Related papers: Minimal rational curves and 1-flat irreducible G-s…
This is a survey of recent works on the germ-equivalence problem of minimal rational curves on uniruled projective manifolds. Our main interest is when the associated varieties of minimal rational tangents form an isotrivial family of…
Let $G/H$ be a symmetric space of a complex linear algebraic group $G$ and let $X$ be a nonsingular equivariant compactification of $G/H$. We investigate the question: when are minimal rational curves on $X$ orbit-closures of 1-parameter…
We study unbendable rational curves, i.e., nonsingular rational curves in a complex manifold of dimension $n$ with normal bundles isomorphic to $\mathcal{O}_{\mathbb{P}^1}(1)^{\oplus p} \oplus \mathcal{O}_{\mathbb{P}^1}^{\oplus (n-1-p)}$…
We describe the families of minimal rational curves on any complete symmetric variety, and the corresponding varieties of minimal rational tangents (VMRT). In particular, we prove that these varieties are homogeneous and that for…
This survey paper discusses some of the recent progress in the study of rational curves on algebraic varieties. It was written for the survey volume of the priority programme "Global Methods in Complex Geometry", supported by the DFG. To…
We formulate the equivalence problem, in the sense of E. Cartan, for families of minimal rational curves on uniruled projective manifolds. An important invariant of this equivalence problem is the variety of minimal rational tangents. We…
The family of varieties of minimal rational tangents on a quasi-homogeneous projective manifold is isotrivial. Conversely, are projective manifolds with isotrivial varieties of minimal rational tangents quasi-homogenous? We will show that…
Pasquier and Perrin discovered that the ${\rm G}_2$-horospherical manifold ${\bf X}$ of Picard number 1 can be realized as a smooth specialization of the rational homogeneous space parameterizing the lines on the 5-dimensional hyperquadric,…
We develop a holonomy reduction procedure for general Cartan geometries. We show that, given a reduction of holonomy, the underlying manifold naturally decomposes into a disjoint union of initial submanifolds. Each such submanifold…
In a joint work with N. Mok in 1997, we proved that for an irreducible representation $G \subset {\bf GL}(V),$ if a holomorphic $G$-structure exists on a uniruled projective manifold, then the Lie algebra of $G$ has nonzero prolongation. We…
A cone structure on a complex manifold $M$ is a closed submanifold $\mathcal C \subset \mathbb P TM$ of the projectivized tangent bundle which is submersive over $M$. A conic connection on $\mathcal C$ specifies a distinguished family of…
Let X be a compact connected Kaehler manifold such that the holomorphic tangent bundle TX is numerically effective. A theorem of Demailly, Peternell and Schenider says that there is a finite unramified Galois covering M --> X, a complex…
A nonsingular rational curve $C$ in a complex manifold $X$ whose normal bundle is isomorphic to $${\mathcal O}_{{\mathbb P}^1}(1)^{\oplus p} \oplus {\mathcal O}_{{\mathbb P}^1}^{\oplus q}$$ for some nonnegative integers $p$ and $q$ is…
We study minimal rational curves on a complex manifold that are tangent to a distribution. In this setting, the variety of minimal rational tangents (VMRT) has to be isotropic with respect to the Levi tensor of the distribution. Our main…
We show that the extended principal bundle of a Cartan geometry of type $(A(m,\mathbb{R}),GL(m,\mathbb{R}))$, endowed with its extended connection $\hat\omega$, is isomorphic to the principal $A(m,\mathbb{R})$-bundle of affine frames…
We study deformations of irreducible Hermitian symmetric spaces $S$ of the compact type, known to be locally rigid, as projective-algberaic manifolds and prove that no jump of complex structures can occur. For each $S$ of rank $\ge 2$ there…
A linear connection on a Lie algebroid is called a Cartan connection if it is suitably compatible with the Lie algebroid structure. Here we show that a smooth connected manifold $M$ is locally homogeneous - i.e., admits an atlas of charts…
This paper is a review of the twistor theory of irreducible G-structures and affine connections. Long ago, Berger presented a very restricted list of possible irreducibly acting holonomies of torsion-free affine connections. His list was…
Our aim here is to investigate the holomorphic geometric structures on compact complex manifolds which may not be K\"ahler. We prove that holomorphic geometric structures of affine type on compact Calabi-Yau manifolds with polystable…
Geometric structures modeled on rational homogeneous manifolds are studied to characterize rational homogeneous manifolds and to prove their deformation rigidity. To generalize these characterizations and deformation rigidity results to…