On limits of joins of maximal dimension (Q1364553)

Let \(K\) be a perfect field, \(Z\) an algebraic \(K\)-scheme and \(X,Y\subseteq Z\) subschemes. For a subvariety \(C\subseteq X\cap Y\) with generic point \(\eta_C\) the limit of join variety is by definition the scheme \(\text{LJoin}_C(X,Y):= \pi^{- 1}(\eta_C)\) where \(\pi\) denotes the canonical projection of \(C_{X\cap Y}(X\times Y)\), the normal cone, onto \(X\cap Y\). By a result of the \textit{H. Flenner} and \textit{W. Vogel} [see ``Limits of joins and intersections'', in: Higher dimensional complex varieties. Proc. Int. Conf., Trento 1994, 209-222 (1996)] the dimension of \(\text{LJoin}_C(X,Y)\) is bounded above by \[ \min\{ \text{emdim }{\mathcal O}_{X\cup Y,C}+\dim C,\dim{\mathcal O}_{X,C}+ \dim{\mathcal O}_{Y,C}+\dim C\}. \] Motivated by applications in intersection theory (see loc. cit.) we investigate the question when equality holds. Using homological methods from \textit{A. Simis}, \textit{B. Ulrich} and \textit{W. Vasconcelos} [``Tangent star cones'', J. Reine Angew. Math. 483. 23-59 (1997)] and assuming the condition \[ \text{emdim } {\mathcal O}_{X\cup Y,D}\leq\dim{\mathcal O}_{X,D}+\dim{\mathcal O}_{Y,D} \text{ for all subvarieties }D\subseteq X\cap Y\text{ with }D\supsetneq C \tag{\(*\)} \] it is shown that this is the case in the following situations: (1) \({\mathcal O}_{X,C}\), \({\mathcal O}_{Y,C}\) and \({\mathcal O}_{X\cap Y,C}\) are complete intersection rings, (2) \(X=Y\) and \({\mathcal O}_{X,C}\) is in the linkage class of a complete intersection, (3) \(X=Y\) and \({\mathcal O}_{X,C}\) is a 2-dimensional isolated singularity, (4) \(X=Y\) and \({\mathcal O}_{X,C}\) is a 3-dimensional isolated Gorenstein singularity satisfying \[ H_{{\mathfrak m}_C}^{\dim{\mathcal O}_{X,C}-2} (\Omega_{X/K,C}^1)=0. \] We also derive estimates for the dimension of \(\text{LJoin}_C (X,Y)\), e.g. for singularities defined by not too many equations. Using the fact that for projective varieties \(X,Y\) with affine cones \(\widehat{X},\widehat{Y}\) the variety \(\text{LJoin}_0 (\widehat{X},\widehat{Y})\) is just the cone over the well known join variety of \(X,Y\) one obtains as an application many situations where the join variety has maximal dimension.