Dyson theorem for the product X₁×X₂. If Xi=P₁ we find the classical Dyson theorem. In general, it will imply a self contained and easy proof of Siegel theorem on integral points on hyperbolic curves and it will give some insight on effectiveness. This proof is new and avoids the use of Roth and Mordell-Weil theorems, the theory of Linear Forms in Logarithms and the Schmidt subspace theorem.     

Zero cycles on homogeneous varieties

In this paper we study the group A₀(X) of zero-dimensional cycles of degree 0 modulo rational equivalence on a projective homogeneous algebraic variety X. To do this we translate rational equivalence of 0-cycles on a projective variety into R-equivalence on symmetric powers of the variety. For certain homogeneous varieties, we then relate these symmetric powers to moduli spaces of étale subalgebras of central simple algebras which we construct. This allows us to show A₀(X)=0 for certain classes of homogeneous varieties for groups of each of the classical types, extending previous results of Swan/Karpenko, of Merkurjev, and of Panin.     

Correction: On the Severi problem in arbitrary characteristic

In this paper, we show that Severi varieties parameterizing irreducible reduced planar curves of a given degree and geometric genus are either empty or irreducible in any characteristic. Following Severi’s original idea, this gives a new proof of the irreducibility of the moduli space of smooth projective curves of a given genus in positive characteristic. It is the first proof that involves no reduction to the characteristic zero case. As a further consequence, we generalize Zariski’s theorem to positive characteristic and show that a general reduced planar curve of a given geometric genus is nodal.

     

Relative Gromov-Witten invariants and the mirror formula

Let X be a smooth complex projective variety, and let be a smooth very ample hypersurface such that is nef. Using the technique of relative Gromov-Witten invariants, we give a new short and geometric proof of (a version of) the “mirror formula”, i.e. we show that the generating function of the genus zero 1-point Gromov-Witten invariants of Y can be obtained from that of X by a certain change of variables (the so-called “mirror transformation”). Moreover, we use the same techniques to give a similar expression for the (virtual) numbers of degree-d plane rational curves meeting a smooth cubic at one point with multiplicity 3d, which play a role in local mirror symmetry. Received: 11 July 2001 / Published online: 4 February 2003 Funded by the DFG scholarships Ga 636/1–1 and Ga 636/1–2.     

The Witt ring of a Brauer–Severi variety

For a Brauer–Severi variety X over a field k of characteristic not two, every symmetric bilinear space over X up to Witt equivalence is defined over k. Received: 2 February 1998     

Singular Poisson-Kähler geometry of Scorza varieties and their secant varieties

Each Scorza variety and its secant varieties in the ambient projective space are identified, in the realm of singular Poisson-Kähler geometry, in terms of projectivizations of holomorphic nilpotent orbits in suitable Lie algebras of hermitian type, the holomorphic nilpotent orbits, in turn, being affine varieties. The ambient projective space acquires an exotic Kähler structure, the closed stratum being the Scorza variety and the closures of the higher strata its secant varieties. In this fashion, the secant varieties become exotic projective varieties. In the rank 3 case, the four regular Scorza varieties coincide with the four critical Severi varieties. In the standard cases, the Scorza varieties and their secant varieties arise also via Kähler reduction. An interpretation in terms of constrained mechanical systems is included.     

Holomorphic Cartan geometry on manifolds with numerically effective tangent bundle

Let X be a compact connected Kähler manifold such that the holomorphic tangent bundle TX is numerically effective. A theorem of Demailly et al. (1994) [11] says that there is a finite unramified Galois covering M→X, a complex torus T, and a holomorphic surjective submersion f:M→T, such that the fibers of f are Fano manifolds with numerically effective tangent bundle. A conjecture of Campana and Peternell says that the fibers of f are rational and homogeneous. Assume that X admits a holomorphic Cartan geometry. We prove that the fibers of f are rational homogeneous varieties. We also prove that the holomorphic principal G-bundle over T given by f, where G is the group of all holomorphic automorphisms of a fiber, admits a flat holomorphic connection.     

On a motivic interpretation of primitive,variable and fixed cohomology

If M is a smooth projective variety whose motive is Kimura finite‐dimensional and for which the standard Lefschetz Conjecture B holds, then the motive of M splits off a primitive motive whose cohomology is the primitive cohomology. Under the same hypotheses on M, let X be a smooth complete intersection of ample divisors within M. Then the motive of X is the sum of a variable and a fixed motive inducing the corresponding splitting in cohomology. I also give variants with group actions.