Related papers: On the infinitesimal Terracini lemma

Secant defectivity of projective varieties is classically approached via dimensions of linear systems with multiple base points in general position. The latter can be studied via degenerations. We exploit a technique that allows some of the…

Let $\lambda =[d_1,\dots,d_r]$ be a partition of $d$. Consider the variety $\mathbb{X}_{2,\lambda} \subset \mathbb{P}^N$, $N={d+2 \choose 2}-1$, parameterizing forms $F\in k[x_0,x_1,x_2]_d$ which are the product of $r\geq 2$ forms…

Let $X_P$ be a smooth projective toric variety of dimension $n$ embedded in $\PP^r$ using all of the lattice points of the polytope $P$. We compute the dimension and degree of the secant variety $\Sec X_P$. We also give explicit formulas in…

Let V_n be the Segre embedding of (P^1) x ... X (P^1) (n times). We prove that the higher secant varieties, \sigma_s(V_n), always have the expected dimension, except for \sigma_3(V_4), which is of dimension 1 less than expected.

Let $Gr(k,n)$ be the Pl\"ucker embedding of the Grassmann variety of projective $k$-planes in $\P n$. For a projective variety $X$, let $\sigma_s(X)$ denote the variety of its $s-1$ secant planes. More precisely, $\sigma_s(X)$ denotes the…

We classify all irreducible projective threefolds $X$ which are $k$-defective, i.e. some $k$-secant variety of $X$ has dimension less than the expected value. This results extends the classical Scorza's classification of the case $k=1$.

If $\X \subset \P^n$ is a reduced and irreducible projective variety, it is interesting to find the equations describing the (higher) secant varieties of $\X$. In this paper we find those equations in the following cases: $\X =…

We prove the infinitesimal Torelli theorem for general minimal complex surfaces X's with the first Chern number 3, the geometric genus 1, and the irregularity 0 which have non-trivial 3-torsion divisors. We also show that the coarse moduli…

For any $n\geq 3$, we prove that there exist equivalences between these apparently unrelated objects: irreducible $n$-dimensional non degenerate projective varieties $X\subset \mathbb P^{2n+1}$ different from rational normal scrolls and…

We introduce and study properties of the Terracini locus of projective varieties X, which is the locus of finite subsets S of X such that 2S fails to impose independent conditions to a linear system L. Terracini loci are relevant in the…

Let $X\subset \P^N$ be a nondegenerate irreducible closed subvariety of dimension $n$ over the field of complex numbers and let $SX\subset\P^N$ be its secant variety. $X\subset\P^N$ is called `secant defective' if $\dim(SX)$ is strictly…

Tropical geometry yields good lower bounds, in terms of certain combinatorial-polyhedral optimisation problems, on the dimensions of secant varieties. In particular, it gives an attractive pictorial proof of the theorem of Hirschowitz that…

We study Waring rank decompositions for cubic forms of rank $n+2$ in $n+1$ variables. In this setting, we prove that if a concise form has more than one non-redundant decomposition of length $n+2$, then all such decompositions share at…

We show that a plane continuum X is indecomposable iff X has a sequence (U_n) of not necessarily distinct complementary domains satisfying what we call the double-pass condition: If one draws an open arc A_n in each U_n whose ends limit…

Let $Y \subset \P^r$ be a normal nondegenerate m-dimensional subvariety and let $\sigma(Y)$ denote the maximum dimension of a subvariety $Z \subset Y_{smooth}$ such that $Z$ contains a generic point of some divisor on $Y$ and the tangent…

This paper shows that in dimensions n \geq 2 for any partition of the set of points in the standard n-sphere \sum_{i=0}^n x_i^2 =1 in R^{n+1} into (n+3) or more nonempty sets, there exists a hyperplane in R^{n+1} that intersects at least…

Let $X \subset \mathbb{P}^r$ be smooth and irreducible and for $k \ge 0$ let $\nu_k(X)$ (resp., $\delta_k(X)$) be the $k$-th contact (resp., the $k$-th secant) defect of $X$. For all $k \ge 0$ we have the inequality $\nu_k(X) \ge…

Quadratic entry locus manifold of type $\delta$ $X\subset\mathbb P^N$ of dimension $n\geq 1$ are smooth projective varieties such that the locus described on $X$ by the points spanning secant lines passing through a general point of the…

Let $X\subset \mathbb{P}^r$ be an integral and non-degenerate variety. Let $\sigma _{a,b}(X)\subseteq \mathbb{P}^r$, $(a,b)\in \mathbb{N}^2$, be the join of $a$ copies of $X$ and $b$ copies of the tangential variety of $X$. Using the…

The classical trisecant lemma says that a general chord of a non-degenerate space curve is not a trisecant; that is, the chord only meets the curve in two points. The generalized trisecant lemma extends the result to higher-dimensional…