Inspired by K. Fujita's algebro-geometric result that complex projective space has maximal degree among all K-semistable complex Fano varieties, we conjecture that the height of a K-semistable metrized arithmetic Fano variety $\mathcal {X}$ of relative dimension $n$ is maximal when $\mathcal {X}$ is the projective space over the integers, endowed with the Fubini–Study metric. Our main result establishes the conjecture for the canonical integral model of a toric Fano variety when $n\leq 6$ (the extension to higher dimensions is conditioned on a conjectural ‘gap hypothesis’ for the degree). Translated into toric Kähler geometry, this result yields a sharp lower bound on a toric invariant introduced by Donaldson, defined as the minimum of the toric Mabuchi functional. Furthermore, we reformulate our conjecture as an optimal lower bound on Odaka's modular height. In any dimension $n$ it is shown how to control the height of the canonical toric model $\mathcal {X},$ with respect to the Kähler–Einstein metric, by the degree of $\mathcal {X}$. In a sequel to this paper our height conjecture is established for any projective diagonal Fano hypersurface, by exploiting a more general logarithmic setup.

We develop a general approach to prove K-stability of Fano varieties. The new theory is used to (a) prove the existence of Kähler-Einstein metrics on all smooth Fano hypersurfaces of Fano index two, (b) compute the stability thresholds for hypersurfaces at generalised Eckardt points and for cubic surfaces at all points, and (c) provide a new algebraic proof of Tian’s criterion for K-stability, amongst other applications.

We build on the recent techniques of Codogni and Patakfalvi (2021, Inventiones Mathematicae 223, 811–894), which were used to establish theorems about semi-positivity of the Chow Mumford line bundles for families of $\mathrm {K}$ -semistable Fano varieties. Here, we apply the Central Limit Theorem to ascertain the asymptotic probabilistic nature of the vertices of the Harder and Narasimhan polygons. As an application of our main result, we use it to establish a filtered vector space analogue of the main technical result of Codogni and Patakfalvi (2021, Inventiones Mathematicae 223, 811–894). In doing so, we expand upon the slope stability theory, for filtered vector spaces, that was initiated by Faltings and Wüstholz (1994, Inventiones Mathematicae 116, 109–138). One source of inspiration for our abstract study of Harder and Narasimhan data, which is a concept that we define here, is the lattice reduction methods of Grayson (1984, Commentarii Mathematici Helvetic 59, 600–634). Another is the work of Faltings and Wüstholz (1994, Inventiones Mathematicae 116, 109–138), and Evertse and Ferretti (2013, Annals of Mathematics 177, 513–590), which is within the context of Diophantine approximation for projective varieties.

We show that complete intersection log del Pezzo surfaces with amplitude one in weighted projective spaces are uniformly $K$-stable. As a result, they admit an orbifold Kähler–Einstein metric.

We prove that every birationally superrigid Fano variety whose alpha invariant is greater than (respectively no smaller than) $\frac{1}{2}$ is K-stable (respectively K-semistable). We also prove that the alpha invariant of a birationally superrigid Fano variety of dimension $n$ is at least $1/(n+1)$ (under mild assumptions) and that the moduli space (if it exists) of birationally superrigid Fano varieties is separated.

A polarized variety is K-stable if, for any test configuration, the Donaldson–Futaki invariant is positive. In this paper, inspired by classical geometric invariant theory, we describe the space of test configurations as a limit of a direct system of Tits buildings. We show that the Donaldson–Futaki invariant, conveniently normalized, is a continuous function on this space. We also introduce a pseudo-metric on the space of test configurations. Recall that K-stability can be enhanced by requiring that the Donaldson–Futaki invariant is positive on any admissible filtration of the co-ordinate ring. We show that admissible filtrations give rise to Cauchy sequences of test configurations with respect to the above mentioned pseudo-metric.

We show that the anti-canonical volume of an $n$-dimensional Kähler–Einstein $\mathbb{Q}$-Fano variety is bounded from above by certain invariants of the local singularities, namely $\operatorname{lct}^{n}\cdot \operatorname{mult}$ for ideals and the normalized volume function for real valuations. This refines a recent result by Fujita. As an application, we get sharp volume upper bounds for Kähler–Einstein Fano varieties with quotient singularities. Based on very recent results by Li and the author, we show that a Fano manifold is K-semistable if and only if a de Fernex–Ein–Mustaţă type inequality holds on its affine cone.

We show that any $n$-dimensional Fano manifold $X$ with $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}(X)=n/(n+1)$ and $n\geqslant 2$ is K-stable, where $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}(X)$ is the alpha invariant of $X$ introduced by Tian. In particular, any such $X$ admits Kähler–Einstein metrics and the holomorphic automorphism group $\operatorname{Aut}(X)$ of $X$ is finite.

We show that the pair (X, –KX ) is K-unstable for a del Pezzo manifold X of degree 5 with dimension 4 or 5. This disproves a conjecture of Odaka and Okada.

The notion of Berman–Gibbs stability was originally introduced by Berman for $\mathbb{Q}$-Fano varieties $X$. We show that the pair $(X,-K_{X})$ is K-stable (respectively K-semistable) provided that $X$ is Berman–Gibbs stable (respectively semistable).

We prove by the Hilbert–Mumford criterion that a slope stable polarized weighted pointed nodal curve is Chow asymptotic stable. This generalizes the result of Caporaso on stability of polarized nodal curves and of Hassett on weighted pointed stable curves polarized by the weighted dualizing sheaves. It also solves a question raised by Mumford and Gieseker, to prove the Chow asymptotic stability of stable nodal curves by the Hilbert–Mumford criterion.