We study plane curves over finite fields whose tangent lines at smooth $\mathbb {F}_q$-points together cover all the points of $\mathbb {P}^2(\mathbb {F}_q)$.

We study pencils of hypersurfaces over finite fields $\mathbb {F}_q$ such that each of the $q+1$ members defined over $\mathbb {F}_q$ is smooth.

We propose a conjectural list of Fano manifolds of Picard number $1$ with pseudoeffective normalised tangent bundles, which we prove in various situations by relating it to the complete divisibility conjecture of Francesco Russo and Fyodor L. Zak on varieties with small codegree. Furthermore, the pseudoeffective thresholds and, hence, the pseudoeffective cones of the projectivised tangent bundles of rational homogeneous spaces of Picard number $1$ are explicitly determined by studying the total dual variety of minimal rational tangents (VMRTs) and the geometry of stratified Mukai flops. As a by-product, we obtain sharp vanishing theorems on the global twisted symmetric holomorphic vector fields on rational homogeneous spaces of Picard number $1$.

Let $L$ be a very ample line bundle on a projective scheme $X$ defined over an algebraically closed field $\Bbbk$ with ${\rm char}\,\Bbbk \neq 2$. We say that $(X,L)$ satisfies property $\mathsf {QR}(k)$ if the homogeneous ideal of the linearly normal embedding $X \subset {\mathbb {P}} H^{0} (X,L)$ can be generated by quadrics of rank less than or equal to $k$. Many classical varieties, such as Segre–Veronese embeddings, rational normal scrolls and curves of high degree, satisfy property $\mathsf {QR}(4)$. In this paper, we first prove that if ${\rm char}\,\Bbbk \neq 3$ then $({\mathbb {P}}^{n} , \mathcal {O}_{{\mathbb {P}}^{n}} (d))$ satisfies property $\mathsf {QR}(3)$ for all $n \geqslant 1$ and $d \geqslant 2$. We also investigate the asymptotic behavior of property $\mathsf {QR}(3)$ for any projective scheme. Specifically, we prove that (i) if $X \subset {\mathbb {P}} H^{0} (X,L)$ is $m$-regular then $(X,L^{d} )$ satisfies property $\mathsf {QR}(3)$ for all $d \geqslant m$, and (ii) if $A$ is an ample line bundle on $X$ then $(X,A^{d} )$ satisfies property $\mathsf {QR}(3)$ for all sufficiently large even numbers $d$. These results provide affirmative evidence for the expectation that property $\mathsf {QR}(3)$ holds for all sufficiently ample line bundles on $X$, as in the cases of Green and Lazarsfeld's condition $\mathrm {N}_p$ and the Eisenbud–Koh–Stillman determininantal presentation in Eisenbud et al. [Determinantal equations for curves of high degree, Amer. J. Math. 110 (1988), 513–539]. Finally, when ${\rm char}\,\Bbbk = 3$ we prove that $({\mathbb {P}}^{n} , \mathcal {O}_{{\mathbb {P}}^{n}} (2))$ fails to satisfy property $\mathsf {QR}(3)$ for all $n \geqslant 3$.

We prove that if $C$ is a reflexive smooth plane curve of degree $d$ defined over a finite field $\mathbb{F}_{q}$ with $d\leqslant q+1$, then there is an $\mathbb{F}_{q}$-line $L$ that intersects $C$ transversely. We also prove the same result for non-reflexive curves of degree $p+1$ and $2p+1$ when $q=p^{r}$.

We propose here a generalization of the problem addressed by the SHGH conjecture. The SHGH conjecture posits a solution to the question of how many conditions a general union $X$ of fat points imposes on the complete linear system of curves in $\mathbb{P}^{2}$ of fixed degree $d$, in terms of the occurrence of certain rational curves in the base locus of the linear subsystem defined by $X$. As a first step towards a new theory, we show that rational curves play a similar role in a special case of a generalized problem, which asks how many conditions are imposed by a general union of fat points on linear subsystems defined by imposed base points. Moreover, motivated by work of Di Gennaro, Ilardi and Vallès and of Faenzi and Vallès, we relate our results to the failure of a strong Lefschetz property, and we give a Lefschetz-like criterion for Terao’s conjecture on the freeness of line arrangements.

Using the geometry of an almost del Pezzo threefold, we show that the moduli space ${\mathcal{S}}_{g,1}^{0,\text{hyp}}$ of genus $g$ one-pointed ineffective spin hyperelliptic curves is rational for every $g\geqslant 2$.

We investigate symbolic and regular powers of monomial ideals. For a square-free monomial ideal I ⊆ 𝕜[x 0, … , xn ] we show that for all positive integers m, t and r, where e is the big-height of I and . This captures two conjectures (r = 1 and r = e): one of Harbourne and Huneke, and one of Bocci et al. We also introduce the symbolic polyhedron of a monomial ideal and use this to explore symbolic powers of non-square-free monomial ideals.

We consider a general fibre of given length in a generic projection of a variety. Under the assumption that the fibre is of local embedding dimension 2 or less, an assumption which can be checked in many cases, we prove that the fibre is reduced and its image on the projected variety is an ordinary multiple point.

Let X be a smooth irreducible projective curve of genus g and gonality 4. We show that the canonical model of X is contained in a uniquely defined surface, ruled by conics, whose geometry is deeply related to that of X. This surface allows us to define four invariants of X and, hence, to stratify the moduli space of four-gonal curves by means of closed irreducible subvarieties, whose dimensions we compute.

We prove that $r$ independent homogeneous polynomials of the same degree $d$ become dependent when restricted to any hyperplane if and only if their inverse system parameterizes a variety whose $(d-1)$- osculating spaces have dimension smaller than expected. This gives an equivalence between an algebraic notion (called the Weak Lefschetz Property) and a differential geometric notion, concerning varieties that satisfy certain Laplace equations. In the toric case, some relevant examples are classified, and as a byproduct we provide counterexamples to Ilardi's conjecture.

We prove that every complete family of linearly non-degenerate rational curves of degree $e\,>\,2$ in ${{\mathbb{P}}^{n}}$ has at most $n\,-\,1$ moduli. For $e\,=\,2$ we prove that such a family has at most $n$ moduli. The general method involves exhibiting a map from the base of a family $X$ to the Grassmannian of $e$-planes in ${{\mathbb{P}}^{n}}$ and analyzing the resulting map on cohomology.

Let X be a smooth projective variety of dimension n in Pr, and let π:X→Pn+c be a general linear projection, with c>0. In this paper we bound the scheme-theoretic complexity of the fibers of π. In his famous work on stable mappings, Mather extended the classical results by showing that the number of distinct points in the fiber is bounded by B:=n/c+1, and that, when n is not too large, the degree of the fiber (taking the scheme structure into account) is also bounded by B. A result of Lazarsfeld shows that this fails dramatically for n≫0. We describe a new invariant of the scheme-theoretic fiber that agrees with the degree in many cases and is always bounded by B. We deduce, for example, that if we write a fiber as the disjoint union of schemes Y′ and Y′′ such that Y′ is the union of the locally complete intersection components of Y, then deg Y′+deg Y′′red≤B. Our method also gives a sharp bound on the subvariety of Pr swept out by the l-secant lines of X for any positive integer l, and we discuss a corresponding bound for highly secant linear spaces of higher dimension. These results extend Ran’s ‘dimension +2 secant lemma’.

We study the regularity of the higher secant varieties of ${{\mathbb{P}}^{1}}\times {{\mathbb{P}}^{n}}$, embedded with divisors of type $\text{(}d\text{,}\,\text{2)}$ and $(d,3)$. We produce, for the highest defective cases, a “determinantal” equation of the secant variety. As a corollary, we prove that the Veronese triple embedding of ${{\mathbb{P}}^{n}}$ is not Grassmann defective.

We continue the study, begun in [F. Russo, Varieties with quadratic entry locus. I, Preprint (2006), math. AG/0701889] , of secant defective manifolds having ‘simple entry loci’. We prove that such manifolds are rational and describe them in terms of tangential projections. Using also the work of [P. Ionescu and F. Russo, Conic-connected manifolds, Preprint (2006), math. AG/0701885], their classification is reduced to the case of Fano manifolds of high index, whose Picard group is generated by the hyperplane section class. Conjecturally, the former should be linear sections of rational homogeneous manifolds. We also provide evidence that the classification of linearly normal dual defective manifolds with Picard group generated by the hyperplane section should follow along the same lines.

We study the product of a Fermat hypersurface $X_0^{p+1}+\dots+X_n^{p+1}=0 \subset \mathbf{P}^n$ with $n \ge 3$ and $\mathbf{P}^1$, embedded in $\mathbf{P}^{2n+1}$ by Segre embedding where $p>0$ is the characteristic of the base field. This smooth variety is nonreflexive and has Gauss map which is an embedding. This gives a negative answer to the following Kleiman–Piene question in any positive characteristic: does the separability of the Gauss map imply reflexivity? The only known smooth examples, which give a negative answer, are given by Kaji in characteristic 2.

This is a note on the classical Waring's problem for algebraic forms. Fix integers $(n,d,r,s)$, and let $\Lambda $ be a general $r$-dimensional subspace of degree $d$ homogeneous polynomials in $n+1$ variables. Let $\mathcal{A}$ denote the variety of $s$-sided polar polyhedra of $\Lambda $. We carry out a case-by-case study of the structure of $\mathcal{A}$ for several specific values of $(n,d,r,s)$. In the first batch of examples, $\mathcal{A}$ is shown to be a rational variety. In the second batch, $\mathcal{A}$ is a finite set of which we calculate the cardinality.

For a variety X of dimension n in ${\mathbb P}^r,\ r\geq n(k+1)+k$, the kth secant order of X is the number $\mu_k(X)$ of $(k+1)$-secant k-spaces passing through a general point of the kth secant variety. We show that, if $r>n(k+1)+k$, then $\mu_k(X)=1$ unless X is k-weakly defective. Furthermore we give a complete classification of surfaces $X\subset{\mathbb P}^r,\ r>3k+2$, for which $\mu_k(X)>1$.

Let $X\subset \mathbb{P}^r$ be a closed scheme in projective space whose homogeneous ideal is generated by quadrics. We say that X (or its ideal IX) satisfies the condition N2,p if the syzygies of IX are linear for p steps. We show that if X satisfies N2,p then a zero-dimensional or one-dimensional intersection of X with a plane of dimension $\leq p$ is 2-regular. This extends a result of Green and Lazarsfeld. We give conditions when the syzygies of X restrict to the syzygies of the intersection. Many of our results also work for ideals generated by forms of higher degree. As applications, we bound the p for which some well-known projective varieties satisfy N2,p. Another application, carried out by us in a different paper, is a step in the classification of 2-regular reduced projective schemes. Extending a result of Fröberg, we determine which monomial ideals satisfy N2,p. We also apply Green's ‘linear syzygy theorem’ to deduce a relation between the resolutions of IX and $I_{X\cup \Gamma}$ for a scheme Γ, and apply the result to bound the number of intersection points of certain pairs of varieties such as rational normal scrolls.

In this paper we consider linear systems of $\mathbb{P}{{}^{2}}$ with all but one of the base points of multiplicity 5. We give an explicit way to evaluate the dimensions of such systems.