14 pages, final version with minor typos corrected and some new remarks, to appear in Compositio Mathematica, comments are welcome! arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1207.0575 by other authors
All curves on a separably rationally connected variety are rationally equivalent to a (non-effective) integral sum of rational curves, hence the first Chow group is generated by rational curves. Applying the same techniques, we also proved that the first Chow group of all separably rationally connected Fano complete intersections with index at least 2 is generated by lines. As a consequence, a question of Professor Burt Totaro about integral Hodge classess on rationally connected 3-folds is solved, and positive answer to the question for general n-fold due to Professor János Kollár will follow from the Tate conjecture for surfaces over finite fields.
Varieties of Fano type are very well behaved with respect to MMP, and they are known to be rationally connected. We study the relation between classes of rationally connected varieties and varieties of Fano type. We give examples of rationally connected varieties of dimension $\geqslant 3$ which are not birationally equivalent to Fano type varieties, thereby answering the question of Cascini and Gongyo.
We prove that a degeneration rationally connected varieties over a field of characteristic zero always contains a geometrically irreducible subvariety which is rationally connected.
Nonsingular projective varieties which are both convex and rationally connected are considered. We ask whether such varieties must be algebraic homogeneous spaces G/P. In case X is a complete intersection, an affirmative answer is obtained by an elementary argument.
We study for rationally connected varieties $X$ the group of degree 2 integral homology classes on $X$ modulo those which are algebraic. We show that the Tate conjecture for divisor classes on surfaces defined over finite fields implies that this group is trivial for any rationally connected variety.
In this short note we prove that if X is a separably rationally connected variety over an algebraically closed field of positive characteristic, then H^1(X, O_X)=0.
A perfect PAC field containing an algebraically closed field is known to be $C_1$, i.e., every degeneration of a Fano complete intersection has a point. We prove that also every degeneration of a separably rationally connected variety has a point.
This is an expository paper on rationally connected varieties. The aim is to provide an introduction to the subject, as well as to discuss a recent result by T. Graber, J. Harris and J. Starr. The paper is based on the talk I gave at the 2004 Summer Research Conference on Algebraic Geometry at Snowbird.
Let $k$ be an algebraically closed field. Chambert-Loir proved that the étale fundamental group of a normal rationally chain connected variety over $k$ is finite. We prove that the fundamental group scheme of a normal rationally chain connected variety over $k$ is finite and étale. In particular, the fundamental group scheme of a Fano variety is finite and étale.
In this short note, we show that a construction by Ottem provides an example of a rationally connected variety that is not birationally equivalent to a Mori dream space. This answers in the negative (at least in the category of terminal varieties) a question posed by Krylov.
This is a survey of weak approximation over complex function fields, touching on the Koll'ar-Miyaoka-Mori theorem, places of good and bad reduction, the special case of rational surfaces, rationally simply connected varieties, and applications to low-degree complete intersections.
Let U be an open subset of a unirational variety (or more generally of a separably rationally connected variety). We prove that there is rational curve C in U such that the fundamental group of C surjects onto the fundamental group of U. The proof improves the earlier proof (math.AG/0003138) and works in any characteristic. Much improved version, thanks to comments of Colliot-Thélène.
We discuss a possible approach to the study of the vanishing of the Kobayashi pseudometric of a projective variety X, using chains of rational or elliptic curves contained in an arbitrarily small neighborhood of X in projective space for the Euclidean topology.
Let X be a geometrically rational (or more generally, separably rationally connected) variety over a finite field K. We prove that if K is large enough then X contains many rational curves defined over K. As a consequence we prove that R-equivalence is trivial on X if K is large enough. These imply that if Y is defined over a local field and it has good, separably rationally connected reduction then the Chow group of zero cycles is trivial for any residue field. R-equivalence is also trivial if the residue field is large enough.
A result of Graber, Harris, and Starr shows that a rationally connected variety defined over the function field of a curve over the complex numbers always has a rational point. Similarly, a separably rationally connected variety over a finite field or the function field of a curve over any algebraically closed field will have a rational point. Here we show that rationally connected varieties over the maximally unramified extension of the p-adics usually, in a precise sense, have rational points. This result is in the spirit of Ax and Kochen's result saying that the p-adics are usually $C_{2}$ …
Let X be a smooth, projective variety defined over a local field K. Following Manin, two K-points of X are called R-equivalent if they can be joined by a rational curve defined over K. The main result of this note shows that if there are only finitely many R-equivalence classes over the algebraic closure of K then the same holds over K. This also yields the unirationality of several classes of varieties over K.
Let U be an open subset of a unirational variety. We prove that there is rational curve C in U such that the fundamental group of C surjects onto the fundamental group of U. As a consequence we obtain new proofs of the theorems of Harbater and Colliot-Thélène on Galois covers and torsors over the p-adic line. We also obtain examples of pencils of curves of genus <14 whose monodromy group is the full Teichmüller group.
Assume that R is a local regular ring containing an infinite perfect field, or that R is the local ring of a point on a smooth scheme over an infinite field. Let K be the field of fractions of R and the characteristic of K is not 2. Let X be an exceptional projective homogeneous scheme over R. We prove that in most cases the condition that X has a K-point implies that X has an R-point.
Under suitable hypotheses, we prove that a form of a projective homogeneous variety $G/P$ defined over the function field of a surface over an algebraically closed field has a rational point. The method uses an algebro-geometric analogue of simple connectedness replacing the unit interval by the projective line. As a consequence, we complete the proof of Serre's Conjecture II in Galois cohomology for function fields over an algebraically closed field.
We consider rationally connected complex projective manifolds M and show that their loop spaces--infinite dimensional complex manifolds--have properties similar to those of M. Furthermore, we give a finite dimensional application concerning holomorphic vector bundles over rationally connected complex projective manifolds.
In this paper, we give a simple proof of a triviality criterion due to I.Biswas and J.Pedro and P.Dos Santos. We also prove a vector bundle on a homogenous space is trivial if and only if the restrictions of the vector bundle to Schubert lines are trivial. Using this result and Chern classes of vector bundles, we give a general criterion of a uniform vector bundle on a homogenous space to be splitting. As an application, we prove a uniform vector bundle on classical Grassmannians and quadrics of low rank is splitting.
We give a characterization of all complete smooth toric varieties whose rational homotopy is of elliptic type. All such toric varieties of complex dimension not more than three are explicitly described.
We report on progress in the qualitative study of rational points on rationally connected varieties over number fields, also examining integral points, zero-cycles, and non-rationally connected varieties. One of the main objectives is to highlight and explain the many recent interactions with analytic number theory.
We study zero cycles on rationally connected varieties defined over characteristic zero Laurent fields with algebraically closed residue fields. We show that the degree map induces an isomorphism for rationally connected threefolds defined over such fields. In general, the degree map is an isomorphism if rationally connected varieties defined over algebraically closed fields of characteristic zero satisfy the integral Hodge/Tate conjecture for one cycles, or if the Tate conjecture is true for divisor classes on surfaces defined over finite fields. To prove these results, we introduce technique…
We use birational geometry to show that the existence of rational points on proper rationally connected varieties over fields of characteristic $0$ is a consequence of the existence of rational points on terminal Fano varieties. We discuss several consequences of this result, especially in relation to the $C_1$-conjecture. We also provide evidence that supports the conjecture in dimension $3$ for $C_1$ fields of characteristic $0$.
We prove Kawaguchi-Silverman conjecture for all surjective endomorphisms on every smooth rationally connected variety admitting an int-amplified endomorphism.
A complex projective manifold is rationally connected, resp. rationally simply connected, if finite subsets are connected by a rational curve, resp. the spaces parameterizing these connecting rational curves are themselves rationally connected. We prove that a projective scheme over a global function field with vanishing "elementary obstruction" has a rational point if it deforms to a rationally simply connected variety in characteristic 0. This gives new, uniform proofs over these fields of the Period-Index Theorem, the quasi-split case of Serre's "Conjecture II", and Lang's $C_2$ property.
Finite abelian groups acting on rationally connected threefolds II: groups of K3 type
Steklov Mathematical Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences（俄罗斯科学院斯捷克洛夫数学研究所）；Center of Pure Mathematics, MIPT（莫斯科物理技术学院纯数学中心）；Laboratory of Algebraic Geometry, National Research University Higher School of Economics（国立高等经济大学代数几何实验室）；School of Mathematics, University of Edinburgh（爱丁堡大学数学学院）；Courant Institute（库朗数学科学研究所）
One distinguishing feature of rational curves is that they have algebraic parameterizations. Arc spaces are a way of describing approximations to parameterizations of all curves in some fixed space. Playing on these descriptions, this paper introduces rationally generated arcs, and applies them towards the description and enumeration of rational curves in algebraic varieties.
We show that an element $w$ of a finite Weyl group $W$ is rationally smooth if and only if the hyperplane arrangement $I$ associated to the inversion set of $w$ is inductively free, and the product $(d_1+1) \cdots (d_l+1)$ of the coexponents $d_1,\ldots,d_l$ is equal to the size of the Bruhat interval $[e,w]$, where $e$ is the identity in $W$. As part of the proof, we describe exactly when a rationally smooth element in a finite Weyl group has a chain Billey-Postnikov decomposition. For finite Coxeter groups, we show that chain Billey-Postnikov decompositions are connected with certain modular…
Schubert varieties in finite dimensional flag manifolds G/P are a well-studied family of projective varieties indexed by elements of the corresponding Weyl group W. In particular, there are many tests for smoothness and rational smoothness of these varieties. One key result due to Lakshmibai-Sandhya is that in type A the smooth Schubert varieties are precisely those that are indexed by permutations that avoid the patterns 4231 and 3412. Recently, there has been a flurry of research related to the infinite dimensional analogs of flag manifolds corresponding with G being a Kac-Moody group and W …
We show that if X is a smooth rationally connected threefold and C is a smooth projective curve then C can be embedded in X. Furthermore, a version of this property characterises rationally connected varieties of dimension at least 3. We give some details about the toric case.
We study various generalisations of rationally connected varieties, allowing the connecting curves to be of higher genus. The main focus will be on free curves $f:C\to X$ with large unobstructed deformation space as originally defined by Kollár, but we also give definitions and basic properties of varieties $X$ covered by a family of curves of a fixed genus $g$ so that through any two general points of $X$ there passes the image of a curve in the family. We prove that the existence of a free curve of genus $g \geq 1$ implies the variety is rationally connected in characteristic zero and initia…
The cohomological dimension of a field is the largest degree with non-vanishing Galois cohomology. Serre's "Conjecture II" predicts that for every perfect field of cohomological dimension $2$, every torsor over the field for a semisimple, simply connected algebraic group is trivial. A field is perfect and "pseudo algebraically closed" (PAC) if every geometrically irreducible curve over the field has a rational point. These have cohomological dimension $1$. Every transcendence degree $1$ extension of such a field has cohomological degree $2$. We prove Serre's "Conjecture II" for such fields of …
A theorem of Ryan and Wolper states that a type A Schubert variety is smooth if and only if it is an iterated fibre bundle of Grassmannians. We extend this theorem to arbitrary finite type, showing that a Schubert variety in a generalized flag variety is rationally smooth if and only if it is an iterated fibre bundle of rationally smooth Grassmannian Schubert varieties. The proof depends on deep combinatorial results of Billey-Postnikov on Weyl groups. We determine all smooth and rationally smooth Grassmannian Schubert varieties, and give a new proof of Peterson's theorem that all simply-laced…
On rational chain connectedness of globally +-regular varieties
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)（洛桑联邦理工学院）；University of Illinois at Chicago（伊利诺伊大学芝加哥分校）；Michigan State University（密歇根州立大学）；Peking University（北京大学）
For any $n\geq 3$, we prove that there exist equivalences between these apparently unrelated objects: irreducible $n$-dimensional non degenerate projective varieties $X\subset \mathbb P^{2n+1}$ different from rational normal scrolls and 3-covered by twisted cubic curves, up to projective equivalence; quadro-quadric Cremona transformations of $ \mathbb P^{n-1}$, up to linear equivalence; $n$-dimensional complex Jordan algebras of rank three, up to isotopy. We also provide some applications to the classification of particular classes of varieties in the class defined above and of quadro-quadric …
In this paper we describe the fundamental group-scheme of a proper variety fibered over an abelian variety with rationally connected fibers over an algebraically closed field. We use old and recent results for the Nori fundamental group-scheme, and of finite group-schemes in general to prove that the kernel of such a fibration is finite, and that the homotopy exact sequence holds in this case. As an application, we describe the fundamental group-schemes of certain proper varieties that are connected by curves or are related to them.
In this paper, we give an affirmative answer to a conjecture in the Minimal Model Program. We prove that log $Q$-Fano varieties of dim $n$ are rationally connected. We also study the behavior of the canonical bundles under projective morphisms.
The purpose of this paper is to translate positivity properties of the tangent bundle (and the anti-canonical bundle) of an algebraic manifold into existence and movability properties of rational curves and to investigate the impact on the global geometry of the manifold $X$. Among the results we prove are these: \quad If $X$ is a projective manifold, and ${\cal E} \subset T_X$ is an ample locally free sheaf with $n-2\ge rk {\cal E}\ge n$, then $X \simeq \EP_n$. \quad Let $X$ be a projective manifold. If $X$ is rationally connected, then there exists a free $T_X$-ample family of (rational) cur…
We prove that the integral cohomology modulo torsion of a rationally connected threefold comes from the integral cohomology of a smooth curve via the cylinder homomorphism associated to a family of $1$-cycles. Equivalently, it is of strong coniveau 1 in the sense of Benoist-Ottem.
With the help of Lusztig's canonical basis, we study local intersection cohomology of the Zariski closures of orbits of representations of a quiver of type A, D or E. In particular, we characterize the rationally smooth orbits and prove that orbit closures are smooth if and only if they are rationally smooth. This provides an analogue of theorems of V. Deodhar, and J. Carrell and D. Peterson on Schubert varieties.
In this paper we study smooth complex projective polarized varieties (X,H) of dimension n \ge 2 which admit a dominating family V of rational curves of H-degree 3, such that two general points of X may be joined by a curve parametrized by V, and such that there is a covering family of rational curves of H-degree one. Our main result is that the Picard number of these manifolds is at most three, and that, if equality holds, (X,H) has an adjuction theoretic scroll structure over a smooth variety.
Automorphism groups and Homogeneous fibrations on projective varieties with nef anticanonical divisors
Department of Mathematics, Southern University of Science and Technology（南方科技大学数学系）；Department of Mathematical Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University（西交利物浦大学数学科学系）
We study finite $p$-subgroups of birational automorphism groups. By virtue of boundedness theorem of Fano varieties, we prove that there exists a constant $R(n)$ such that a rationally connected variety of dimension $n$ over an algebraically closed field is rational if its birational automorphism group contains a $p$-subgroups of maximal rank for $p > R(n)$. Some related applications on Jordan property are discussed.
