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”.     

On a result of Miyanishi-Masuda

Let X be an affine surface admitting a unique affine ruling and a -action. Assume that the ruling has a unique degenerate fibre and that this fibre is irreducible. In this paper we give a short proof of the following result of Miyanishi and Masuda: the universal covering of X is a hypersurface in the affine 3-space given by the equation x^my = z^d − 1, where m > 1. Received: 13 June 2005     

Rigidity and moduli space in Real Algebraic Geometry

Let R be a real closed field and let X be an affine algebraic variety over R. We say that X is universally map rigid (UMR for short) if, for each irreducible affine algebraic variety Z over R, the set of nonconstant rational maps from Z to X is finite. A bijective map from an affine algebraic variety over R to X is called weak change of the algebraic structure of X if it is regular and φ⁻¹ is a Nash map, which preserves nonsingular points. We prove the following rigidity theorem: every affine algebraic variety over R is UMR up to a weak change of its algebraic structure. Let us introduce another notion. Let Y be an affine algebraic variety over R. We say that X and Y are algebraically unfriendly if all the rational maps from X to Y and from Y to X are trivial, i.e., Zariski locally constant. From the preceding theorem, we infer that, if dim (X)≥1, then there exists a set of weak changes of the algebraic structure of X such that, for each t,s ∈ R with t≠s, and are algebraically unfriendly. This result implies the following expected fact: For each (nonsingular) affine algebraic variety X over R of positive dimension, the natural Nash structure of X does not determine the algebraic structure of X. In fact, the moduli space of birationally nonisomorphic (nonsingular) affine algebraic varieties over R, which are Nash isomorphic to X, has the same cardinality of R. This result was already known under the special assumption that R is the field of real numbers and X is compact and nonsingular. The author is a member of GNSAGA of CNR, partially supported by MURST and European Research Training Network RAAG 2002–2006 (HPRN–CT–00271).     

Rational Lagrangian fibrations on punctual Hilbert schemes of K3 surfaces

A rational Lagrangian fibration f on an irreducible symplectic variety V is a rational map which is birationally equivalent to a regular surjective morphism with Lagrangian fibers. By analogy with K3 surfaces, it is natural to expect that a rational Lagrangian fibration exists if and only if V has a divisor D with Bogomolov–Beauville square 0. This conjecture is proved in the case when V is the Hilbert scheme of d points on a generic K3 surface S of genus g under the hypothesis that its degree 2g−2 is a square times 2d−2. The construction of f uses a twisted Fourier–Mukai transform which induces a birational isomorphism of V with a certain moduli space of twisted sheaves on another K3 surface M, obtained from S as its Fourier–Mukai partner.     

Prime Fano threefolds and integrable systems

For a general K3 surface S of genus g, with 2 ≤ g ≤ 10, we prove that the intermediate Jacobians of the family of prime Fano threefolds of genus g containing S as a hyperplane section, form generically an algebraic completely integrable Hamiltonian system. The first author is partially supported by grant MI1503/2005 of the Bulgarian Foundation for Scientific Research.     

Non-effective deformations of Grothendieck’s Hilbert functor

We show that the Hilbert functor of rank one families on a non-separated scheme X admits deformations that are not effective. For such ambient schemes we have that the Hilbert functor is not representable by a scheme or an algebraic space.     

Stable base loci, movable curves, and small modifications, for toric varieties

We show that the dual of the cone of divisors on a complete -factorial toric variety X whose stable base loci have dimension less than k is generated by curves on small modifications of X that move in families sweeping out the birational transforms of k-dimensional subvarieties of X. We give an example showing that it does not suffice to consider curves on X itself. Supported by a Graduate Research Fellowship from the NSF     

Small bound for birational automorphism groups of algebraic varieties (with an Appendix by Yujiro Kawamata)

We give an effective upper bound of |Bir(X)| for the birational automorphism group of an irregular n-fold (with n = 3) of general type in terms of the volume V = V(X) under an “albanese smoothness and simplicity” condition. To be precise, . An optimum linear bound is obtained for those threefolds with non-maximal albanese dimension. For all n ≥ 3, a bound is obtained when alb _X is generically finite, alb(X) is smooth and Alb(X) is simple. The author is supported by an Academic Research Fund of NUS.     

Simultaneous generation of jets on K3 surfaces

Let L be an ample line bundle on a K3 surface. We give a sharp bound on n for which nL is k-jet ample.Received: 27 December 2002     

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.     

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.     

Flips and the Hilbert scheme over an exterior algebra

We study the tangent space at a monomial point M in the Hilbert scheme that parameterizes all ideals with the same Hilbert function as M over an exterior algebra.     

Topology of the compactified Jacobians of singular curves

We compute the Euler number of the compactified Jacobian of a curve whose minimal unibranched normalization has only plane irreducible singularities with characteristic Puiseux exponents (p, q), (4, 2q, s), (6, 8, s), or (6, 10, s). Further, we derive a combinatorial method to compute the Betti numbers of the compactified Jacobian of an unibranched rational curve with singularities like above. Some of the Betti numbers can be stated explicitly.     

On the 2 very ampleness of the adjoint bundle

Let S be a smooth projective surface over C polarized by a 2-very ample line bundle L=O _S(L), i.e. for any 0-dimensional subscheme (Z,O _Z ) of length 3 the restriction map Γ(L)→Γ(L⊗O _Z) is a surjection. This generalization of very ampleness was recently introduced by M. Beltrametti and A.J. Sommese. The authors prove that, if L·L≥13, the adjoint line bundleK _S⊗L is 2-very ample apart from a list of well understood exceptions and up to contracting down the smooth rational curves E such that E·E=−1, L·E=2. The appendix contains an inductive argument in order to extend the result in higher dimension.     

Complex surfaces polarized by an ample and spanned line bundle of genus three

Let X be a complex connected projective nonsingular algebraic surface endowed with an ample line bundle L, which is spanned by its global sections. Pairs (X, L) as above, with sectional genus g(X, L)=1+(L·(K _X L))/2=3 are classified by means of the main techniques of adjunction theory.     

Characterization of abelian varieties

We prove that any smooth complex projective variety X with plurigenera P ₁(X)=P ₂(X)=1 and irregularity q(X)=dim(X) is birational to an abelian variety. Oblatum 26-V-1999 & 13-VI-2000?Published online: 11 October 2000     

Preservation of the injectivity of the Gauss map for general projections

Let X be a smooth irreducible quasi-projective variety of dimension n in P ^N with N ≥ 2n + 2. Let γ be its Gauss map, let be the embedding obtained from the general projection in P ^N and let γ′ be its Gauss map. We say that the general projection preserves the injectivity of the Gauss map if γ(Q) ≠ γ(Q′) implies γ′(Q) ≠ γ′ (Q′). We prove that this property holds in the following cases: N≥ 3n + 1; N ≥ 3n with n ≥ 2; N ≥ 3n−1 with n ≥ 4 and X does not contain a linear (n−1)-space. In case N = 3n−1 and X does contain a linear (n−1)-space (such smooth varieties exist) then the general projection does not preserver the injectivity of the Gauss map. This shows that there does not exist a straightforward kind of Bertini theorem for properties related to the Gauss map. The author is affiliated with the University at Leuven as a research fellow. This paper belongs to the FWO-project G.0318.06.     

A rational sextic associated with a Desargues configuration

In this paper we consider a Desargues configuration in the projective plane, i.e. ten points and ten lines, on each line we have three of the points and through each point we have three of the lines. We construct a rational curve of order 6 which has a node at each of the ten points. We have never seen this kind of curve in the literature, but it is well known that for anyn there exists a rational curve of ordern which has [(n–1)(n–2)]/2 nodes and ifn=6 we find a sextic with ten nodes. The purpose of this paper is to obtain a sextic of this kind as a locus of points in connection with special projectivities of the plane associated with the Desargues configuration and to find a rational parametric representation of it. A large part of this paper is done with MACSYMA: it is an application of computer algebra in algebraic geometry. Special cases, where we find a quintic, a quartic or a cubic, are given in the last section.     

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