Related papers: Les hypersurfaces cubiques sont s\'eparablement ra…

Let k be a finite field with characteristic exceeding 3. We prove that the space of rational curves of fixed degree on any smooth cubic hypersurface over k with dimension at least 11 is irreducible and of the expected dimension.

Segre proved that a smooth cubic surface over Q is unirational iff it has a rational point. We prove that the result also holds for cubic hypersurfaces over any field, including finite fields.

Let X be a smooth hypersurface of degree d in P^n over an algebraically closed field of characteristic p. We show that X must be separably rationally connected and must contain a free line if either p is at least d or if p is at least d-1…

This article proves hypersurfaces of degree d in projective n-space are "rationally simply-connected" if $d^2 \leq n$. In a forthcoming paper, de Jong and I prove a slightly weaker result when $d^2 \leq n+1$.

We show that any smooth projective cubic hypersurface of dimension at least $29$ over the rationals contains a rational line. A variation of our methods provides a similar result over p-adic fields. In both cases, we improve on previous…

We propose and compare various techiques available to produce smooth cubic hypersurfaces over a non-algebraically-closed field which have rational points but which are not stably rational over their ground field.

These are the substantially expanded notes of the lectures of JK at the summer school "Higher-Dimensional Geometry over Finite Fields" in G\"ottingen, June 2007. The first part gives an overview of the methods. The main new result is the…

In characteristic $p>0$ and for $q$ a power of $p$, we compute the number of nonplanar rational curves of arbitrary degrees on a smooth Hermitian surface of degree $q+1$ under the assumption that the curves have a parametrization given by…

The Eckardt hypersurface in $\mathbb{P}^{19}$ parameterizes smooth cubic surfaces with an Eckardt point, which is a point common to three of the $27$ lines on a smooth cubic surface. We describe the cubic surfaces lying on the singular…

We study the moduli spaces of rational curves on cubic hypersurfaces in characteristic $\neq2,3$. As a result, we prove that for every integer $d\geq1$ the Kontsevich moduli space of stable maps on a smooth cubic hypersurface $X$ of degree…

Any smooth projective curve embeds into $\mathbb{P}^3$. More generally, any curve embeds into a rationally connected variety of dimension at least three. We prove conversely that if every curve embeds in a threefold $X$, then $X$ is…

Building on work of Segre and Koll'ar on cubic hypersurfaces, we construct over imperfect fields of characteristic p\geq 3 particular hypersurfaces of degree p, which show that geometrically rational schemes that are regular and whose…

In this note we look at the freeness for complex affine hypersurfaces. If $X \subset \mathbb{C}^n$ is such a hypersurface, and $D$ denotes the associated projective hypersurface, obtained by taking the closure of $X$ in $\mathbb{P}^n$, then…

Generalizing pseudospherical drawings, we introduce a new class of simple drawings, which we call separable drawings. In a separable drawing, every edge can be closed to a simple curve that intersects each other edge at most once. Curves of…

This note is devoted to a trick which yields almost trivial proofs that certain complexes associated to topological surfaces are connected or simply connected. Applications include new proofs that the complexes of curves, separating curves,…

Given a real algebraic curve in the projective 3-space, its hyperbolicity locus is the set of lines with respect to which the curve is hyperbolic. We give an example of a smooth irreducible curve whose hyperbolicity locus is disconnected…

Let X be a smooth cubic hypersurface. We prove that a general cubic surface is isomorphic to a hyperplane section of X .

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…

We study an irreducible component H(X) of the Hilbert scheme Hilb^{2t+2}(X) of a smooth cubic hypersurface X containing two disjoint lines. For cubic threefolds, H(X) is always smooth, as shown in arXiv:2010.11622. We provide a second proof…

Let X be a projective cubic hypersurface of dimension 11 or more, which is defined over the rationals. In this paper it is shown that X contains rational points provided that the cubic form defining X can be written as the sum of two forms…