Planar configurations of lattice vectors and GKZ-rational toric fourfolds in \(\mathbb P^6\) (Q1826916)

The \(A\)-hypergeometric functions in the sense of \textit{I. M. Gel'fand, M. M. Kapranov} and \textit{A. V. Zelevinskij} [Adv. Math. 84, No. 2, 255--271 (1990; Zbl 0741.33011)] are solutions of a regular, holonomic system of partial differential equations associated with a configuration \(A \subset \mathbb Z^d\) and a homogeneity vector \(\alpha \in \mathbb R^d\). Provided \(\alpha \in \mathbb Z^d\), rational \(A\)-hypergeometric functions exist under strong combinatorial restrictions on \(A\). In [Compos. Math. 128, No. 2, 217--240 (2001; Zbl 0990.33013)], \textit{E. Cattani, A. Dickenstein} and \textit{B. Sturmfels} defined a configuration \(A\) to be GKZ-rational provided the discriminant \(D_A\) is not a monomial and there exists a non-zero rational \(A\)-hypergeometric function whose denominator is a multiple of \(D_A\). They conjectured that the configuration \(A\) is GKZ-rational if and only if it is affinely equivalent to an essential Cayley configuration. The conjecture was proven true when the projective toric variety associated with \(A\) is a hypersurface or has dimension at most three. In this paper, the authors verify that the conjecture holds in the first significant open case, corresponding to toric fourfolds in \(\mathbb P^6\). This result is deduced from a classification theorem for nonconfluent configurations of seven non-zero vectors in the plane. The associated rational \(A\)-hypergeometric functions are constructed. It is shown that, for any fixed integer homogeneity \(\alpha\), the space of rational \(A\)-hypergeometric functions of degree \(\alpha\) that are stable (i.e. not annihilated by some iterated derivative) has dimension at most 1. Moreover, a suitable derivative of these functions can be realized by toric residues. The results are illustrated for the configuration associated with Appell's hypergeometric series \(F_2\).