On the K-stability of Fano varieties and anticanonical divisors (Q1732295)

Let \(X\) be a normal complex projective variety with mild singularities (for example \(X\) is klt) such that the anticanonical divisor \(-K_X\) is ample. If \(X\) is smooth we know by the work of Chen-Donaldson-Sun [\textit{X. Chen} et al., J. Am. Math. Soc. 28, No. 1, 183--197 (2015; Zbl 1312.53096); ibid. 28, No. 1, 199--234 (2015; Zbl 1312.53097; ibid. 28, No. 1, 235--278 (2015; Zbl 1311.53059)] that the existence of Kähler-Einstein metrics on \(X\) is equivalent to the \(K\)-stability of \(X\). The goal of this paper is to develop a criterion for \(K\)-stability that can be verified in practice. The authors introduce the notion of anticanonical divisors of \(k\)-basis type, that is linear combinations \[ D : = \frac{D_1+ \ldots + D_{h^0(X, -kK_X)}}{k \cdot h^0(X, -kK_X)} \] where \(D_1, \ldots, D_{h^0(X, -kK_X)}\) is a basis of the vector space \(H^0(X, -kK_X)\). The \(k\)-th \(\delta\)-invariant \(\delta_k(X)\) is the infimum of the the log-canonical thresholds \(\mathrm{lct}(X,D)\) where we consider all the anticanonical divisors of \(k\)-basis type. Finally the \(\delta\)-invariant is defined as \[ \delta(X) := \limsup_{k \to \infty} \delta_k(X). \] The authors prove that if \(\delta(X)>1\), then \((X, -K_X)\) is uniformly \(K\)-stable in the sense of \textit{R. Dervan} [Int. Math. Res. Not. 2016, No. 15, 4728--4783 (2016; Zbl 1405.32032)], and Boucksom-Hisamoto-Jonsson [\textit{S. Boucksom} et al., Ann. Inst. Fourier 67, No. 2, 743--841 (2017; Zbl 1391.14090)]. Moreover if \(\delta(X) \geq 1\), then \((X, -K_X)\) is \(K\)-semistable. In fact the other implication also holds, as shown in a recent preprint by \textit{H. Blum} and \textit{M. Jonsson} [``Thresholds, valuations, and K-stability'', \url{arXiv:1706.04548}].