Rationally connected non-Fano type varieties (Q1746639): Difference between revisions

A normal projective variety $X$ is of Fano type if there is an effective $\mathbb{Q}$-divisor $\Delta$ on $X$ such that $(X,\Delta)$ is a log Fano pair (that is, $-(K_X+\Delta)$ is ample and $(X,\Delta)$ is Kawamata log terminal). Varieties of Fano type were introduced by \textit{Yu. G. Prokhorov} and \textit{V. V. Shokurov} [J. Algebr. Geom. 18, No. 1, 151--199 (2009; Zbl 1159.14020)]. In the same paper, the two authors showed that if the MMP is run on a variety of Fano type, then the outcome is a variety of Fano type (being the Fano type property invariant under flips and contractions). Varieties of Fano type are also known to be rationally connected [\textit{Q. Zhang}, J. Reine Angew. Math. 590, 131--142 (2006; Zbl 1093.14059)] and [\textit{C. D. Hacon} and \textit{J. McKernan}, Duke Math. J. 138, No. 1, 119--136 (2007; Zbl 1128.14028)]. \par In [Math. Ann. 345, No. 1, 195--212 (2009; Zbl 1174.14033)], \textit{T. Okada} proved that both the class of rationally connected varieties and the class of Fano type are birationally unbounded. In the paper under review the author answers negatively to whether these classes are the same modulo birational equivalence providing examples in dimension $n\geq 3$ of rationally connected varieties that are not birational to a variety of Fano type (the question was raised by \textit{P. Cascini} and \textit{Y. Gongyo} [Saitama Math. J. 30, 27--38 (2013; Zbl 1375.14136)]). Namely, using techniques of birational rigidity, the author proves that the double cover of $\mathbb{P}^M\times \mathbb{P}^1$ branched along a general smooth divisor of bidegree (2M, 2l), with $M,l\geq 3$, is not birationally equivalent to a variety of Fano type. The example of a rational connected variety not birational to a variety of Fano type in dimension three is provided considering a suitable hypersurface in a quotient space, whose detailed description would be too technical in a review.