On symmetric degeneracy loci, spaces of symmetric matrices of constant rank and dual varieties (Q1298189)

The main object of the paper under review is a linear subspace \(A\subset S^2V^*\), where \(V\) denotes a complex vector space of dimension \(m\). One can naturally identify \(A\) with a vector space of symmetric \(m\times m\) matrices. If every non-zero matrix from \(A\) has rank \(r\), the space \(A\) is said to be of constant rank \(r\). One can ask how large such an \(A\) can be. The answer is given by theorem 2.14: The biggest possible dimension of \(A\) equals \(m-r+1\). [This result is classical for \(r\) odd and is due to \textit{R.~Meshulam}, Linear Algebra Appl. 216, 93-96 (1995; Zbl 0827.15026) for \(r\) even.] The authors give a new proof based on algebraic-geometric methods. Their main observation [going back to the paper of \textit{L.~Ein}, Invent. Math. 86, 63-74 (1986; Zbl 0603.14025)] is the following one: Linear spaces of constant rank can arise from a smooth variety \(X\) whose dual variety \(X^*\) is degenerate. To be more precise, the authors define the defect of an \(n\)-dimensional variety \(X\subset \mathbb P^N\) as \(\delta = N-1-\dim (X^*)\) and show (theorem 3.4) that the linear system of quadrics generated by the second fundamental form of \(X^*\) at a smooth point is of projective dimension \(\delta\) and constant rank \(n-\delta\). This yields a \(\delta +1\) dimensional linear subspace \(A\subset S^2\mathbb C^{N-1-\delta}\) of constant rank \(n-\delta\). As a by-product, the authors get a new proof of a theorem of \textit{F.~L. Zak} [Funct. Anal. Appl. 21, 32-41 (1987); translation from Funkts. Anal. Prilozh. 21, No. 1, 39-50 (1987; Zbl 0623.14026)] stating that \(\dim (X^*)\geq\dim (X)\) provided \(X\) is smooth.