UC Berkeley

Commutative Algebra and Algebraic Geometry Seminar

April 3, 2007

939 Evans


3:45: Generic projections of projective varieties

Roya Beheshti

Let X be a nonsingular projective variety of dimension n over an algebraically closed field, and consider an embedding of X in a projective space. I will talk about generic projections of X into the projective (n+1)-space, a conjecture on the regularity of the fibers of generic projections, and some results in the direction of the conjecture. This is joint work with D. Eisenbud.

PDF notes, courtesy of Bjorn Poonen

5:00: Matrix pencils, 0-regular sheaves, and rational normal scrolls

Edward Carter

A matrix pencil is an object of the form λ A+μ B, where A and B are both m × n matrices. We think of λ and μ as the variables over P1C. Under the equivalence relation of multiplication by arbitrary invertible matrices with constant entries on either side, every matrix pencil has a canonical form similar to the Jordan canonical form for square matrices. Under the same equivalence relation, there are symmetric (resp. skew-symmetric) canonical forms for symmetric (resp. skew-symmetric) pencils. Using this canonical form, we can classify 0-regular sheaves on P1.

An m × n matrix pencil is a map from kn to km Ä k2, which is then an element of km Ä k2 Ä kn. In this way, we can allow the variables over P1 to exchange roles with the rows or columns of the pencil and associate each pencil to a subscheme of some rational normal scroll.

PDF notes, courtesy of Bjorn Poonen