The one-dimensional line scheme of a family of quadratic quantum \(\mathbb{P}^3\)s (Q1706259)

Quantum \(\mathbb P^n\)s are regular algebras of global dimension \(n+1\), and are considered to be noncommutative analogs of the polynomial ring in \(n+1\) variables. The quantum \(\mathbb P^2\)s have been classified by \textit{M. Artin} et al. [Prog. Math. 86, 33--85 (1990; Zbl 0744.14024)] by means of point schemes. However, the classification of quantum \(\mathbb P^3\)s is still unknown. Motivated by the classifcation of quantum \(\mathbb P^2\)s, the authors propose that the identification of the point schemes and line schemes that arise from quantum \(\mathbb P^3\)s should be the first step toward completing the classification of quantum \(\mathbb P^3\)s. Note that most regular algebras of global dimension \(4\) are quadratic, so attention is restricted to quadratic quantum \(\mathbb P^3\)s, ie. quadratic, Noetherian, AS-regular algebras with Hilbert series \((1-t)^{-4}\). The current article computes the line schemes of a specific family of quadratic quantum \(\mathbb P^3\)s in order to supplement a lack of examples in the current literature and to validate certain predictions on the generic structure of quadratic quantum \(\mathbb P^3\)s. Van den Bergh has proved that generically quadratic quantum \(\mathbb P^3\)s have a point scheme consisting of twenty distinct points and a one-dimensional line scheme. Furthermore, explicit calculation of the line schemes of a certain family of quadratic quantum \(\mathbb P^3\)s lead \textit{R. G. Chandler} and the second author [J. Algebra 439, 316--333 (2015; Zbl 1348.14005)] to conjecture that the line scheme of a generic quadratic quantum \(\mathbb P^3\) consists of a union of two degree-four spatial elliptic curves and four planar elliptic curves. New in this article, the authors provide support for this conjecture by computing the line schemes of a \(1\)-parameter family of algebras \(\mathcal A(\alpha)\) which are quadratic quantum \(\mathbb P^3\)s. While the line schemes obtained from this family are not unions of elliptic curves as conjectured, they are in fact degenerations of the conjectured collections of planar and spatial elliptic curves. As such, the \(\mathcal A(\alpha)\) may reasonably be expected to be not generic but rather limits of families of generic curves. In this way, the conjecture is supported by the results of the paper. However, further calculation of certain line schemes of other families of quadratic quantum \(\mathbb P^3\)s have led the authors to modify the conjecture to include the possibility of four degree-four spatial elliptic curves and two nonsingular conics. The updated conjecture appears as Conjecture 4.3. The algebras \(\mathcal A(\alpha)\) are specific cases of the generalized graded Clifford algebras constructed by Cassidy and Vancliff as possible generic quantum \(\mathbb P^3\)s. \(\mathcal A(\alpha)\) is presented explicitly as a quotient of the free algebra in four variables by six quadratic relations. The point scheme of \(\mathcal A(\alpha)\) is computed following the method of Artin et al. [loc. cit.] and shown to consist of twenty distinct points. The line scheme is computed following the method originally introduced by \textit{B. Shelton} and the second author [Commun. Algebra 30, No. 5, 2535--2552 (2002; Zbl 1056.14002)], which identifies it with the zero set of fourty-five quartic polynomials and one quadratic polynomial in six variables. Mathematica is used to compute these polynomials along with a Gröbner basis. Using this, the authors identify the line scheme with a union of eight irreducible curves in \(\mathbb P^5\): two lines, two nonsingular conics, two planar elliptic curves, one spatial elliptic curve, and one spatial rational curve with a singular point. The singular rational curve is viewed as a degeneration of a spatial elliptic curve, while each line + conic pair is viewed as a degeneration of a planar elliptic curve. Additionally, the authors investigate the intersection points of the irreducible components of the line scheme as well as the lines in the line scheme which contains points of the point scheme. In particular, they show that four points of the point scheme lie on infinitely many points of the line scheme, while the remaining \(16\) points of the point scheme lie on exactly six distinct lines of the line scheme, counting multiplicity.