On the Gorenstein locus of some punctual Hilbert schemes (Q1030697)

The authors prove that, for \(d \leq 9\), the Gorenstein locus of the Hilbert scheme parametrizing \(d\) points in projective space is irreducible. Moreover they give a complete description of the singular sub-locus. This description leads the authors to conjecture on the nature on this singular locus for any \(d\). The paper begins with an introduction on the history of the study of Grothendieck's Hilbert scheme, quickly bringing the reader up to date on the most important advancements. The picture of interest -- the locus of Gorenstein subschemes -- is introduced along with the relevant state of knowledge, including the important fact that it is an open subset of the Hilbert scheme. The paper proceeds with thorough and explicit calculations of rings with particular Hilbert functions. This information is then put together to establish the main theorems of the paper. Along the way some useful examples are given.