Rational Curves On Algebraic Varieties

The aim of this book is to provide an introduction to the structure theory of higher dimensional algebraic varieties by studying the geometry of curves, especially rational curves, on varieties. The main applications are in the study of Fano varieties and of related varieties with lots of rational curves on them. This Ergebnisse volume provides the first systematic introduction to this field of study. The book contains a large number of examples and exercises which serve to illustrate the range of the methods and also lead to many open questions of current research.

This book offers a wide-ranging introduction to algebraic geometry along classical lines. It consists of lectures on topics in classical algebraic geometry, including the basic properties of projective algebraic varieties, linear systems of hypersurfaces, algebraic curves (with special emphasis on rational curves), linear series on algebraic curves, Cremona transformations, rational surfaces, and notable examples of special varieties like the Segre, Grassmann, and Veronese varieties. An integral part and special feature of the presentation is the inclusion of many exercises, not easy to find in the literature and almost all with complete solutions. The text is aimed at students in the last two years of an undergraduate program in mathematics. It contains some rather advanced topics suitable for specialized courses at the advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate level, as well as interesting topics for a senior thesis. The prerequisites have been deliberately limited to basic elements of projective geometry and abstract algebra. Thus, for example, some knowledge of the geometry of subspaces and properties of fields is assumed. The book will be welcomed by teachers and students of algebraic geometry who are seeking a clear and panoramic path leading from the basic facts about linear subspaces, conics and quadrics to a systematic discussion of classical algebraic varieties and the tools needed to study them. The text provides a solid foundation for approaching more advanced and abstract literature.

"... To sum up, this book helps to learn algebraic geometry in a short time, its concrete style is enjoyable for students and reveals the beauty of mathematics." --Acta Scientiarum Mathematicarum

Exploring the connections between arithmetic and geometric properties of algebraic varieties has been the object of much fruitful study for a long time, especially in the case of curves. The aim of the Summer School and Conference on "Higher Dimensional Varieties and Rational Points" held in Budapest, Hungary during September 2001 was to bring together students and experts from the arithmetic and geometric sides of algebraic geometry in order to get a better understanding of the current problems, interactions and advances in higher dimension. The lecture series and conference lectures assembled in this volume give a comprehensive introduction to students and researchers in algebraic geometry and in related fields to the main ideas of this rapidly developing area.

This book is based on lecture notes of a seminar of the Deutsche Mathematiker Vereinigung held by the authors at Oberwolfach from April 2 to 8, 1995. It gives an introduction to the classification theory and geometry of higher dimensional complex-algebraic varieties, focusing on the tremendeous developments of the sub ject in the last 20 years. The work is in two parts, with each one preceeded by an introduction describing its contents in detail. Here, it will suffice to simply ex plain how the subject matter has been divided. Cum grano salis one might say that Part 1 (Miyaoka) is more concerned with the algebraic methods and Part 2 (Peternell) with the more analytic aspects though they have unavoidable overlaps because there is no clearcut distinction between the two methods. Specifically, Part 1 treats the deformation theory, existence and geometry of rational curves via characteristic p, while Part 2 is principally concerned with vanishing theorems and their geometric applications. Part I Geometry of Rational Curves on Varieties Yoichi Miyaoka RIMS Kyoto University 606-01 Kyoto Japan Introduction: Why Rational Curves? This note is based on a series of lectures given at the Mathematisches Forschungsin stitut at Oberwolfach, Germany, as a part of the DMV seminar "Mori Theory". The construction of minimal models was discussed by T.

​​​​This book features recent developments in a rapidly growing area at the interface of higher-dimensional birational geometry and arithmetic geometry. It focuses on the geometry of spaces of rational curves, with an emphasis on applications to arithmetic questions. Classically, arithmetic is the study of rational or integral solutions of diophantine equations and geometry is the study of lines and conics. From the modern standpoint, arithmetic is the study of rational and integral points on algebraic varieties over nonclosed fields. A major insight of the 20th century was that arithmetic properties of an algebraic variety are tightly linked to the geometry of rational curves on the variety and how they vary in families. This collection of solicited survey and research papers is intended to serve as an introduction for graduate students and researchers interested in entering the field, and as a source of reference for experts working on related problems. Topics that will be addressed include: birational properties such as rationality, unirationality, and rational connectedness, existence of rational curves in prescribed homology classes, cones of rational curves on rationally connected and Calabi-Yau varieties, as well as related questions within the framework of the Minimal Model Program.

This book offers a wide-ranging introduction to algebraic geometry along classical lines. It consists of lectures on topics in classical algebraic geometry, including the basic properties of projective algebraic varieties, linear systems of hypersurfaces, algebraic curves (with special emphasis on rational curves), linear series on algebraic curves, Cremona transformations, rational surfaces, and notable examples of special varieties like the Segre, Grassmann, and Veronese varieties. An integral part and special feature of the presentation is the inclusion of many exercises, not easy to find in the literature and almost all with complete solutions. The text is aimed at students of the last two years of an undergraduate program in mathematics. It contains some rather advanced topics suitable for specialized courses on the advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate level, as well as interesting topics for a senior thesis. The prerequisites have been deliberately limited to basic elements of projective geometry and abstract algebra. Thus, for example, some knowledge of the geometry of subspaces and properties of fields is assumed. The book will be welcomed by teachers and students of algebraic geometry who are seeking a clear and panoramic path leading from the basic facts about linear subspaces, conics and quadrics to a systematic discussion of classical algebraic varieties and the tools needed to study them. The text provides a solid foundation for approaching more advanced and abstract literature.