We consider higher secant varieties to Veronese varieties. Most points on the rth secant variety are represented by a finite scheme of length r contained in the Veronese variety – in fact, for a general point, the scheme is just a union of r distinct points. A modern way to phrase it is: the smoothable rank is equal to the border rank for most polynomials. This property is very useful for studying secant varieties, especially, whenever the smoothable rank is equal to the border rank for all points of the secant variety in question. In this note, we investigate those special points for which the smoothable rank is not equal to the border rank. In particular, we show an explicit example of a cubic in five variables with border rank 5 and smoothable rank 6. We also prove that all cubics in at most four variables have the smoothable rank equal to the border rank.

We construct a cohomology theory using quasi-smooth derived schemes as generators and an analog of the bordism relation using derived fiber products as relations. This theory has pull-backs along all morphisms between smooth schemes independent of any characteristic assumptions. We prove that, in characteristic zero, the resulting theory agrees with algebraic cobordism as defined by Levine and Morel. We thus obtain a new set of generators and relations for algebraic cobordism.

We study the interplay between the cohomology of the Koszul complex of the partial derivatives of a homogeneous polynomial f and the pole order filtration P on the cohomology of the open set U = ℙn \ D, with D the hypersurface defined by f = 0. The relation is expressed by some spectral sequences. These sequences may, on the one hand, in many cases be used to determine the filtration P for curves and surfaces and, on the other hand, to obtain information about the syzygies involving the partial derivatives of the polynomial f. The case of a nodal hypersurface D is treated in terms of the defects of linear systems of hypersurfaces of various degrees passing through the nodes of D. When D is a nodal surface in ℙ3, we show that F2H3(U) ≠ P2H3(U) as soon as the degree of D is at least 4.

We prove the integral Tate conjecture for cycles of codimension $2$ on smooth cubic fourfolds over an algebraic closure of a field finitely generated over its prime subfield and of characteristic different from $2$ or $3$. The proof relies on the Tate conjecture with rational coefficients, proved in that setting by the first author, and on an argument of Voisin coming from complex geometry.

We study a Hermitian form $h$ over a quaternion division algebra $Q$ over a field ($h$ is supposed to be alternating if the characteristic of the field is two). For generic $h$ and $Q$, for any integer $i\in [1,\;n/2]$, where $n:=\dim _{Q}h$, we show that the variety of $i$-dimensional (over $Q$) totally isotropic right subspaces of $h$ is $2$-incompressible. The proof is based on a computation of the Chow ring for the classifying space of a certain parabolic subgroup in a split simple adjoint affine algebraic group of type $C_{n}$. As an application, we determine the smallest value of the $J$-invariant of a non-degenerate quadratic form divisible by a $2$-fold Pfister form; we also determine the biggest values of the canonical dimensions of the orthogonal Grassmannians associated to such quadratic forms.

A trisymplectic structure on a complex $2n$-manifold is a three-dimensional space ${\rm\Omega}$ of closed holomorphic forms such that any element of ${\rm\Omega}$ has constant rank $2n$, $n$ or zero, and degenerate forms in ${\rm\Omega}$ belong to a non-degenerate quadric hypersurface. We show that a trisymplectic manifold is equipped with a holomorphic 3-web and the Chern connection of this 3-web is holomorphic, torsion-free, and preserves the three symplectic forms. We construct a trisymplectic structure on the moduli of regular rational curves in the twistor space of a hyperkähler manifold, and define a trisymplectic reduction of a trisymplectic manifold, which is a complexified form of a hyperkähler reduction. We prove that the trisymplectic reduction in the space of regular rational curves on the twistor space of a hyperkähler manifold $M$ is compatible with the hyperkähler reduction on $M$. As an application of these geometric ideas, we consider the ADHM construction of instantons and show that the moduli space of rank $r$, charge $c$ framed instanton bundles on $\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}^{3}$ is a smooth trisymplectic manifold of complex dimension $4rc$. In particular, it follows that the moduli space of rank two, charge $c$ instanton bundles on $\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}^{3}$ is a smooth complex manifold dimension $8c-3$, thus settling part of a 30-year-old conjecture.

We construct explicit $K3$ surfaces over $\mathbb{Q}$ having real multiplication. Our examples are of geometric Picard rank 16. The standard method for the computation of the Picard rank provably fails for the surfaces constructed.

We compute the Chow groups and the Fulton–MacPherson operational Chow cohomology ring for a class of singular rational varieties including toric varieties. The computation is closely related to the weight filtration on the ordinary cohomology of these varieties. We use the computation to answer one of the open problems about operational Chow cohomology: it does not have a natural map to ordinary cohomology.

Let $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}S$ be a complex smooth projective surface and $L$ be a line bundle on $S$. For any given collection of isolated topological or analytic singularity types, we show the number of curves in the linear system $|L|$ with prescribed singularities is a universal polynomial of Chern numbers of $L$ and $S$, assuming $L$ is sufficiently ample. More generally, we show for vector bundles of any rank and smooth varieties of any dimension, similar universal polynomials also exist and equal the number of singular subvarieties cutting out by sections of the vector bundle. This work is a generalization of Göttsche’s conjecture.

We construct new indecomposable elements in the higher Chow group $CH^2(A,1)$ of a principally polarized Abelian surface over a $p$-adic local field, which generalize an element constructed by Collino [Griffiths’ infinitesimal invariant and higher K-theory on hyperelliptic Jacobians, J. Algebraic Geom. 6 (1997), 393–415]. These elements are constructed using a generalization, due to Birkenhake and Wilhelm [Humbert surfaces and the Kummer plane, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 355 (2003), 1819–1841 (electronic)], of a classical construction of Humbert. They can be used to prove a non-Archimedean analogue of the Hodge-${\mathcal{D}}$-conjecture – namely, the surjectivity of the boundary map in the localization sequence – in the case where the Abelian surface has good and ordinary reduction.

We prove that every curve on a separably rationally connected variety is rationally equivalent to a (non-effective) integral sum of rational curves. That is, the Chow group of 1-cycles is generated by rational curves. Applying the same technique, we also show that the Chow group of 1-cycles on a separably rationally connected Fano complete intersection of index at least 2 is generated by lines. As a consequence, we give a positive answer to a question of Professor Totaro about integral Hodge classes on rationally connected 3-folds. And by a result of Professor Voisin, the general case is a consequence of the Tate conjecture for surfaces over finite fields.

For any subfield $K\subseteq \mathbb{C}$, not contained in an imaginary quadratic extension of $\mathbb{Q}$, we construct conjugate varieties whose algebras of $K$-rational ($p,p$)-classes are not isomorphic. This compares to the Hodge conjecture which predicts isomorphisms when $K$ is contained in an imaginary quadratic extension of $\mathbb{Q}$; additionally, it shows that the complex Hodge structure on the complex cohomology algebra is not invariant under the Aut($\mathbb{C}$)-action on varieties. In our proofs, we find simply connected conjugate varieties whose multilinear intersection forms on $H^{2}(-,\mathbb{R})$ are not (weakly) isomorphic. Using these, we detect nonhomeomorphic conjugate varieties for any fundamental group and in any birational equivalence class of dimension $\geq $10.

The purpose of this paper is twofold. We present first a vanishing theorem for families of linear series with base ideal being a fat points ideal. We then apply this result in order to give a partial proof of a conjecture raised by Bocci, Harbourne and Huneke concerning containment relations between ordinary and symbolic powers of planar point ideals.

Hassett and Tschinkel gave counterexamples to the integral Hodge conjecture among 3-folds over a number field. We work out their method in detail, showing that essentially all known counterexamples to the integral Hodge conjecture over the complex numbers can be made to work over a number field.

Voevodsky conjectured that numerical equivalence and smash equivalence coincide on a smooth projective variety. We prove the conjecture for 1-cycles on varieties dominated by products of curves.

We show that the maximum likelihood degree of a smooth very affine variety is equal to the signed topological Euler characteristic. This generalizes Orlik and Terao’s solution to Varchenko’s conjecture on complements of hyperplane arrangements to smooth very affine varieties. For very affine varieties satisfying a genericity condition at infinity, the result is further strengthened to relate the variety of critical points to the Chern–Schwartz–MacPherson class. The strengthened version recovers the geometric deletion–restriction formula of Denham et al. for arrangement complements, and generalizes Kouchnirenko’s theorem on the Newton polytope for nondegenerate hypersurfaces.

We extend most of the results of generic vanishing theory to bundles of holomorphic forms and rank-one local systems, and more generally to certain coherent sheaves of Hodge-theoretic origin associated with irregular varieties. Our main tools are Saito’s mixed Hodge modules, the Fourier–Mukai transform for $\mathscr{D}$-modules on abelian varieties introduced by Laumon and Rothstein, and Simpson’s harmonic theory for flat bundles. In the process, we also discover two natural categories of perverse coherent sheaves.

We give proofs of de Rham comparison isomorphisms for rigid-analytic varieties, with coefficients and in families. This relies on the theory of perfectoid spaces. Another new ingredient is the pro-étale site, which makes all constructions completely functorial.

We prove that the space of smooth rational curves of degree $e$ on a general complete intersection of multidegree $(d_1, \ldots , d_m)$ in $\mathbb {P}^n$ is irreducible of the expected dimension if $\sum _{i=1}^m d_i \lt (2n+m+1)/3$ and $n$ is sufficiently large. This generalizes a result of Harris, Roth and Starr [Rational curves on hypersurfaces of low degree, J. Reine Angew. Math. 571 (2004), 73–106], and is achieved by proving that the space of conics passing through any point of a general complete intersection has constant dimension if $\sum _{i=1}^m d_i$ is small compared to $n$.

We determine the structure of the Hodge ring, a natural object encoding the Hodge numbers of all compact Kähler manifolds. As a consequence of this structure, there are no unexpected relations among the Hodge numbers, and no essential differences between the Hodge numbers of smooth complex projective varieties and those of arbitrary Kähler manifolds. The consideration of certain natural ideals in the Hodge ring allows us to determine exactly which linear combinations of Hodge numbers are birationally invariant, and which are topological invariants. Combining the Hodge and unitary bordism rings, we are also able to treat linear combinations of Hodge and Chern numbers. In particular, this leads to a complete solution of a classical problem of Hirzebruch’s.