Related papers: Cubic fourfolds containing a plane and a quintic d…

Let $X\subset \P^5$ be a smooth cubic fourfold. A well known conjecture asserts that $X$ is rational if and only if there an Hodge theoretically associated K3 surface $S$. The surface $S$ can be associated to $X$ in two other different…

It is a classical result that there are $12$ (irreducible) rational cubic curves through $8$ generic points in $\mathbb{P}_{\mathbb{C}}^2$, but little is known about the non-generic cases. The space of $8$-point configurations is…

We construct two small resolutions of singularities of the Coble fourfold (the double cover of the four-dimensional projective space branched over the Igusa quartic). We use them to show that all $S_6$-invariant three-dimensional quartics…

We extend non-emtpyness and irreducibility of Hassett divisors to the moduli spaces of $M$-polarizable cubic fourfolds for higher rank lattices $M$, which in turn provides a systematic approach for describing the irreducible components of…

In the moduli space $\mathcal{C}$ of complex cubic hypersurfaces $X\subset\mathbb{P}^5$, we study the condition that $X$ admits a net of polar quadrics whose discriminant locus is a $10$-nodal irreducible plane sextic curve. Our main result…

We revisit the work of Lehn-Lehn-Sorger-van Straten on twisted cubic curves in a cubic fourfold not containing a plane in terms of moduli spaces. We show that the blow-up $Z'$ along the cubic of the irreducible holomorphic symplectic…

We give a canonical birational map between the moduli space of pfaffian vector bundles on a cubic surface and the space of complete pentahedra inscribed in the cubic surface. The universal situation is also considered, and we obtain a…

A well known conjecture asserts that a cubic fourfold $X$ whose transcendental cohomology $T_X$ can not be realized as the transcendental cohomology of a $K3$ surface is irrational. Since the geometry of cubic fourfolds is intricately…

We study the existence of a Chow-theoretic decomposition of the diagonal of a smooth cubic hypersurface, or equivalently, the universal triviality of its ${\rm CH}_0$-group. We prove that for odd dimensional cubic hypersurfaces or for cubic…

We show that Brauer classes of a locally solvable degree 4 del Pezzo surface X are vertical for some projection away from a plane f: X ---> P^1, i.e., that every Brauer class is obtained by pullback from an element of Br k(P^1). As a…

We discuss natural connections between three objects: quadratic forms with values in line bundles, conic bundles and quaternion orders. We use the even Clifford algebra, and the Brauer-Severi Variety, and other constructions to give natural…

Motivated by the question of rationality of cubic fourfolds, we show that a cubic X has an associated K3 surface in the sense of Hassett if and only if the variety F of lines on X is birational to a moduli space of sheaves on a K3 surface,…

We describe an Azumaya algebra on the resolution of singularities of the double cover of a plane ramified along a nodal sextic associated to a non generic cubic fourfold containing a plane. We show that the derived category of such a…

We study rationality properties of quadric surface bundles over the projective plane. We exhibit families of smooth projective complex fourfolds of this type over connected bases, containing both rational and non-rational fibers.

We study the unirationality of surface conic bundles $\pi\colon S\to\mathbb P^1$ over an arbitrary field $k$ with discriminant degree $d_S=8$, the first case beyond the del Pezzo range. We divide these surfaces in four families and produce…

We construct five irreducible divisors in the moduli space of complex cubic fourfolds parametrising smooth cubic fourfolds that contain highly singular hyperplane sections. We prove that each is not a Noether-Lefschetz (or Hassett) divisor,…

Let $C$ be a genus 2 curve and $\su$ the moduli space of semi-stable rank 2 vector bundles on $C$ with trivial determinant. In \cite{bol:wed} we described the parameter space of non stable extension classes (invariant with respect to the…

We prove a general specialization theorem which implies stable irrationality for a wide class of quadric surface bundles over rational surfaces. As an application, we solve with the exception of two cases, the stable rationality problem for…

Let F be a polarized irreducible holomorphic symplectic fourfold, deformation equivalent to the Hilbert scheme parametrizing length-two zero-dimensional subschemes of a K3 surface. The homology group H^2(F,Z) is equipped with an integral…

Let $X$ be a cubic fourfold in $P^5_{C}$. We prove that, assuming the Hodge conjecture for the product $S \times S$, where $S$ is a complex surface, and the finite dimensionality of the Chow motive $h(S)$, there are at most a countable…