Smoothness and Euler characteristic of the variety of complete pairs \(X_{23}\) of zero-dimensional subschemes of length 2 and 3 of algebraic surfaces (Q1581442)

\textit{A.S. Tikhomirov} [Izv. Math. 61, No.6, 1265--1291 (1997); translation from Izv. Ross. Akad. Nauk, Ser. Mat. 61, No.6, 153--180 (1997; Zbl 0935.14002)] initiated the study of varieties of complete pairs of zero-dimensional subschemes of an algebraic surface. Let \(S\) be a smooth projective irreducible complex algebraic surface, and \(H_d\) the Hilbert scheme of zero-dimensional subschemes of length \(d\) in \(S\). For \(d=d_1+d_2\), the blow-up of \(H_{d_1}\times H_{d_2}\) along \(\Gamma_{d_1 d_2}=\{(z_1,z_2) \in H_{d_1}\times H_{d_2}|\;Z_1 \cap Z_2\neq \emptyset\}\) is called the variety of complete pairs \(X_{d_1 d_2}\). It arises naturally via the regularization of the rational map \(H_{d_1}\times H_{d_2}\dashrightarrow H_d\) given by the union of disjoint subschemes. \textit{A.S. Tikhomirov} [loc. cit.] conjectured that these varieties are smooth. In the paper under review, the author proves this for \(X_{23}\) by reducing the conjecture to the case of subschemes given by monomial ideals, using a suitable torus action. Moreover, in the case \(S=\mathbb{P}^2\) the topological Euler characteristic \(\chi_{\text{top}} (X_{23})=393\) is computed by counting its fixed points.