On Euler-Jaczewski sequence and Remmert-Van de Ven problem for toric varieties (Q1849658)

The generalized Remmert-Van de Ven problem can be formulated as follows: Suppose \(\phi:X\to Y\) is a morphism from a complete variety in a given class onto a smooth projective variety, possibly with some additional assumptions on \(\phi\) and \(Y\) (e.g. the Picard number \(\rho(Y)\) equals 1); then is it true that \(Y\simeq\mathbb{P}^n\) unless \(\phi\) is an isomorphism? The affirmative answer is known for \(X=\mathbb{P}^n\) [\textit{R. Lazarsfeld} in: Complete intersections, Lect. 1st Sess. C.I.M.E., Acireale 1983, Lect. Notes Math. 1092, 29-61 (1984; Zbl 0547.14009)], \(X\) a smooth quadric [\textit{K. H. Paranjape} and \textit{V. Srinivas}, Invent. Math. 98, 425-444 (1989; Zbl 0697.14037) and \textit{K. Cho} and \textit{E. Sato}, Math. Z. 217, 553-565 (1994; Zbl 0815.14035)], \(X\) an irreducible Hermitian symmetric space [\textit{I. Tsai}, J. Differ. Geom. 33, 717-729 (1991; Zbl 0718.53042)], \(X\) rational homogeneous with \(\rho(X)=1\) [\textit{J.-M. Hwang} and \textit{N. Mok}, Invent. Math. 136, 209-231 (1999; Zbl 0963.32007)], \(X\) a Fano 3-fold [\textit{E. Amerik}, Doc. Math., J. DMV 2, 195-211 (1997; Zbl 0922.14007) and \textit{C. Schuhmann}, J. Algebr. Geom. 8, 221-244 (1999; Zbl 0970.14022)]. In the paper under review, the affirmative answer is given for \(X\) a complete toric variety and \(\rho(Y)=1\). The idea of the proof is similar to that of Lazarsfeld. The authors use Mori's result [\textit{S. Mori}, Ann. Math. (2) 110, 593-606 (1979; Zbl 0423.14006)]: Suppose that there exists a dominating family \(\mathcal{V}\) of rational curves \(f:\mathbb{P}^1\to Y\) of minimal degree such that for general \(y\in Y\) and any curve \(f\in\mathcal{V}\), \(f(0)=y\), the bundle \(f^{*}TY\) is ample; then \(Y\simeq\mathbb{P}^n\). Another ingredient is the Euler-Jaczewski sequence \[ 0\to\Omega_X\to\mathcal{P}_X^{\vee}\to H\otimes\mathcal{O}_X\to 0 \] corresponding to \(\text{Id}\in\text{End}H= \text{Ext}^1(H\otimes\mathcal{O}_X,\Omega_X)\), where \(H=H^1(X,\Omega_X)\) [see \textit{K. Jaczewski} in: Classification of algebraic varieties, Algebr. Geom. Conf., L'Aquila 1992, Contemp. Math. 162, 227-247 (1994; Zbl 0837.14042)]. The setup is easily reduced to the case where \(X\) is smooth projective and \(\phi\) generically finite. Assuming the contrary and using the Euler-Jaczewski sequence, one gets a generically surjective map \(\bigoplus_{D\in J}\mathcal{O}(D)\to\phi^{*}TY\), where \(J\) is the set of invariant prime divisors on \(X\) not contracted by \(\phi\). This leads to a contradiction using some technical property of minimal dominating families of curves. As an application, the authors prove a structure result for smooth projective varieties \(X\) admitting two projective bundle structures \(X\to Y\) and \(X\to Z\). If \(\dim X=\dim Y+\dim Z\), then it is easy to deduce from Lazarsfeld's theorem that \(X\simeq\mathbb{P}^r\times\mathbb{P}^s\). If \(\dim X=\dim Y+\dim Z-1\), then one deduces from the main theorem that either \(Y=Z=\mathbb{P}^n\), \(X=\mathbb{P}(T\mathbb{P}^n)\), or \(Y,Z\) are projective bundles over a smooth curve \(C\) and \(X=Y\times_CZ\).