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.
Using deformation theory of rational curves, we prove a conjecture of Sommese on the extendability of morphisms from ample subvarieties when the morphism is a smooth (or mildly singular) fibration with rationally connected fibers. We apply this result in the context of Fano fibrations and prove a classification theorem for projective bundle and quadric fibration structures on ample subvarieties.
We prove that a fibration X \to \Bbb P_1, the general fiber of which is a smooth Fano threefold, is rationally connected. The proof is based on a generalization of Tsen's classical theorem: a fibration X/C over a curve the general fiber of which is a Fano complete intersection in a product of weighted projective spaces has a section.
We study the Iitaka-Kodaira dimension of nef relative anti-canonical divisors. As a consequence, we prove that given a complex projective variety with klt singularities, if the anti-canonical divisor is nef, then the dimension of a general fibre of the maximal rationally connected fibration is at least the Iitaka-Kodaira dimension of the anti-canonical divisor.
A well known result of Miyaoka asserts that a complex projective manifold is uniruled if its cotangent bundle restricted to a general complete intersection curve is not nef. Using the Harder-Narasimhan filtration of the tangent bundle, it can moreover be shown that the choice of such a curve gives rise to a rationally connected foliation of the manifold. In this note we show that, conversely, a movable curve can be found so that the maximal rationally connected fibration of the manifold may be recovered as a term of the associated Harder-Narasimhan filtration of the tangent bundle.
Under some positivity assumptions, extension properties of rationally connected fibrations from a submanifold to its ambient variety are studied. Given a family of rational curves on a complex projective manifold X inducing a covering family on a submanifold Y with ample normal bundle in X, the main results relate, under suitable conditions, the associated rational connected fiber structures on X and on Y. Applications of these results include an extension theorem for Mori contractions of fiber type and a classification theorem in the case Y has a structure of projective bundle or quadric fibr…
A theorem of Graber, Harris, and Starr states that a rationally connected fibration over a curve has a section. We study an analogous question in symplectic geometry. Namely, given a rationally connected fibration over a curve, can one find a section which gives a non-zero Gromov-Witten invariant? We observe that for any fibration, the existence of a section which gives a non-zero Gromov-Witten invariant only depends on the generic fiber, i.e. a variety defined over the function field of a curve. Some examples of rationally connected fibrations with this property are given, including all ratio…
The Hodge conjecture is shown to hold for rationally connected fivefolds, or more generally for fivefolds for which the base of the maximal rationally connected fibration is at most 3 dimensional.
In this work, we show that for a certain class of threefolds in positive characteristics, rational-chain-connectivity is equivalent to supersingularity. The same result is known for K3 surfaces with elliptic fibrations. And there are examples of threefolds that are both supersingular and rationally chain connected.
We study the Brauer-Manin obstruction to the Hasse principle and to weak approximation for 0-cycles on algebraic varieties that possess a fibration structure. The exactness of the local-to-global sequence $(E)$ of Chow groups of 0-cycles was known only for a fibration whose base is either a curve or the projective space. In the present paper, we prove the exactness of $(E)$ for fibrations whose bases are Châtelet surfaces or projective models of homogeneous spaces of connected linear algebraic groups with connected stabilizers. We require that either all fibres are split and most fibres satisf…
We prove that a degeneration rationally connected varieties over a field of characteristic zero always contains a geometrically irreducible subvariety which is rationally connected.
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）
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.
Let $X$ be a smooth projective rationally connected threefold with nef anticanonical divisor. We give a classification for the case when $-K_X$ is not semi-ample.
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.
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 study foliations with rationally connected leaves on surfaces. Our main result is that on surfaces there exists a polarisation such that the Harder-Narasimhan filtration of the tangent bundle with respect to this polarisation yields the maximal rationally quotient of the surface.
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 give a generalization of a result of R. Pandharipande to arbitrary characteristic: We prove that, if $X$ is a convex, separably rationally connected, smooth complete intersection in $\mathbb{P}^N$ over an algebraically closed field of arbitrary characteristic, then $X$ is rational homogeneous.
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 article proves hypersurfaces of degree d in projective n-space are "rationally simply-connected" if $d^2 \leq n$. In a forthcoming paper, de Jong and I prove a slightly weaker result when $d^2 \leq n+1$.
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.
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.
Let $X$ be a smooth complex projective rationally connected threefold with $-K_X$ nef and not semi-ample. In our previous work, we classified all such threefolds when $|{-}K_X|$ has no fixed divisor. In this paper, we continue our classification when $|{-}K_X|$ has a non-zero fixed divisor.
In his work on birational classification of foliations on projective surfaces, Brunella showed that every regular foliation on a rational surface is algebraically integrable with rational leaves. This led Touzet to conjecture that every regular foliation on a rationally connected manifold is algebraically integrable with rationally connected leaves. Druel proved this conjecture for the case of weak Fano manifolds. In this paper, we extend this result showing that Touzet's conjecture is true for codimension one foliations on threefolds with nef anti-canonical bundle.
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.
We prove that rationally connected Calabi--Yau 3-folds with kawamata log terminal (klt) singularities form a birationally bounded family, or more generally, rationally connected $3$-folds of $ε$-CY type form a birationally bounded family for $ε>0$. Moreover, we show that the set of $ε$-lc log Calabi--Yau pairs $(X, B)$ with coefficients of $B$ bounded away from zero is log bounded modulo flops. As a consequence, we deduce that rationally connected klt Calabi--Yau $3$-folds with mld bounded away from $1$ are bounded modulo flops.
In this paper, combining the works of Miyanishi-Tsunoda and Keel-McKernan, we prove the log Castelnuovo's rationality criterion for smooth quasiprojective surfaces over complex numbers.
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.
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 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.
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…
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.
In this paper, the technique of foliations in characteristic $p$ is used to investigate the difference between rational connectedness and separable rational connectedness in positive characteristic. The notion of being freely rationally connected is defined; a variety is freely rationally connected if a general pair of points can be connected by a free rational curve. It is proved that a freely rationally connected variety admits a finite purely inseparable morphism to a separably rationally connected variety. As an application, a generalized Graber-Harris-Starr type theorem in positive charac…
This is, mostly, a survey of results about the birational geometry of rationally connected manifolds, using rational curves analogous to lines in ${\mathbb P}^n$ ({\it quasi-lines}). Various characterizations of a Zariski neighbourhood of a line in ${\mathbb P}^n$ are obtained, some of them being new. Also, methods of formal geometry are applied for deducing results of birational nature.
In this paper, we study the structure of Fano fibrations of varieties admitting an int-amplified endomorphism. We prove that if a normal $\mathbb{Q}$-factorial klt projective variety $X$ has an int-amplified endomorphism, then there exists an étale in codimension one finite morphism $\widetilde{X} \to X$ such that $\widetilde{X}$ is of Fano type over its albanese variety. As a corollary, if we further assume that $X$ is smooth and rationally connected, then $X$ is of Fano type.
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.
We show that the only finite quasi-simple non-abelian groups that can faithfully act on rationally connected threefolds are the following groups: $\mathfrak{A}_5$, $\operatorname{PSL}_2(\mathbf{F}_7)$, $\mathfrak{A}_6$, $\operatorname{SL}_2(\mathbf{F}_8)$, $\mathfrak{A}_7$, $\operatorname{PSp}_4(\mathbf{F}_3)$, $\operatorname{SL}_2(\mathbf{F}_{7})$, $2.\mathfrak{A}_5$, $2.\mathfrak{A}_6$, $3.\mathfrak{A}_6$ or $6.\mathfrak{A}_6$. All of these groups with a possible exception of $2.\mathfrak{A}_6$ and $6.\mathfrak{A}_6$ indeed act on some rationally connected threefolds.
Motivated by the study of rationally connected fibrations (and the MRC quotient) we study different notions of birationally simple fibrations. We say a fibration of smooth projective varieties is Chow constant if pushforward induces an isomorphism on the Chow group of 0-cycles. Likewise we say a fibration is cohomologically constant if pullback induces an isomorphism on holomorphic p-forms for all p. Our main result is the construction of maximal Chow constant and cohomologically constant fibrations. The paper is largely self contained and we prove a number of basic properties of these fibrati…
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.
We prove a structure theorem for non-isomorphic endomorphisms of weak Q-Fano threefolds, or more generally for threefolds with big anti-canonical divisor. Also provided is a criterion for a fibred rationally connected threefold to be rational. As a consequence, we show (without using the classification) that every smooth Fano threefold having a non-isomorphic surjective endomorphism is rational.
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 $C_{2}$ …
This paper is concerned with projective rationally connected surfaces $X$ with canonical singularities and having non-zero pluri-forms, i.e. $(Ω_X^1)^{[\otimes m]}$ has non-zero global sections for some m > 0, where $(Ω_X^1)^{[\otimes m]}$ is the reflexive hull of $(Ω_X^1)^{\otimes m}$. We show that any such surface can be obtained from a rational ruled surface by a very explicit sequence of blow-ups and blow-downs. Moreover, we interpret the existence of non-zero pluri-forms in terms of semistable reduction.
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）
We study weak approximation on rationally connected varieties under an assumption of strong approximation for a "simple" variety or under Schinzel's hypothesis. We also get some unconditional results.
Let $V$ be a smooth, projective, rationally connected variety, defined over a number field $k$, and let $Z\subset V$ be a closed subset of codimension at least two. In this paper, for certain choices of $V$, we prove that the set of $Z$-integral points is potentially Zariski dense, in the sense that there is a finite extension $K$ of $k$ such that the set of points $P\in V(K)$ that are $Z$-integral is Zariski dense in $V$. This gives a positive answer to a question of Hassett and Tschinkel from 2001.
This text is an introduction to math.AG/0110051 (to appear in Ann. Inst. Fourier), and describes a canonical decomposition of compact Kähler manifolds $X$ first by means of their "core", the unique fibration on $X$ with fibres special, and orbifold base of general type. Being special means that there does not exist a fibration onto an orbifold of general type. The core is next decomposed into a tower of fibrations with all orbifold fibres either with $κ=0$, or rationally generated (a weak version of rationally connected).
In this paper, we pose several conjectures on structures and images of maximal rationally connected fibrations of smooth projective varieties admitting semi-positive holomorphic sectional curvature. Toward these conjectures, we prove that the canonical bundle of images of such fibrations is not big. Our proof gives a generalization of Yang's solution using RC positivity for Yau's conjecture. As an application, we show that any compact Kähler surface with semi-positive holomorphic sectional curvature is rationally connected, or a complex torus, or a ruled surface over an elliptic curve.
This work establishes a structure theorem for compact Kähler manifolds with semipositive anticanonical bundle. Up to finite étale cover, it is proved that such manifolds split holomorphically and isometrically as a product of Ricci flat varieties and of rationally connected manifolds. The proof is based on a characterization of rationally connected manifolds through the non existence of certain twisted contravariant tensor products of the tangent bundle, along with a generalized holonomy principle for pseudoeffective line bundles. A crucial ingredient for this is the characterization of unirul…
