Affine varieties with equivalent cylinders (Q1614653)

The authors discuss the following modification of the classical cancellation problem in affine algebraic geometry: Two algebraic varieties \(V_1,V_2\subset \mathbb{C}^n\) are called stably equivalent if there is a \(k\geq 0\) and an automorphism of \(\mathbb{C}^{n+k}\) which transforms \(V_1\times \mathbb{C}^k\) to \(V_2\times \mathbb{C}^k\), and equivalent if one can take \(k=0\). When does stable equivalence imply equivalence? The notion of stable equivalence turns out to be very useful. For instance, it establishes a close connection between the cancellation problem and the Abhyankar-Sathaye embedding conjecture, and helps to understand why non-isomorphic varieties may have isomorphic cross-products (like in the famous examples of Danielewski). The authors concentrate to the case of hypersurfaces with equivalent cylinders, i.e. \(\dim V_1=\dim V_2=n-1\) and \(k=1\). They prove that for \(n=2,3\), the equivalence of \(V_1\times \mathbb{C}\) and \(V_2\times \mathbb{C}\) implies the equivalence of the bases \(V_1\) and \(V_2\). In arbitrary dimension, the authors give an affirmative answer for certain large classes of hypersurfaces defined by so-called test polynomials [cf. \textit{A. van den Essen} and \textit{V. Shpilrain}, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 119, No. 1, 47--52 (1997; Zbl 0899.13009); \textit{J. Jelonek}, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 137, No. 1, 49--55 (1999; Zbl 0929.13014)]. Another interesting result is that if two hypersurfaces in \(\mathbb{C}^n\) are equivalent, then they are equivalent under tame (products of linear and triangular) automorphisms in \(\mathbb{C}^{2n}\). Furthermore, it is discussed whether a variety \(V \times \mathbb{C}^k\subset \mathbb{C}^n\) and a non-cylinder \(U\subset \mathbb{C}^n\) can become equivalent after an embedding into some \(\mathbb{C}^m\) with \(m>n\). The easiest examples are given by \(V=\{xy=1\}\) and \(U=\{x(1+xy+z^2)=1\}\). By extending this, the authors construct examples for any \(k\geq 1\), \(n\geq k+2\) and \(m=2n\). Finally, Danielewski surfaces are used to produce inequivalent varieties with equivalent cylinders. Namely, take the non-isomorphic \(V_1=\{xy-z^2+1\}\) and \(V_2=\{x^2 y-z^2+1\}\) linearly embedded into \(\mathbb{C}^7\), then their cylinders become equivalent in \(\mathbb{C}^8\).