On hyperplane sections of reduced irreducible varieties of low codimension (Q1332793)

Let \(X\) be an arithmetically Cohen-Macaulay variety (subscheme) of codimension 2 in \(\mathbb{P}^n = \mathbb{P}^n(k)\), where \(k\) is an algebraically closed field. Let \(I = I(X)\) denote the defining ideal of \(X\) in the polynomial ring \(R = k[x_0, \dots, x_n]\). By the Hilbert-Burch theorem we may assume that \(I\) is minimally generated by the maximal minors of an \(r - 1\) by \(r\) matrix \((g_{ij})\) of homogeneous elements of \(R\). Let \(a_1, \dots, a_r\) be the degree of these generators. Then \(I\) has a minimal free resolution of the form \[ 0 \to {\overset r - {1} {\underset i = {1} \bigoplus}} R(-b_i) @>(g_{ij})>> {\overset {r} {\underset j = {1} \bigoplus}} R(- a_j) \to I \to 0, \] where \(b_1, \dots, b_{r - 1}\) are positive integers with \(\sum b_i = \sum a_j \). Put \(u_{ij} = b_i - a_j\). We have \(\deg g_{ij} = u_{ij}\), if \(u_{ij} > 0\) and \(g_{ij} = 0\) if \(u_{ij} \leq 0\). Under the assumptions \(a_1 \leq \cdots a_r\) and \(b_1 \leq \cdots \leq b_{r - 1}\), the matrix \((u_{ij})\) is uniquely determined by \(X\), and it carries all the numerical data about \(X\). One calls \((u_{ij})\) the degree matrix of \(X\). \textit{T. Sauer} [Math. Ann. 272, 83-90 (1985; Zbl 0546.14023)] proved that an arithmetically Cohen-Macaulay curve in \(\mathbb{P}^3\) is smoothable if and only if \(u_{ii + 2} >0\) for \(i = 1, \dots, r - 2\). On the other hand T. Sauer (loc. cit.) proved, though not explicitly stated, that a matrix of integers \(u_{ij} = b_i - a_i\), where \(a_1 \leq \cdots \leq a_r\) and \(b_1 \leq \cdots \leq b_{r - 1}\) are two sequences of positive integers with \(\sum a_i = \sum b_j\), is the degree matrix of a smooth arithmetically Cohen-Macaulay curve in \(\mathbb{P}^3\) if and only if \(u_{ii + 2} > 0\) for \(i = 1, \cdots, r - 2\). In this paper we shall extend these results as follows. Theorem 1.1. Let \(X \subset \mathbb{P}^n\) be a reduced arithmetically Cohen-Macaulay variety of codimension 2 with degree matrix \((u_{ij})\). Then \(X\) is a hyperplane section of a reduced irreducible arithmetically Cohen-Macaulay normal variety \(Y \subset \mathbb{P}^{n + 1}\) of codimension 2 if and only if \(u_{ii + 2} > 0\) for \(i = 1, \dots, r - 2\). Now let \(X \subset \mathbb{P}^n\) be an arithmetically Gorenstein variety of codimension 3. The defining ideal \(I = I(X)\) of \(X\) is minimally generated by the \(2r\)-pfaffians of a skew-symmetric \(2r + 1\) by \(2r + 1\) matrix \((g_{ij})\) of homogeneous forms of \(R\). Let \(a_1 \leq \cdots \leq a_{2r + 1}\) be the degree of these generators of \(I\). Then \(I\) has a minimal free resolution of the form \[ 0 \to R(-c) \to \bigoplus^{2r + 1}_{i = 1} R (-b_i) @>(g_{ij})>> \bigoplus^{2r + 1}_{i = 1} R(- a_j) \to I \to 0, \] where \(c = {1 \over r} (a_1 + \cdots + a_{2r + 1})\), \(b_i = c - a_i\). If we put \(u_{ij} = c - a_i - a_j\), we have \(\deg g_{ij} = u_{ij}\), if \(u_{ij} > 0\) and \(g_{ij} = 0\) if \(u_{ij} \leq 0\). As before, the integer matrix \((u_{ij})\) will be called the degree matrix of \(X\). We obtain: Theorem 1.2. A matrix of \((u_{ij})\) of integers as above is the degree matrix of a smooth arithmetically Gorenstein curve in \(\mathbb{P}^4\) if and only if \(u_{ij} > 0\) for all \(i,j\) with \(i + j = 2r + 4\). Theorem 1.3. Let \(X \subset \mathbb{P}^n\) be a reduced arithmetically Gorenstein variety of codimension 3 with degree matrix \((u_{ij})\). Then \(X\) is a hyperplane section of a reduced irreducible arithmetically Gorenstein normal variety \(Y \subset \mathbb{P}^{n + 1}\) of codimension 3 if and only if \(u_{ij} > 0\) for all \(i,j\) with \(i + j = 2r + 4\).