Semi-ampleness of the numerically effective part of Zariski decomposition (Q1090372)

Let \(f: X\to Y\) be a contraction with respect to an extremal ray, which is an isomorphism in codimension 1. The author shows that: (1) the existence of a flip of \(f: X\to Y\) is equivalent to existence of finitely many generators of the pluricanonical ring \(R=\oplus^{\infty}_{n=0}H^ 0(X,{\mathcal O}_ X(nd(K_ X+f^*(rA)))),\) where A is an ample divisor on Y, the integer r is sufficiently large and d is an integer such that \(dK_ X\) is a Cartier divisor; (2) if \(K_ X+f^*(rA)\) admits a Zariski decomposition, then the ring R is finitely generated. The existence of flip of \(f: X\to Y\) is one of the key steps remaining in the proof of the minimal model conjecture. Remark. Recently \textit{S. Mori} has proved the minimal model conjecture for threedimensional manifolds [see \textit{S. Mori}, ''The flip theorem'' [preprint 1987 (to appear in J. Am. Math. Soc. 1 (1988)].