Sarkisov links with centre space curves on smooth cubic surfaces (Q6109903): Difference between revisions

Let \(\phi \colon X \dasharrow Y\) be a birational map between the Mori fiber spaces \(f \colon X \rightarrow S\) and \(g\colon Y\rightarrow T\) with \(\mathbb{Q}\)-factorial terminal singularities defined over an algebraically closed field \(k\) of characteristic zero. It is well known that \(\phi\) is a composition of certain elementary birational maps called Sarkisov links [\textit{A. Corti}, J. Algebr. Geom. 4, No. 2, 223--254 (1995; Zbl 0866.14007); \textit{C. D. Hacon} and \textit{J. McKernan}, J. Algebr. Geom. 22, No. 2, 389--405 (2013; Zbl 1267.14024)]. This result allows theoretically to find generators for the birational automorphism group of any Mori fiber space, and in particular of the projective space \(\mathbb{P}^n_k\), which is a classical problem in algebraic geometry. Suppose that \(\phi \colon \mathbb{P}^3_k \dasharrow \mathbb{P}^3_k\) is a birational map. Then \(\phi =\tau_1 \circ \cdots \circ \tau_n\), where \(\tau_i\). \(i=1,\ldots, \tau_n\) are Sarkisov links. The first link \(\tau_1\) must start from a birational map \(f\colon X^{\prime}\rightarrow \mathbb{P}^3_k\), where \(X^{\prime}\) has \(\mathbb{Q}\)-factorial terminal singularities and \(f\) contracts an irreducible divisor either to a point or an irreducible curve \(C\) in \(\mathbb{P}^3\). In this paper the author classifies the smooth curves \(C\) in \(\mathbb{P}^3_k\) which lie on a smooth cubic surface \(S\subset \mathbb{P}^3_k\) such that the blow up \(f\colon X^{\prime}\rightarrow \mathbb{P}^3_k\) is the first step of a Sarkisov link. In order to do this this the author studies when the 2-ray game [\textit{A. Corti}, J. Algebr. Geom. 4, No. 2, 223--254 (1995; Zbl 0866.14007)] can be played starting with \(X^{\prime}\). The case when the blown up curve \(C\) is contained in a plane or quadric was considered in [\textit{J. Blanc} and \textit{S. Lamy}, Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 105, No. 5, 1047--1075 (2012; Zbl 1258.14015)].