Characterizing symplectic Grassmannians by varieties of minimal rational tangents (Q2073263)

The main result of this article is the following theorem: Let \(S\) be a symplectic or an odd-symplectic Grassmannian. Let \(X\) be a uniruled projective manifold with a family \(\mathcal K\) of rational curves of minimal degree. Assume that the variety of minimal rational tangents -- VMRT -- \(\mathcal C_x\subset \mathbb P(T_xX)\) of \(\mathcal K\) at a general point \(x\) in \(X\) is projectively equivalent to the VMRT \(\mathcal C_s\subset \mathbb P(T_sS)\) of lines at a general point \(s\) in \(S\). Then some Euclidean neighborhood of a general member of \(\mathcal K\) is biholomorphic to a Euclidean neighborhood of a general line in one of the presymplectic Grassmannians. This theorem can be seen as an extension of a result of Mok in the case of an irreducible Hermitian symmetric space \(S\) [\textit{N. Mok}, AMS/IP Stud. Adv. Math. 42, 41--61 (2008; Zbl 1182.14042)]. The result of Mok was generalized by J. Hong and J.M. Hwang to the case where \(S\) is a homogeneous space \(G/P\) of a complex simple Lie group \(G\) with a maximal parabolic subgroup \(P\) associated to a long root. Also in this article \(S\) is of the form \(S/P\) but it is associated to a short root. This implies that the VMRT \(\mathcal C_s\) is not a homogeneous variety. Moreover the techniques of Mok based on the differential geometric machinery of Cartan connections constructed by Tanaka cannot be used in this context. The Authors overcome this difficulty by constructing a Cartan connection associated to a fairly general setting, a \(G_0\)-structure on a complex manifold equipped with a filtration; this is done in Section 2 of the article. As consequence they are able to characterize symplectic and odd-symplectic Grassmannians among Fano manifolds of Picard number \(1\) by their VMRT at a general point. They also prove their rigidity under global Kahler deformation.