Rational curves on homogeneous cones (Q1769056)

The author studies the irreducible components of the scheme of rational curves in the cone \(X\) over a homogeneous variety \(G/P\), embedded by an ample line bundle \(L\). These cones appear as singularities of minuscule Schubert varieties. The study of rational curves on them is a step towards the classification of rational curves on Schubert varieties. Call \(Y\) the vertex of \(X\) and set \(U:=X\setminus Y\). The scheme of \(1\)-cycles \(A_1(X)\), modulo rational equivalence, is proved to be isomorphic to \(\mathbb Z\). The intersection form defines a surjection \(s: \text{Pic}(U)^*\to A_1(X)\). \(\beta \in\)Pic\((U)^*\) which is effective when there exists a complete curve \(C\subset U\) with \([C]=\beta.\) It turns out that the schemes Hom\(_\beta({\mathbb P}^1,U)\), of maps \(g: \mathbb P^1 \to U\) such that \([g]=\beta\) as functionals on \(A_1(X)\), are irreducible. The author uses them to describe the components of Hom\(_d(\mathbb P^1,X)\), the scheme of maps \(f:\mathbb P^1 \to X\) with \(f_*[{\mathbb P}^1]=d\). The description is divided in two cases, accordingly with the existence of lines in \(G/P\) (in the embedding defined by \(L\)). When \(G/P\) has lines, then the components of Hom\(_d(\mathbb P^1,X)\) are simply indexed by the set \(\{\beta\in \)Pic\((U)^*:\beta\) is effective and \(s(\beta)=d\}\). When \(G/P\) has no lines, then the multiplicity of \(f(\mathbb P^1)\) at the vertex of the cone becomes rigid, and the irreducible components are indexed by the sets \(\{\beta\in \)Pic\((U)^*:\beta\) is effective and \(s(\beta)=d'\) for some \(d'<d\}.\)