Some remarks on the study of good contractions

LetX be a complex projective variety with log terminal singularities admitting an extremal contraction in terms of Minimal Model Theory, i.e. a projective morphism φ:X→Z onto a normal varietyZ with connected fibers which is given by a (high multiple of a) divisor of the typeK _x+rL, wherer is a positive rational number andL is an ample Cartier divisor. We first prove that the dimension of anu fiberF of φ is bigger or equal to (r-1) and, if φ is birational, thatdimF≥r, with the equalities if and only ifF is the projective space andL the hyperplane bundle (this is a sort of “relative” version of a theorem of Kobayashi-Ochiai). Then we describe the structure of the morphism φ itself in the case in which all fibers have minimal dimension with the respect tor. If φ is a birational divisorial contraction andX has terminal singularities we prove that φ is actually a “blow-up”.     

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     

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     

A Remark on Characterizations of Projective Spaces among Singular Varieties

Let X be a projective variety of dimension n ≥ 2 with at worst log-terminal singularities and let be an ample vector bundle of rank r. By partially extending previous results due to Andreatta and Wiśniewski in the smooth case, we prove that if r = n then , while if r = n − 1 and X has only isolated singularities, then either or n = 2 and X is the quadric cone Q ₂. Received: April 20, 2006. Revised: April 5, 2007.     

Algebraically constructible functions and signs of polynomials

LetW be a real algebraic set. We show that the following families of integer-valued functions onW coincide: (i) the functions of the formω →λ(X _ω ), where X _ω are the fibres of a regular morphismf :X →W of real algebraic sets, (ii) the functions of the formω →χ(X _ω ), where X _ω are the fibres of a proper regular morphismf :X →W of real algebraic sets, (iii) the finite sums of signs of polynomials onW. Such functions are called algebraically constructible onW. Using their characterization in terms of signs of polynomials we present new proofs of their basic functorial properties with respect to the link operator and specialization. Research partially supported by an Australian Research Council Small Grant. Second author also partially supported by KBN 610/P3/94.     

Special inner projections of projective varieties

LetX⊃P ^r be a non-degenerate variety and Γ(X) the closure inX of the set of all pointsP∈X such that the projection ofX fromP is not birational. Here we study the irreducible components of Γ(X), using proofs and ideas contained in a paper by Calabri and Ciliberto concerning the outer non birational projections. The author was partially supported by MIUR and GNSAGA of INdAM (Italy).     

On a category of module bundles

It is shown, that the category ℰ _A (X) ofA-bundles over a topological spaceX is an additive pseudo-Abelian category for each Waelbroeck algebraA. This research was supported by Greek State Scholarship Foundation and Estonian Science Foundation grant 6205.     

On projectively normal embeddings of generalk-gonal curves

Fix integersg, k andt witht>0,k≥3 andtk<g/2−1. LetX be a generalk-gonal curve of genusg andR∈Pic ^k (X) the uniqueg _k ¹ onX. SetL:=K _X⊗(R ^*)^⊗t.L is very ample. Leth _L:X→P(H ⁰(X, L)^*) be the associated embedding. Here we prove thath _L(X) is projectively normal. Ifk≥4 andtk<g/2−2 the curveh _L(X) is scheme-theoretically cut out by quadrics. The author was partially supported by MURST and GNSAGA of CNR (Italy).     

Cohomology vanishing¶and a problem in approximation theory

For a simplicial subdivison Δ of a region in k ⁿ (k algebraically closed) and r∈N, there is a reflexive sheaf ? on P ⁿ , such that H ⁰(?(d)) is essentially the space of piecewise polynomial functions on Δ, of degree at most d, which meet with order of smoothness r along common faces. In [9], Elencwajg and Forster give bounds for the vanishing of the higher cohomology of a bundle ℰ on P ⁿ in terms of the top two Chern classes and the generic splitting type of ℰ. We use a spectral sequence argument similar to that of [16] to characterize those Δ for which ? is actually a bundle (which is always the case for n= 2). In this situation we can obtain a formula for H ⁰(?(d)) which involves only local data; the results of [9] cited earlier allow us to give a bound on the d where the formula applies. We also show that a major open problem in approximation theory may be formulated in terms of a cohomology vanishing on P ² and we discuss a possible connection between semi-stability and the conjectured answer to this open problem. Received: 9 April 2001     

Fano 3-folds with divisible anticanonical class

We show the nonvanishing of H ⁰(X,−K _X ) for any a Fano 3-fold X for which −K _X is a multiple of another Weil divisor in Cl(X). The main case we study is Fano 3-folds with Fano index 2: that is, 3-folds X with rank Pic(X)=1, -factorial terminal singularities and −K _X  = 2A for an ample Weil divisor A. We give a first classification of all possible Hilbert series of such polarised varieties (X,A) and deduce both the nonvanishing of H ⁰(X,−K _X ) and the sharp bound (−K _X )³≥ 8/165. We find the families that can be realised in codimension up to 4.     

On the representation theory of an algebra of braids and ties

We consider the algebra ℰ _n (u) introduced by Aicardi and Juyumaya as an abstraction of the Yokonuma–Hecke algebra. We construct a tensor space representation for ℰ _n (u) and show that this is faithful. We use it to give a basis of ℰ _n (u) and to classify its irreducible representations.     

von Neumann��s mean ergodic theorem on complete random inner product modules

We first prove two forms of von Neumann’s mean ergodic theorems under the framework of complete random inner product modules. As applications, we obtain two conditional mean ergodic convergence theorems for random isometric operators which are defined on L _ℱ ^p (ℰ, H) and generated by measure-preserving transformations on Ω, where H is a Hilbert space, L ^p (ℰ, H) (1 ⩽ p < ∞) the Banach space of equivalence classes of H-valued p-integrable random variables defined on a probability space (Ω, ℰ, P), F a sub σ-algebra of ℰ, and L _ℱ ^p (ℰ(E,H) the complete random normed module generated by L ^p (ℰ, H).     

Pavages des simplexes, schémas de graphes recollés et compactification des PGLrn+1/PGLr

Some equivariant compactifications of the quotients PGL _r ^{n +1}/PGL _r are constructed. Each one is decomposed into locally closed strata which are smooth, are indexed by the entire convex pavings of the simplex of dimension n and admit a modular interpretation deduced from that of the Grassmann varieties. Together, they form a simplicial scheme which “compactifies” the classifying simplicial scheme of PGL _r consisting of all the quotients PGL _r ^{n +1}/PGL _r , n≥0.

Oblatum 8-IV-1998 & 8-X-1998 / Published online: 28 January 1999     

Order of a function on the Bruschlinsky group of a two-dimensional polyhedron

Homotopy classes of mappings of a compact polyhedron X to the circle T form an Abelian group B(X), which is called the Bruschlinsky group and is cananically isomorphic to H ¹ (X; ℤ), Let L be an Abelian group, and let f: B(X) → L be a function. One says that the order of f does not exceed r if for each mapping a: X → T the value f([a]) is ℤ-linearly expressed via the characteristic function I _r (a): (X × T) ^r → ℤ of (Γ _a ) ^r , where Γ _a ⊂ X × T is the graph of a. The (algebraic) degree of f is not greater than r if the finite differences of f of order r + 1 vanish. Conjecturally, the order of f is equal to the algebraic degree of f. The conjecture is proved in the case where dim X ≤ 2. Bibliography: 1 title.     

Two-point concentration in random geometric graphs

A random geometric graph G _n is constructed by taking vertices X ₁,…,X _n ∈ℝ ^d at random (i.i.d. according to some probability distribution ν with a bounded density function) and including an edge between X _i and X _j if ‖X _i -X _j ‖ < r where r = r(n) > 0. We prove a conjecture of Penrose ([14]) stating that when r=r(n) is chosen such that nr ^d = o(lnn) then the probability distribution of the clique number ω(G _n ) becomes concentrated on two consecutive integers and we show that the same holds for a number of other graph parameters including the chromatic number χ(G _n ). The author was partially supported by EPSRC, the Department of Statistics, Bekkerla-Bastide fonds, Dr. Hendrik Muller’s Vaderlandsch fonds, and Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds.     

An almost sure invariance principle for trimmed sums of random vectors

Let {X _n ; n ≥ 1} be a sequence of independent and identically distributed random vectors in ℜ ^p with Euclidean norm |·|, and let X _n ^(r) = X _m if |X _m | is the r-th maximum of {|X _k |; k ≤ n}. Define S _n = Σ _k≤n X _k and ^(r) S _n − (X _n ⁽¹⁾ + ... + X _n ^(r)). In this paper a generalized strong invariance principle for the trimmed sums ^(r) S _n is derived.     

Extended F4-buildings and the Baby Monster

Let Τ be the Baby Monster graph which is the graph on the set of {3,4}-transpositions in the Baby Monster group B in which two such transpositions are adjacent if their product is a central involution in B. Then Τ is locally the commuting graph of central (root) involutions in ² E ₆(2). The graph Τ contains a family of cliques of size 120. With respect to the incidence relation defined via inclusion these cliques and the non-empty intersections of two or more of them form a geometry ℰ(B) with diagram for t=4 and the action of B on ℰ(B) is flag-transitive. We show that ℰ(B) contains subgeometries ℰ(² E ₆(2)) and ℰ(Fi ₂₂) with diagrams c.F ₄(2) and c.F ₄(1). The stabilizers in B of these subgeometries induce on them flag-transitive actions of ² E ₆(2):2 and Fi ₂₂:2, respectively. The geometries ℰ(B), ℰ(² E ₆(2)) and ℰ(Fi ₂₂) possess the following properties: (a) any two elements of type 1 are incident to at most one common element of type 2 and (b) three elements of type 1 are pairwise incident to common elements of type 2 if and only if they are incident to a common element of type 5. The paper addresses the classification problem of c.F ₄(t)-geometries satisfying (a) and (b). We construct three further examples for t=2 with flag-transitive automorphism groups isomorphic to 3⋅²E₂:2, E₆(2):2 and 2²⁶ .F₄(2) and one for t=1 with flag-transitive automorphism group 3⋅Fi ₂₂:2. We also study the graph of an arbitrary (non-necessary flag-transitive) c.F ₄(t)-geometry satisfying (a) and (b) and obtain a complete list of possibilities for the isomorphism type of subgraph induced by the common neighbours of a pair of vertices at distance 2. Finally, we prove that ℰ(B) is the only c.F ₄(4)-geometry, satisfying (a) and (b). Oblatum 20-X-1999 & 2-I-2001?Published online: 5 March 2001     

The inverse Galois problem over formal power series fields

Consider a valuation ringR of a discrete Henselian field and a positive integerr. LetF be the quotient field of the ringR[[X ₁, …,X _r ]]. We prove that every finite group occurs as a Galois group overF. In particular, ifK ₀ is an arbitrary field andr≥2, then every finite group occurs as a Galois group overK ₀((X ₁, …,X _r )). The work on this paper started when the author was an organizer of a research group on the Arithmetic of Fields in the Institute for Advanced Studies at the Hebrew Univesity of Jerusalem in 1991–92. It was partially supported by a grant from the G.I.F., the German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development.