Lines in projective spaces

Here we study finite unions, Y, of lines in a projective space PG(n, K). We prove that if K is an infinite field, Y spans PG(n, K) and a general hyperplane section of Y is not in linearly general position, then there exists at least one linear subspace M of PG(n, K) such that 2 dim(M) < n and M contains at least dim(M)+2 lines of Y.The author was partially supported by MIUR and GNSAGA of INdAM (Italy).     

Hurwitz spaces and liftings to the Valentiner group

We study the components of the Hurwitz scheme of ramified coverings of ${\mathbb{P}}^1$ with monodromy given by the alternating group $A_6$ and elements in the conjugacy class of product of two disjoint cycles. In order to detect the connected components of the Hurwitz scheme, inspired by the case of the spin structures studied by Fried for the 3-cycles, we use as invariant the lifting to the Valentiner group, a triple covering of $A_6$. We prove that the Hurwitz scheme has two irreducible components when the genus of the covering is greater than zero, in accordance with the asymptotic solution found by Bogomolov and Kulikov.     

Varieties with minimal secant degree and linear systems of maximal dimension on surfaces

In this paper we prove, using a refinement of Terracini's Lemma, a sharp lower bound for the degree of (higher) secant varieties to a given projective variety, which extends the well known lower bound for the degree of a variety in terms of its dimension and codimension in projective space. Moreover we study varieties for which the bound is attained proving some general properties related to tangential projections, e.g. these varieties are rational. In particular we completely classify surfaces (and curves) for which the bound is attained. It turns out that these surfaces enjoy some maximality properties for their embedding dimension in terms of their degree or sectional genus. This is related to classical beautiful results of Castelnuovo and Enriques that we revise here in terms of adjunction theory.     

Integral generators for the cohomology ring of moduli spaces of sheaves over Poisson surfaces

Let M be a smooth and compact moduli space of stable coherent sheaves on a projective surface S with an effective (or trivial) anti-canonical line bundle. We find generators for the cohomology ring of M, with integral coefficients. When S is simply connected and a universal sheaf E exists over S×M, then its class [E] admits a Künneth decomposition as a class in the tensor product of the topological K-rings. The generators are the Chern classes of the Künneth factors of [E] in . The general case is similar.     

Riemann-Roch spaces of the Hermitian function field with applications to algebraic geometry codes and low-discrepancy sequences

This paper is concerned with two applications of bases of Riemann-Roch spaces. In the first application, we define the floor of a divisor and obtain improved bounds on the parameters of algebraic geometry codes. These bounds apply to a larger class of codes than that of Homma and Kim (J. Pure Appl. Algebra 162 (2001) 273). Then we determine explicit bases for large classes of Riemann-Roch spaces of the Hermitian function field. These bases give better estimates on the parameters of a large class of m-point Hermitian codes. In the second application, these bases are used for fast implementation of Xing and Niederreiter's method (Acta. Arith. 72 (1995) 281) for the construction of low-discrepancy sequences.     

Varieties with non-linear Gauss fibers

For any given projective variety Y, we construct a projective variety whose general fiber of the Gauss map with reduced scheme structure is isomorphic to Y when the characteristic >0.     

Any algebraic variety in positive characteristic admits a projective model with an inseparable Gauss map

We determine the values attained by the rank of the Gauss map of a projective model for a fixed algebraic variety in positive characteristic p. In particular, it is shown that any variety in p>0 has a projective model such that the differential of the Gauss map is identically zero. On the other hand, we prove that there exists a product of two or more projective spaces admitting an embedding into a projective space such that the differential of the Gauss map is identically zero if and only if p=2.     

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.     

A note on Veronese varieties

We show that for every primep, there is a class of Veronese varieties which are set-theoretic complete intersections if and only if the ground field has characteristicp. Partially supported by PRIN Algebra Commutativa e Computazionale, Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research.     

On the finite generation of the effective monoid of rational surfaces

We give a numerical criterion for ensuring the finite generation of the effective monoid of the surfaces obtained by a blowing-up of the projective plane at the supports of zero dimensional subschemes assuming that these are contained in a degenerate cubic. Furthermore, this criterion also ensures the regularity of any numerically effective divisor on these surfaces. Thus the dimension of any complete linear system is computed. On the other hand, in particular and among these surfaces, we obtain ringed rational surfaces with very large Picard numbers and with only finitely many integral curves of strictly negative self-intersection. These negative integral curves except two (−1)-curves are all contained in the support of an anticanonical divisor. Thus almost all the geometry of such surfaces is concentrated in the anticanonical class.     

On the topology of graph picture spaces

We study the space of pictures of a graph G in complex projective d-space. The main result is that the homology groups (with integer coefficients) of are completely determined by the Tutte polynomial of G. One application is a criterion in terms of the Tutte polynomial for independence in the d-parallel matroids studied in combinatorial rigidity theory. For certain special graphs called orchards, the picture space is smooth and has the structure of an iterated projective bundle. We give a Borel presentation of the cohomology ring of the picture space of an orchard, and use this presentation to develop an analogue of the classical Schubert calculus.     

Brill-Noether theory on Hirzebruch surfaces

In this paper, we investigate higher rank Brill-Noether problems for stable vector bundles on Hirzebruch surfaces. Using suitable non-splitting extensions, we deal with the non-emptiness. Results concerning the emptiness follow as a consequence of a generalization of Clifford’s theorem for line bundles on curves to vector bundles on surfaces.     

On the secant varieties to the osculating variety of a Veronese surface

In this paper we study the k-th osculating variety of the order d Veronese embedding of P ⁿ . In particular, for k=n=2 we show that the corresponding secant varieties have the expected dimension except in one case.     

A characterization of bielliptic curves and applications to their moduli spaces

We deal with the covers of degree 4 naturally associated to a bielliptic curve of genus g≥6, giving a proof of the unirationality of the moduli space ? _g ^be of such curves, of the rationality of the Hurwitz scheme ℌ ^be _{4, g} of bielliptic curves of even genus g, whereas, when g is odd, we construct a finite map ℂ^{2 g -2}→? _g ^be and compute its degree. Received: March 25, 2000; in final form: March 10, 2001?Published online: May 29, 2002     

A Fourier‐Mukai approach to the enumerative geometry of principally polarized abelian surfaces

We study twisted ideal sheaves of small length on an irreducible principally polarized abelian surface $({\mathbb T},\ell )We study twisted ideal sheaves of small length on an irreducible principally polarized abelian surface $({\mathbb T},\ell )$. Using Fourier‐Mukai techniques we associate certain jumping schemes to such sheaves and completely classify such loci. We give examples of applications to the enumerative geometry of ${\mathbb T}$ and show that no smooth genus 5 curve on such a surface can contain a $g^1_3$. We also describe explicitly the singular divisors in the linear system |2?|.