On the factoriality of Cox rings (Q1033972)

Given an irreducible normal algebraic variety \(X\) with free finitely generated divisor class group \(\text{Cl}(X)\), one defines the total coordinate ring, or the Cox ring, of \(X\) to be a graded ring \(R(X)=\bigoplus_{D\in K}H^0(X,\mathcal{O}(D))\), where \(K\) is a group of Weil divisors mapping isomorphically onto \(\text{Cl}(X)\) and \(\mathcal{O}(D)\) is a reflexive sheaf on \(X\) whose sections are rational functions with divisors majorizing \(-D\) [\textit{D. C. Cox}, J. Algebr. Geom. 4, No. 1, 17--50 (1995; Zbl 0846.14032); \textit{F. Berchtold} and \textit{J. Hausen}, J. Algebra 266, No. 2, 636--670 (2003; Zbl 1073.14001)]. The Cox ring \(R(X)\) does not depend on \(K\), up to isomorphism, and is factorial [\textit{F. Berchtold} and \textit{J. Hausen}, loc. cit.; \textit{E. J. Elizondo, K. Kurano} and \textit{K.-i. Watanabe}, J. Algebra 276, No. 2, 625--637 (2004; Zbl 1074.14006)]. In the note, a new proof of this result is given. First, it is easy to see that \(R(X)\) is graded factorial, i.e., every homogeneous element of \(R(X)\) uniquely decomposes into a product of irreducible homogeneous elements. (The latter are sections corresponding to prime divisors.) The factoriality of \(R(X)\) is deduced from the graded factoriality in the following way. Removing the singular locus, one may assume that \(X\) is smooth and consider the universal torsor \(\widehat{X}=\text{Spec}_X\mathcal{R}_X\), where \(\mathcal{R}_X=\bigoplus_{D\in K}\mathcal{O}(D)\) [\textit{F. Berchtold} and \textit{J. Hausen}, loc. cit.]. It is a principal locally trivial \(T\)-bundle over \(X\), where \(T\) is an algebraic torus of dimension \(\text{rk}\text{Cl}(X)\) defining the grading of \(\mathcal{R}_X\). Every height 1 prime ideal of \(R(X)\) corresponds to a prime divisor on \(\widehat{X}\). Replacing it with a linearly equivalent divisor, one may assume that the divisor is \(T\)-stable. But then it is defined by a homogeneous element of \(R(X)\), i.e., is principal. The Cox ring may also be defined when \(\text{Cl}(X)\) has torsion and \(X\) has no non-constant invertible functions [\textit{F. Berchtold} and \textit{J. Hausen}, loc. cit., \textit{J. Hausen}, Mosc. Math. J. 8, No. 4, 711--757 (2008; Zbl 1158.14010)]. It is still graded factorial, but may be no longer factorial. This observation is certified by a computation of the Cox ring of a homogeneous space \(G/H\), where \(G\) is an affine algebraic group without characters and with \(\text{Cl}(G)=0\). Here \(\text{Cl}(G/H)=\mathfrak{X}(H)\), the character group of \(H\) [\textit{V. L. Popov}, Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Mat. 38, 294--322 (1974; Zbl 0298.14023)], and \(R(G/H)=\mathcal{O}(G/H_1)\), where \(H_1\) is the common kernel of all characters of \(H\), cf.\ [\textit{I. V. Arzhantsev} and \textit{J. Hausen}, J. Algebra 304, No. 2, 950--988 (2006; Zbl 1111.14050)].