Secant varieties and birational geometry

We show how to use information about the equations defining secant varieties to smooth projective varieties in order to construct a natural collection of birational transformations. These were first constructed as flips in the case of curves by M. Thaddeus via Geometric Invariant Theory, and the first flip in the sequence was constructed by the author for varieties of arbitrary dimension in an earlier paper. We expose the finer structure of a second flip; again for varieties of arbitrary dimension. We also prove a result on the cubic generation of the secant variety and give some conjectures on the behavior of equations defining the higher secant varieties. Received: 29 November 1999; in final form: 4 September 2000 / Published online: 23 July 2001     

On syzygies of projective bundles over abelian varieties

Syzygies or $N_p$-property of an ample line bundles on abelian varieties are well known. In this paper, we study defining equations and syzygies among them of projective bundles over abelian varieties. We prove an analogue of Pareschi's theorem (or Lazarsfeld's conjecture) on abelian varieties, extended to projective bundles over an abelian variety.     

Quasi-projective reduction of toric varieties

We define a quasi–projective reduction of a complex algebraic variety X to be a regular map from X to a quasi–projective variety that is universal with respect to regular maps from X to quasi–projective varieties. A toric quasi–projective reduction is the analogous notion in the category of toric varieties. For a given toric variety X we first construct a toric quasi–projective reduction. Then we show that X has a quasi–projective reduction if and only if its toric quasi–projective reduction is surjective. We apply this result to characterize when the action of a subtorus on a quasi–projective toric variety admits a categorical quotient in the category of quasi–projective varieties. Received October 29, 1998; in final form December 28, 1998     

On generators of ideals defining projective toric varieties

 For any ample line bundle L on a projective toric variety of dimension n, it is proved that the line bundle L ^⊗i is normally generated if i is greater than or equal to n−1, and examples showing that this estimate is best possible are given. Moreover we prove an estimate for the degree of the generators of the ideals defining projective toric varieties. In particular, when L is normally generated, the defining ideal of the variety embedded by the global sections of L has generators of degree at most n+1. When the variety is embedded by the global sections of L ^⊗(n−1) , then the defining ideal has generators of degree at most three. Received: 11 July 2001 / Revised version: 17 December 2001     

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.     

Syzygies of projective bundles

In this paper we study defining equations and syzygies among them of projective bundles. We prove that for a given p≥0, if a vector bundle on a smooth complex projective variety is sufficiently ample, then the embedding given by the tautological line bundle satisfies property N_p.     

Distortion Varieties

The distortion varieties of a given projective variety are parametrized by duplicating coordinates and multiplying them with monomials. We study their degrees and defining equations. Exact formulas are obtained for the case of one-parameter distortions. These are based on Chow polytopes and Gröbner bases. Multi-parameter distortions are studied using tropical geometry. The motivation for distortion varieties comes from multi-view geometry in computer vision. Our theory furnishes a new framework for formulating and solving minimal problems for camera models with image distortion.     

Isolated rational curves on K3-fibered Calabi–Yau threefolds

In this paper we study 16 complete intersection K3-fibered Calabi--Yau variety types in biprojective space ℙ ^{n 1}}×ℙ¹. These are all the CICY-types that are K3 fibered by the projection on the second factor. We prove existence of isolated rational curves of bidegree (d,0) for every positive integer d on a general Calabi–Yau variety of these types. The proof depends heavily on existence theorems for curves on K3-surfaces proved by S. Mori and K. Oguiso. Some of these varieties are related to Calabi–Yau varieties in projective space by a determinantal contraction, and we use this to prove existence of rational curves of every degree for a general Calabi–Yau variety in projective space. Received: 14 October 1997 / Revised version: 18 January 1998     

Wild automorphisms of varieties with Kodaira dimension 0

An automorphism σ of a projective variety X is said to be wild if σ(Y) ≠ Y for every non-empty subvariety Y \subsetneq X{Y \subsetneq X} . In [1] Z. Reichstein, D. Rogalski, and J.J. Zhang conjectured that if X is an irreducible projective variety admitting a wild automorphism then X is an abelian variety, and proved this conjecture for dim(X) ≤ 2. As a step toward answering this conjecture in higher dimensions we prove a structure theorem for projective varieties of Kodaira dimension 0 admitting wild automorphisms. This essentially reduces the Kodaira dimension 0 case to a study of Calabi-Yau varieties, which we also investigate. In support of this conjecture, we show that there are no wild automorphisms of certain Calabi-Yau varieties.     

Higher order dual varieties of projective surfaces

We investigate higher order dual varieties of projective manifolds whose osculatory behavior is the best possible. In particular, for a k-jet ample surface we prove the nondegeneratedness of the k-th dual variety and for 2-regular surfaces we investigate the degree of the second dual variety.     

Stringy E-functions of varieties with A-D-E singularities

The stringy E-function for normal irreducible complex varieties with at worst log terminal singularities was introduced by Batyrev. It is defined by data from a log resolution. If the variety is projective and Gorenstein and the stringy E-function is a polynomial, Batyrev also defined the stringy Hodge numbers as a generalization of the Hodge numbers of nonsingular projective varieties, and conjectured that they are nonnegative. We compute explicit formulae for the contribution of an A-D-E singularity to the stringy E-function in arbitrary dimension. With these results we can say when the stringy E-function of a variety with such singularities is a polynomial and in that case we prove that the stringy Hodge numbers are nonnegative. Research Assistant of the Fund for Scientific Research - Flanders (Belgium) (F.W.O.),     

On base manifolds of Lagrangian fibrations

We consider base spaces of Lagrangian fibrations from singular symplectic varieties.After defining cohomologically irreducible symplectic varieties,we construct an example of Lagrangian fibration whose base space is isomorphic to a quotient of the projective space.We also prove that the base space of Lagrangian fibration from a cohomologically symplectic variety is isomorphic to the projective space provided that the base space is smooth.     

Set-theoretic defining equations of the tangential variety of the Segre variety

We prove a set-theoretic version of the Landsberg-Weyman Conjecture on the defining equations of the tangential variety of a Segre product of projective spaces. We introduce and study the concept of exclusive rank. For the proof of this conjecture, we use a connection to the author’s previous work and re-express the tangential variety as the variety of principal minors of symmetric matrices that have exclusive rank no more than 1. We discuss applications to semiseparable matrices, tensor rank versus border rank, context-specific independence models and factor analysis models.     

On second fundamental forms of projective varieties

Summary The projective second fundamental form at a generic smooth pointx of a subvarietyX ⁿ of projective space ^n+a may be considered as a linear system of quadratic forms |II| _x on the tangent spaceT _x X. We prove this system is subject to certain restrictions (4.1), including a bound on the dimension of the singular locus of any quadric in the system |II| _x . (The only previously known restriction was that ifX is smooth, the singular locus of the entire system must be empty). One consequence of (4.1) is that smooth subvarieties with 2(a–1)<n are such that their third and all higher fundamental forms are zero (4.14). This says that the infinitesimal invariants of such varieties are of the same nature as the invariants of hypersurfaces, giving further evidence towards the principle (e.g. [H]) that smooth subvarieties of small codimension should behave like hypersurfaces.Further restrictions on the second fundamental form occur when one has more information about the variety. In this paper we discuss additional restrictions when the variety contains a linear space (2.3) and when the variety is a complete intersection (6.1).These rank restrictions should prove useful both in enhancing our understanding of smooth subvarieties of small codimension, and in bounding from below the dimensions of singularities of varieties for which local information is more readily available than global information.Oblatum XII-1992 & 30-IX-1993This work was done while the author was partially supported by an NSF postdoctoral fellowship     

Tangential Quantum Cohomology of Arbitrary Order

Kock has previously defined a tangency quantum product on formal power series with coefficients in the cohomology ring of any smooth projective variety, and thus a ring that generalizes the quantum cohomology ring. We further generalize Kock's construction by defining a dth-order contact product and establishing its associativity.     

On the algebraicK-theory of twisted flag varieties

The algebraicK-groups of projective homogeneous varieties are computed. The answer is given in terms ofK-groups of a semisimple algebra canonically associated with the variety. Our results generalize a result of Quillen and a result of Swan, whereK-groups of Severi-Brauer varieties and of smooth projective quadratic hypersurfaces were computed.     

Mustafin varieties

A Mustafin variety is a degeneration of projective space induced by a point configuration in a Bruhat-Tits building. The special fiber is reduced and Cohen-Macaulay, and its irreducible components form interesting combinatorial patterns. For configurations that lie in one apartment, these patterns are regular mixed subdivisions of scaled simplices, and the Mustafin variety is a twisted Veronese variety built from such a subdivision. This connects our study to tropical and toric geometry. For general configurations, the irreducible components of the special fiber are rational varieties, and any blow-up of projective space along a linear subspace arrangement can arise. A detailed study of Mustafin varieties is undertaken for configurations in the Bruhat-Tits tree of PGL(2) and in the 2-dimensional building of PGL(3). The latter yields the classification of Mustafin triangles into 38 combinatorial types.