Questions tagged [birational-geometry]

Birational geometry is a field of algebraic geometry the goal of which is to determine when two algebraic varieties are isomorphic outside lower-dimensional subsets. This amounts to studying mappings that are given by rational functions rather than polynomials; the map may fail to be defined where the rational functions have poles.

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Relative canonical divisors

Suppose that $X$ is a Gorenstein variety and that $\pi : Y \to X$ is a birational map of varieties with normal $Y$. In this case the relative canonical divisor is defined to be $K_Y - \pi^*K_X$ (if ...
Karl Schwede's user avatar
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birational geometry of moduli spaces: why work on the coarse space?

In studying the birational geometry of $\overline{\mathcal{M}}_g$, it seems standard to work with the coarse space $\overline{M}_g$ rather than the smooth stack $\overline{\mathcal{M}}_g$. Why is this?...
Hans Sachs's user avatar
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Curves on rational surfaces and Lang's conjecture for M_g

There are a group of related conjectures associated to Lang's name - for this question I'll consider only the weakest one, namely that rational curves in a projective variety of general type are not ...
dhy's user avatar
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Is the $\hat{A}$-genus invariant under crepant birational maps between smooth algebraic varieties?

The degree of the Todd class of the tangent bundle of a variety $Y$ gives the holomorphic genus of $Y$, which is a birational invariant. We also know that the $\hat{A}$-roof of a smooth variety $Y$ ...
JME's user avatar
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References about conic bundles

I'm interested in stable rationality of conic bundles by means of Brauer group/unramified cohomology non-triviality, and I was wondering if there are some references for the basic properties of conic ...
Caligula's user avatar
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Letters of a bi-rationalist

V.V. Shokurov has written several papers over the course of about 10 years which are called "Letters of a bi-rationalist". Here are the ones that I could find: Letters of a bi-rationalist. I. A ...
YangMills's user avatar
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How can I "see" that a map is birational?

This came up with the Euler brick. Let $T=(p,q,r)$ be a Randall triple, i.e. $$(p^2-1)(q^2-1)(r^2-1)=8pqr\ \qquad\text{[eq.1]}.$$ There are tons of maps that map a triple $T$ to another $T'=(p',q',r')$...
Hauke Reddmann's user avatar
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230 views

How many characteristics is a random surface unirational in?

Suppose I have a surface $X$ defined over $\mathbb{Z}$. I am interested in the set $S_X$ of primes $p$ such that $X_{\overline{\mathbb{F}}_p}$ is unirational. If I choose a "random" surface ...
Ben C's user avatar
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Which field extensions do not affect Chow groups?

Let $X$ be a (say, smooth projective) variety over a field $k$. For which $K$ it is known that the ("ordinary", that is, not higher) Chow groups of $X$ map onto that of $X_K$ bijectively? ...
Mikhail Bondarko's user avatar
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On a paper of Formanek about $PGL_4$

In his paper "The center of the ring of 4 × 4 generic matrices" (Journal of Algebra, 1980) Formanek shows that, if $V$ is the representation of $PGL_4$ given by simultaneous conjugation of pairs of ...
Noyigepes's user avatar
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187 views

Motivic homotopy theory and Noether problem

Let $G$ be a finite group, and let $V$ be a faithful representation of $G$. The Noether problem asks whether $V/G$ is rational (stably rational, retract rational) or not. To construct ...
Arcilan's user avatar
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Rationality of a certain real algebraic variety

Let $A_n$ denote the vector space of $n\times n$ antisymmetric matrices over ${\mathbb{Q}}$, where $n$ is even. Let $A_n^*\subset A_n$ denote the affine ${\mathbb{Q}}$-subvariety of invertible ...
Mikhail Borovoi's user avatar
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135 views

Maximally nodal degree 6 Fano threefolds

Let $X$ be a complete intersection of a quadric and a cubic in $\mathbb{P}^5$. In the smooth case it is a so-called Fano threefold of index one and degree six. I would like to consider the case when $...
Evgeny Shinder's user avatar
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307 views

How do I make the components of a Cartier divisor again Cartier divisors?

Let $D$ be an effective Cartier divisor on a normal noetherian scheme $X$. Its irreducible components are codimension $1$ subschemes, i.e. Weil divisors, of $X$ but not necessarily Cartier divisors. I ...
Katharina Hübner's user avatar
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405 views

Status of the Sarkisov program a la Corti

To a birational map $f$ between Mori fiber spaces, one can associate the "Sarkisov degree", a triple $(\mu,\lambda,e)$ which I will not define here. To factor $f$ into a sequence of elementary ...
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300 views

Number of rational points over finite fields mod $q$ is birational invariant

I heard that if $\mathbf F_q$ is a finite field, $X, Y$ are birational smooth proper variety over $\mathbf F_q$, then $\#(X(\mathbf F_q)) \equiv \#(Y(\mathbf F_q)) \pmod q$, and I heard that the proof ...
Aoi Koshigaya's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
190 views

Log Calabi-Yau variety diffeomorphic to an algebraic torus

Let $U$ be a complex affine log Calabi-Yau variety, which I take to mean a smooth affine variety which admits a compactification in a smooth projective variety $X$ with an snc anti-canonical ...
Daniel Pomerleano's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
240 views

Projectivity of flops

Say I have a projective (smooth, compact) irreducible symplectic variety $X$ over $\mathbb{C}$ and I perform a Mukai flop. It is well known that if the resulting variety $\widetilde{X}$ is Kahler, it ...
Andrea Ferretti's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
532 views

Different definition of Cox rings

Definition: Let $X$ be a normal projective variety with finitely generated Picard group. Define the Cox ring of $X$ as the multisection ring $$\text{Cox}(X)=\bigoplus_{(m_1,\ldots,m_k)\in \mathbb{N}^k}...
Plano's user avatar
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Conic bundles which are rational but with non-rational generic fibres

Let $n\ge 1$ be an integer and let us work over the field of complex numbers. Let $\mathcal{R}_n$ denote the set of rational conic bundles $\pi\colon X\to \mathbb{P}^n$ (morphisms such that the ...
Jérémy Blanc's user avatar
6 votes
0 answers
172 views

"Reflexive" differentials on Gorenstein affine toric variety

Let $P \subset \mathbb{R}^{n-1}$ be a lattice polytope of dimension $n-1$ and let $\sigma \subset \mathbb{R} \times \mathbb{R}^{n-1}$ be the cone over $1 \times P$. To the cone $\sigma$, we may ...
algebrachallenged's user avatar
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537 views

Pseudo-effective divisor which is not nef in any birational model

Let $X$ be a smooth complex projective algebraic variety and let $D$ be a $\mathbb{Q}$-Cartier pseudo-effective divisor on $X$. Lets say that $D$ is birationally nef if there exists a birational ...
Joaquín Moraga's user avatar
6 votes
0 answers
896 views

Restriction of the Canonical Divisor $K_X$ to a general fiber

Let $\ f:X\to Z$ be a surjective morphism between two smooth projective varieties with connected fibers $(f_*\mathcal{O}_X=\mathcal{O}_X)$. Let $F$ be a general fiber of $f$ and $\mbox{dim } F<(\...
Omprokash Das's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
165 views

Equations for conic del Pezzo surfaces of degree one

Let $X$ be a del Pezzo surface of degree one over a field $k$ of characteristic not $2$ equipped with a conic bundle $\pi: X \rightarrow \mathbb{P}^1$. By Theorem 5.6 of this paper, $X$ admits a ...
Sam Streeter's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
161 views

Strong factorisation conjecture for toric varieties

In this survey is remarked (see page 6 after Example 1.12) that to prove the Conjecture 1.10 (Strong factorisation). Let $\phi: X \dashrightarrow Y $ be a birational map between two quasi-projective ...
user267839's user avatar
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The structure of the Hilbert scheme of conics contained in hypersurfaces in $\mathbb P^3$

We work over a field of characteristic $0$. Let $X\hookrightarrow\mathbb P^3$ be a geometrically integral hypersurface of degree $\delta$. It is well known that the Hilbert scheme of conics in $\...
var's user avatar
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157 views

Steps of the MMP "in family"

Let $\pi\colon X\to Y$ be a morphism between irreducible varieties with terminal singularities (let us say smooth if you want). I suppose that I have an open subset $U$ of $Y$ over which the fibres ...
Jérémy Blanc's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
329 views

Jacobian fibration of an abelian fibration

Let $f \colon S \rightarrow C$ be a minimal elliptic surface and let $g \colon J \rightarrow C$ be its jacobian fibration. In this case, we know that the fibers of $g$ are better behaved that the ones ...
Stefano's user avatar
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5 votes
0 answers
166 views

Unirationality of universal Jacobian over special strata of moduli space of pointed genus 3 curves

Let $M_{3,1}$ be the (coarse, non-compactified) moduli space of genus $3$ curves with a marked point over a field $k$ of characteristic zero. Throwing away the hyperelliptic curves, take the open ...
Jef's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
778 views

Definition of discrepancy

In Kollar and Mori "Birational geometry of algebraic varieties" discrepancy is defined as following way. Let X be a normal variety and $D = \sum_i a_i D_i$ be a $\mathbb{Q}$ divisor. Assume ...
tukudani's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
493 views

When does a Cartier divisor a pull-back of a Cartier divisor?

Suppose $f: Y \to X$ is a projective birational morphism between two varieties with mild singularities. For example, we can assume $X$ is normal and kawamata log terminal, $Y$ is $\mathbb Q$-factorial....
Li Yutong's user avatar
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5 votes
0 answers
222 views

In search for examples concerning pushforward of nef divisors and lc-trivial fibrations

My question is motivated by ideas around the moduli b-divisor of an lc-trivial fibration (see for instance the following paper by Ambro https://arxiv.org/pdf/math/0308143.pdf). In such a setup, one ...
Stefano's user avatar
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0 answers
209 views

Description of flop as graded algebra

I am looking for an example of a flop $Y \to X \leftarrow W$, possibly with exceptional locus at least a $\mathbb{P}^2$, where $X = \text{Spec } A$ is affine and $Y,W$ can be described as explicit ...
Yosemite Sam's user avatar
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5 votes
0 answers
414 views

What is the fundamental group of Kontsevich's space of stable maps?

... at least in the case where the target is a rationally connected variety. This question is a follow-up to question Constructing embedded families of curves with general moduli and Jason Starr's ...
Nati's user avatar
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5 votes
0 answers
542 views

Semistable sheaves on rationally connected manifolds

Let $(X,H)$ be a polarized projective manifold of dimension $n$ defined over $\mathbb C$, and let $\mathcal E$ be a reflexive sheaf on $X$. If for every subsheaf $\mathcal F \subset \mathcal E$ the ...
Jorge Vitório Pereira's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
85 views

Existence of a rational curve in the center of a birational contraction for symplectic singularities

Let $M$ be a holomorphically symplectic complex manifold, and $f: M \to X$ a holomorphic, birational contraction to a Stein variety $X$, contracting a subvariety $E$ to a point, and bijective outside ...
Misha Verbitsky's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
204 views

Do rational maps to abelian varieties extend across rational singularities?

Let $X$ be a normal proper variety with only rational singularities and $A$ an abelian variety. Does a rational map $X \supset U \to A$ extend to a morphism $X \to A$? If not, what is a ...
Ben C's user avatar
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4 votes
0 answers
143 views

Bondal-Orlov conjecture on Calabi-Yau varieties

Recently, I am trying to study the various progress made on the Bondal-Orlov conjecture: Birational Calabi-Yau varieties ⟹ Equivalent derived categories. I have started reading the paper by Bridgeland ...
Rio's user avatar
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0 answers
164 views

Models of conic bundles

Let $S$ be a smooth projective variety over $\mathbb{C}$. A conic bundle over $S$ is a smooth projective variety $X$ together with a flat morphism $\pi:X \to S$ all of whose fibres are isomorphic to ...
Daniel Loughran's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
775 views

Is there any relation between the pushforward of a divisor and the pushforward of its line bundle?

Given a morphism between normal varieties $f: X \to Y$, we can push forward a Cartier divisor $D$ to get a cycle $f_* D$. On the other hand, we can form the line bundle $\mathscr{L}(D)$ and push that ...
Kim's user avatar
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4 votes
0 answers
127 views

Parameter spaces for conic bundles

A conic bundle over $\mathbb{P}^n$ is a morphism $\pi:X\rightarrow\mathbb{P}^n$ with fibers isomorphic to plane conics. A conic bundle $\pi:X\rightarrow\mathbb{P}^n$ is minimal if it has relative ...
user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
245 views

Minimal $b_2$ in Sarkisov's construction

In the paper On the structure of conic bundles. Math. USSR, Izv., 120:355–390, 1982, Theorem 5.10, Sarkisov constructed the first example of non-rational, rationally connected $3$-fold $X$ with $H^{3}...
Nick L's user avatar
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4 votes
0 answers
400 views

Dominant rational maps and compositions

According to many books (and also to Stack project, see https://stacks.math.columbia.edu/tag/01RI ), a morphism $f\colon X\to Y$ between schemes is said to be dominant if the image is dense in $Y$. ...
Jérémy Blanc's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
196 views

When is the dualizing sheaf globally generated?

Let $X$ be a projective integral Cohen-Macaulay variety (over $\mathbb{C}$, if that makes things easier). The Cohen-Macaulay condition says that the dualizing complex (see this answer) is concentrated ...
DKS's user avatar
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4 votes
0 answers
116 views

Are there any explicit (prime-to-l) alterations for interesting varieties (or schemes)?

I have read that it is easier to find regular alterations of varieties than their resolutions of singularities (moreover, I believed in this sentence when I read it). My question is: do there exist ...
Mikhail Bondarko's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
380 views

Calculate Kodaira dimension of a singular hypersurface

For a smooth projective hypersurface $H \subseteq \mathbb{P}^n$ of degree $d$ one can calculate its Kodaira dimension $\kappa(H)$, and find $$\kappa(H) = \begin{cases} -\infty \qquad &\mbox{if } ...
user221330's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
81 views

Behavior of geometric fibers under strict transforms

Consider a digram of the form $$ \begin{array}{ccc} Z' & \rightarrow & Z \\ \downarrow & & \downarrow \\ X' & \rightarrow & X \\ \downarrow & & \downarrow \\ S' &...
Katharina Hübner's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
328 views

Complete intersections in projective spaces

Let $X$ be an arbitrary smooth projective variety over a field $k$. Do there exist: a smooth complete intersection $X'$ in a projective space. a surjective morphism of $k$-varieties $X'\to X$ ?
user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
699 views

Pullback of the canonical bundle

Let $f : X\to Y$ be a morphism of smooth projective varieties over a field $k$. Assume $f^*\omega_{Y/k} \simeq \omega_{X/k}$. I'd like to collect a bestiary of the properties $f$ has, or even ...
user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
217 views

Singularities of Viehweg's fiber product

Let $f:X\to Y$ be a fibration between smooth projective manifolds. Assume that $\Delta$ is a simple normal crossing divisor in $Y$ such that $f^*(\Delta)$ is normal crossing in $X$, and $$ f_0:X_0=f^{...
Higgs-Boson's user avatar

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