Jordan showed that the incidence variety of a smooth cubic surface containing 27 lines has solvable Galois group over the incidence variety of a smooth cubic surface containing 3 skew lines. As noted by Harris, it follows that for any smooth cubic surface, there exist formulas for all 27 lines in terms of any 3 skew lines. In response to a question of Farb, we compute these formulas explicitly. We also discuss how these formulas relate to Schläfli's count of lines on real smooth cubic surfaces.
It is well known that every smooth cubic threefold is the zero locus of the Pfaffian of a 6 x 6 skew-symmetric matrix of linear forms in P^4. To compactify the space of such Pfaffian representations of a given cubic and to study the construction in families as well as for singular or reducible cubics, it is thus natural to consider the incidence correspondence of Pfaffian representations inside the product of the space of semistable skew-symmetric 6 x 6 matrices of linear forms in P^4 and the space of cubics. Here we describe concretely the irreducible component of this incidence correspondenc…
Smooth real cubic surfaces are birationally trivial (over $\R$) if and only if their real locus is connected or, equivalently, if and only if they have two skew real lines or two skew complex conjugate lines. In such a case a parametrization over the reals can be given by cubic polynomials. In this short note we provide a simple geometric method to obtain such parametrization based in an algorithm by I. Polo-Blanco and J. Top \cite{Po-Top}.
This paper deals with the geometry of the space (GIT quotient) M_8 of 8 points in P^1, and the Gale-quotient N'_8 of the GIT quotient of 8 points in P^3. The space M_8 comes with a natural embedding in P^{13}, or more precisely, the projectivization of the S_8-representation V_{4,4}. There is a single S_8-skew cubic C in P^{13}. The fact that M_8 lies on the skew cubic C is a consequence of Thomae's formula for hyperelliptic curves, but more is true: M_8 is the singular locus of C. These constructions yield the free resolution of M_8, and are used in the determination of the "single" equation …
In this paper, we classify groups which faithfully act on smooth cubic threefolds. It turns out that there are exactly $6$ maximal ones and we describe them with explicit examples of target cubic threefolds.
We study the sheaves of logarithmic vector fields along smooth cubic curves in the projective plane, and prove a Torelli-type theorem in the sense of Dolgachev-Kapranov for those with non-vanishing j-invariants.
We give an explicit presentation of the integral Chow ring of a stack of smooth plane cubics. We also determine some relations in the general case of hypersurfaces of any dimension and degree.
We pose some questions about spaces parametrizing rational curves on rationally connected varieties. We give a partial answer for cubic threefolds. Many of our results were previously proved by Iliev, Markushevich and Tikhimirov by analyzing vector bundles on cubic threefolds. Our proofs use residuation rather than vector bundles.
In this paper, we study the geometry of two-torsion points of elliptic curves in order to distinguish the embedded topology of reducible plane curves consisting of a smooth cubic and its tangent lines. As a result, we obtain a new family of Zariski N-ples consisting of such curves.
We construct and study Sarkisov links obtained by blowing up smooth space curves lying on smooth cubic surfaces. We restrict our attention to the case where the blowup is not weak Fano. Together with the results of arXiv:1106.3716 which cover the weak Fano case, we provide a classification of all such curves. This is achieved by computing all curves which satisfy certain necessary criteria on their multisecant curves and then constructing the Sarkisov link step by step.
In this paper we give an effective criterion as to when a prime number p is the order of an automorphism of a smooth cubic hypersurface of P^{n+1}, for a fixed n > 1. We also provide a computational method to classify all such hypersurfaces that admit an automorphism of prime order p. In particular, we show that p<2^{n+1} and that any such hypersurface admitting an automorphism of order p>2^n is isomorphic to the Klein n-fold. We apply our method to compute exhaustive lists of automorphism of prime order of smooth cubic threefolds and fourfolds. Finally, we provide an application to the moduli…
In this paper we investigate the divisor $\mathcal C_{14}$ inside the moduli space of smooth cubic hypersurfaces in $\mathbb P^5$, whose generic element is a smooth cubic containing a smooth quartic scroll. Using the fact that all degenerations of quartic scrolls in $\mathbb P^5$ contained in a smooth cubic hypersurface are surfaces with one apparent double point, we conclude that every cubic hypersurface belonging to $\mathcal C_{14}$ is rational. As an application of our results and of the construction of some explicit examples contained in the Appendix, we also prove that the Pfaffian locus…
We classify all possible automorphism groups of smooth cubic surfaces over an algebraically closed field of arbitrary characteristic. As an intermediate step we also classify automorphism groups of quartic del Pezzo surfaces. We show that the moduli space of smooth cubic surfaces is rational in every characteristic, determine the dimensions of the strata admitting each possible isomorphism class of automorphism group, and find explicit normal forms in each case. Finally, we completely characterize when a smooth cubic surface in positive characteristic, together with a group action, can be lift…
It was shown in \cite{FPV} that the classification of $n$-component systems of conservation laws possessing a third-order Hamiltonian structure reduces to the following algebraic problem: classify $n$-planes $H$ in $\wedge^2(V_{n+2})$ such that the induced map $Sym^2H\longrightarrow \wedge^4V_{n+2}$ has 1-dimensional kernel generated by a non-degenerate quadratic form on $H^*$. This problem is trivial for $n=2, 3$ and apparently wild for $n\geq 5$. In this paper we address the most interesting borderline case $n=4$. We prove that the variety $\mathcal{V}$ parametrizing those 4-planes $H$ is an…
In this text we prove that if a smooth cubic in $\PR^5$ has its Fano variety of lines birational to the Hilbert scheme of two points on a K3 surface, then there exists a smooth projective curve or a smooth projective surface embedded in the Fano variety, such that the kernel of the push-forward (at the level of zero cycles ) induced by the closed embedding is torsion.
In [BN] the authors construct a special complex of degree 20 over M, which for an open three dimensional set parametrizes smooth complex surfaces of degree four invariant which are Heisenberg invariant and each member of the family contains 32 lines but only 16 skew lines. The coordinates of the lines however need not be real. For a point l in a Zariski open set of M an algorithm is presented which evaluates the real coefficients of l in terms of the K-coordinates of l. The author uses a code in Maple which allows him to construct very explicite examples of real smooth Heisenberg invariant Kum…
In this paper, we study the deformations of curves in the projective 3-space $\mathbb P^3$ (space curves), one of the most classically studied objects in algebraic geometry. We prove a conjecture due to J. O. Kleppe (in fact, a version modified by Ph. Ellia) concerning maximal families of space curves lying on a smooth cubic surface, assuming the quadratic normality of its general members. We also give a sufficient condition for curves lying on a cubic surface to be obstructed in $\mathbb P^3$ in terms of lines on the surface. For the proofs, we use the Hilbert-flag scheme of $\mathbb P^3$ as …
We construct a new twenty-dimensional family of projective eight-dimensional irreducible holomorphic symplectic manifolds: the compactified moduli space M_3(Y) of twisted cubics on a smooth cubic fourfold Y that does not contain a plane is shown to be smooth and to admit a contraction M_3(Y) -> Z(Y) to a projective eight-dimensional symplectic manifold Z(Y). The construction is based on results on linear determinantal representations of singular cubic surfaces.
For every smooth (irreducible) cubic surface $S$ we give an explicit construction of a representative for each of the 72 equivalence classes of determinantal representations. Equivalence classes (under $\GL_3\times \GL_3$ action by left and right multiplication) of determinantal representations are in one to one correspondence with the sets of six mutually skew lines on $S$ and with the 72 (two-dimensional) linear systems of twisted cubic curves on $S$. Moreover, if a determinantal representation $M$ corresponds to lines $(a_1,...,a_6)$ then its transpose $M^t$ corresponds to lines $(b_1,...,b…
The goal of this paper is to solve the conjecture stated in a paper of Mezzetti, Miró-Roig, Ottaviani and classify all smooth minimal monomial Togliatti systems of cubics. More precisely, we classify all minimal monomial artinian ideals generated by cubics, failing the weak Lefschetz property and whose apolar cubic system defines a smooth toric variety or, equivalently, we classify all minimal monomial artinian ideals generated by cubics whose apolar cubic system defines a smooth toric variety satisfying at least a Laplace equation of order 2.
We show the existence of rank 6 Ulrich bundles on a smooth cubic fourfold. First, we construct a simple sheaf E of rank 6 as an elementary modification of an ACM bundle of rank 6 on a smooth cubic fourfold. Such an E appears as an extension of two Lehn-Lehn-Sorger-van Straten sheaves. Then we prove that a general deformation of E(1) becomes Ulrich. In particular, this says that general cubic fourfolds have Ulrich complexity 6.
The Jacobian ring J(X) of a smooth hypersurface determines its isomorphism type. This has been used by Donagi and others to prove the generic global Torelli theorem for hypersurfaces in many cases. In Voisin's original proof of the global Torelli theorem for smooth cubic fourfolds the Jacobian ring does not intervene. In this paper we present a proof of the global Torelli theorem for cubic fourfolds that relies on the Jacobian ring and the (derived) global Torelli theorem for K3 surfaces. It emphasizes, once again, the relation between K3 surfaces and smooth cubic fourfolds. More generally, fo…
We prove that any smooth cubic surface defined over any number field satisfies the lower bound predicted by Manin's conjecture possibly after an extension of small degree.
In this note, we study linear determinantal representations of smooth plane cubics over finite fields. We give an explicit formula of linear determinantal representations corresponding to rational points. Using Schoof's formula, we count the number of projective equivalence classes of smooth plane cubics over a finite field admitting prescribed number of equivalence classes of linear determinantal representations. As an application, we determine isomorphism classes of smooth plane cubics over a finite field with 0, 1 or 2 equivalence classes of linear determinantal representations.
We study structures of embedded projective manifolds swept out by cubic varieties. We show if an embedded projective manifold is swept out by high-dimensional smooth cubic hypersurfaces, then it admits an extremal contraction which is a linear projective bundle or a cubic fibration. As an application, we give a characterization of smooth cubic hypersurfaces. We also classify embedded projective manifolds of dimension at most five swept out by copies of the Segre threefold P^1\timesP^2. In the course of the proof, we classify projective manifolds of dimension five swept out by planes.
We characterise smooth curves in a smooth cubic threefold whose blow-ups produce a weak-Fano threefold. These are curves $C$ of genus $g$ and degree $d$, such that (i) $2(d-5) \le g$ and $d\le 6$; (ii) $C$ does not admit a 3-secant line in the cubic threefold. Among the list of ten possible such types $(g,d)$, two were previously left as open numerical possibilities, namely $(g,d) = (0,5)$ and $(2,6)$. Using the Sarkisov link associated with a curve of type $(2,6)$, we are able to produce the first example of a pseudo-automorphism with dynamical degree greater than $1$ on a smooth threefold wi…
We study a double cover $ψ:X\to V\subset\mathbb{P}^{n}$ branched over a smooth divisor $R\subset V$ such that $R$ is cut on $V$ by a hypersurface of degree $2(n-\mathrm{deg}(V))$, where $n\geqslant 8$ and $V$ is a smooth hypersurface of degree 3 or 4. We prove that $X$ is nonrational and birationally superrigid.
Segre proved that a smooth cubic surface over Q is unirational iff it has a rational point. We prove that the result also holds for cubic hypersurfaces over any field, including finite fields.
The Eckardt hypersurface in $\mathbb{P}^{19}$ parameterizes smooth cubic surfaces with an Eckardt point, which is a point common to three of the $27$ lines on a smooth cubic surface. We describe the cubic surfaces lying on the singular locus of the model of this hypersurface in $\mathbb{P}^4$, obtained via restriction to the space of cubic surfaces possessing a so-called Sylvester form. We prove that inside the moduli of cubics, the singular locus corresponds to a reducible surface with two rational irreducible components intersecting along two rational curves. The two curves intersect in two …
Let k be a finite field with characteristic exceeding 3. We prove that the space of rational curves of fixed degree on any smooth cubic hypersurface over k with dimension at least 11 is irreducible and of the expected dimension.
The purpose of this note is to prove Grothendieck's standard conjectures for the Fano variety of lines on a smooth cubic hypersurface in projective space.
We classify the polarized symplectic automorphisms of Fano varieties of smooth cubic fourfolds (equipped with the Plücker polarization) and study the fixed loci.
