Flexible varieties and automorphism groups (Q1949161)

The authors study the properties of flexibility and transitivity of automorphism groups for affine algebraic varieties. Given an irreducible affine algebraic variety \(X\), they consider the subgroup \(\mathrm{SAut}(X)\) of \(\mathrm{Aut}(X)\) generated by all one-parameter unipotent subgroups. Denote by \(X_{\mathrm{reg}}\) the smooth locus of \(X\). One says that \(\mathrm{SAut}(X)\) acts infinitely transitively on \(X_{\mathrm{reg}}\) if it acts \(m\)-transitively on \(X_{\mathrm{reg}}\) for all \(m\in{\mathbb{N}}\). A point \(x\in X_{\mathrm{reg}}\) is called flexible if the tangent space \(T_xX\) is spanned by tangent vectors to its orbits under one parameter unipotent subgroups of \(\mathrm{Aut}(X)\). \(X\) is called flexible if all points of \(X_{\mathrm{reg}}\) are flexible. The property of flexibility and its relation to transitivity properties of \(\mathrm{SAut}(X)\) was previously considered in [\textit{I. V. Arzhantsev} et al., Sb. Math. 203, No. 7, 923--949 (2012); translation from Mat. Sb. 203, No. 7, 3--30 (2012; Zbl 1311.14059)]. In the present article it is proven that, for an affine irreducible variety \(X\) of dimension at least two, the following three conditions are equivalent: (1) \(X\) is flexible; (2) \(\mathrm{SAut}(X)\) acts transitively on \(X_{\mathrm{reg}}\); and (3) \(\mathrm{SAut}(X)\) acts infinitely transitively on \(X_{\mathrm{reg}}\). The authors also study modifications of this result and several applications. In particular, it is shown that affine irreducible affine varieties on which the group \(\mathrm{SAut}(X)\) has an open orbit are exactly those which have a flexible point. They are also characterised as those whose field Makar-Limanov invariant is trivial, and they are always unirational. Finally, the condition of holomorphic flexibility is discussed.