Related papers: Unirationality is the Same as Rational Connectedne…

For a quadratic form $\varphi$ over a field of characteristic different from $2$, we study whether its group of proper projective similitudes ${\bf PSim}^+(\varphi)$ is rationally connected (i.e. $R$-trivial). We obtain new sufficient…

This survey, which contains very few proofs, addresses the general question: Over a given type of field, is there a natural class of varieties which automatically have a rational point? Fields under consideration here include: finite…

We prove that a smooth Fano hypersurface $V=V_M\subset{\Bbb P}^M$, $M\geq 6$, is birationally superrigid. In particular, it cannot be fibered into uniruled varieties by a non-trivial rational map and each birational map onto a minimal Fano…

The purpose of this note is to give a simple proof of the following theorem: Let $X$ be a normal projective variety over an algebraically closed field $k$, $\op{char} k = 0$ and let $D \subset X$ be a proper closed subvariety of $X$. Then…

We prove that a general Fano fibration $\pi\colon V\to {\mathbb P}^1$, the fiber of which is a double Fano hypersurface of index 1, is birationally superrigid provided it is sufficiently twisted over the base. In particular, on $V$ there…

Given a (meromorphic) fibration $f:X\to Y$ where $X$ and $Y$ are compact complex manifolds of dimensions $n$ and $m$, we define $L_f$ to be the invertible subsheaf of the sheaf of holomorphic $m$-forms of $X$ given by the saturation of…

We prove that the weak Hilbert property ascends along a morphism of varieties over an arbitrary field of characteristic zero, under suitable assumptions.

Many deep, mysterious connections have been observed between collections of mutually unbiased bases (MUBs) and combinatorial designs called $k$-nets (and in particular, between complete collections of MUBs and finite affine - or…

We provide a new proof of the following result: Let $X$ be a variety of finite type over an algebraically closed field $k$ of characteristic 0, let $Z\subset X$ be a proper closed subset. There exists a modification $f:X_1 \rar X$, such…

Let X be a normal projective variety of dimension n > 2 admitting the action of the group G := Z^{n-1} such that every non-trivial element of G is of positive entropy. We show: `X is not rationally connected' ==> `X is G-equivariant…

Let $k$ be a field of characteristic $0$ and let $K = k(B)$ be the function field of a geometrically irreducible projective curve $B$ over $k$. Let $A/K$ be a $g$-dimensional abelian variety with $\mathrm{Tr}_{K/k}(A) = 0$. We prove that…

Let $A$ be an abelian variety over ${\bf C}$ of dimension $n$ and $\pi\colon {\bf C}^n \rightarrow A$ be the complex uniformisation. Let $X$ be an unbounded subset of ${\bf C}^n$ definable in a suitable o-minimal structure. We give a…

A rational Lagrangian fibration f on an irreducible symplecitc variety V is a rational map which is birationally equivalent to a regular surjective morphism with Lagrangian fibers. By analogy with K3 surfaces, it is natural to expect that a…

We study elliptic fibrations for F-theory compactifications realizing 4d and 6d supersymmetric gauge theories with abelian gauge factors. In the fibration these U(1) symmetries are realized in terms of additional rational sections. We…

An endomorphism $f$ of a projective variety X is polarized (resp. quasi-polarized) if $f^*H$ is linearly equivalent to $qH$ for some ample (resp. nef and big) Cartier divisor $H$ and integer $q > 1$. First, we use cone analysis to show that…

We address the question of finding algebraic properties that are respectively equivalent, for a morphism between algebraic varieties over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero, to be an homeomorphism for the Zariski topology…

The generalized Miller-Morita-Mumford classes of a manifold bundle with fiber $M$ depend only on the underlying $\tau_M$-fibration, meaning the family of vector bundles formed by the tangent bundles of the fibers. This motivates a closer…

Let $X$ be a simply connected space with finite-dimensional rational homotopy groups. Let $p_\infty \colon UE \to \mathrm{Baut}_1(X)$ be the universal fibration of simply connected spaces with fibre $X$. We give a DG Lie model for the…

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…

It is a basic tenet in complex geometry that {\it negative} curvature corresponds, in a suitable sense, to the absence of rational curves on, say, a complex projective manifold, while {\it positive} curvature corresponds to the abundance of…